My Outdoor Paella (serves 4 hungry people)

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I cook outside as much as possible in the summer, particularly when we are away from home. A real family favourite, is my version of Paella, a recipe I’ve adapted over time. I often change the ingredients around, depending what is available, and purists might not approve of some of my ingredients! When I cook this outside, I use a paella pan on top of a barbecue called a CADAC.  The only downside to this dish is the amount of preparation needed. There’s a lot of chopping involved. Not a meal to make in a hurry!
You could, of course, measure and prepare all of the ingredients earlier in the day or find yourself a sous chef who could be chopping as you are cooking! I’m yet to find a willing participant! Continue reading “My Outdoor Paella (serves 4 hungry people)” →

Wine and Tarragon make it French: garlic makes it good… (Alice May Brock)

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In the meantime, I had shopping to do. Most villages and towns in France have their own market day, once or twice a week, selling local produce as well as artisan goods. There is something really special about a French market. There is a real sense of community with friends meeting up shopping and enjoying coffee at a nearby café-bar.
Luckily, we have a chance to dive right into the experience this year, because our first day coincides with Millau market day. It has plenty to offer with wonderfully fresh fruit and vegetables filling the stalls, artisan pottery, bread, cured sausages, olives and cheeses. The sounds and smells of the market are so seductive. There was even an accordion playing in the background; you couldn’t imagine a more authentic tableau.
My spoken French is pretty atrocious, and seems to have got worse over the years, but nevertheless I managed to buy some perfectly ripe vegetables to use for our supper._MG_6222_MG_6215

 

We’re all going on a summer holiday……

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Schools out for summer and we are travelling to the beautiful Aveyron region of the South of France for a spot of R & R.

Top of my mind as always is what we are going to eat. As I have mentioned previously France can be a bit of a challenge when it comes to catering for special dietary requirements, although most restaurants cater for vegetarians now, there is not so much available for anyone avoiding gluten. What do French Celiacs do?

Part of the joy for me when we travel is to visit markets and supermarkets (that might be a bit weird is that just me?), discovering the local produce. My camper is well equipped with every kitchen gadget you could possibly need, and I even take a recipe book or two for inspiration, so I know we will be well fed anyway.

There is nothing quite like preparing delicious fresh fruit and vegetables in the glorious sunshine. It can mean however, that supper is sometimes a bit later than planned, as the pace of life slows.

We are staying at a place called Val de Cantobre, a campsite close to a village called Nant, about an hour from Montpelier, it’s quiet and very picturesque and on the whole has the perfect climate for relaxation.

It has a restaurant, and although we weren’t tempted to visit it last year, we thought we would glance at the menu as we were passing.

A campsite restaurant doesn’t seem like an inspiring place for a meal, but we have had some great experiences in the past, the best being ‘The Auberge’ at Les Ranchisses – the food was amazing (although that was before I was gluten-free).

Anyway, back to today. The menu looked quite interesting, and the possibility that I could have ‘an evening off’, was very enticing. The waiter came over and asked whether he could assist us (so far, so good, I thought!), and so I asked him whether there was anything gluten-free on the menu as I have an allergy. He was very excited to tell me the things on the menu that were unsuitable, that included ice cream and pizza, because of the mozzarella. It didn’t take me long to realize that he was mixing up gluten and lactose. Oh Dear.

There are plenty of restaurants nearby, so I’m bound to find something suitable. In fact, I’m going to make it my business to find a great restaurant in Aveyron, this year.

Sometimes only pizza will do…….

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I remember the first time I had pizza- not the kind served for school lunches (ew!), but pizza served in a restaurant called The Chicago Pizza Pie factory’, which was based in Hanover square in London.
At that point I was adamant ‘cheese-hater’ so it was quite q challenge to be enthusiastic.
They served a deep pan pizza, with a doughy base. It was a revelation to me. I’d never experienced those flavours before. They also served garlic bread and garlic mushrooms, a real awakening of my taste buds! The weird thing was that I was on a date. Why so much garlic?! At the time I had quite a small appetite, so carried my precious box back home. It made a great breakfast. I don’t think my Mum was impressed though!

Gradually pizzas have become very popular, available in many restaurants as well as supermarkets, and have really become the go-to meal when time is short.

Before I stopped eating gluten, I regularly made pizza from scratch at home. I really enjoyed the process and it meant that everyone could choose his or her own toppings.

Largely because our local supermarket had stopped stocking frozen gluten free pizzas. I decided to try to make pizza again, but using gluten free ingredients.
I looked at a lot of recipes and found one in a book called ‘Seriously Good Gluten Free Cooking’ by Phil Vickery (a UK chef – not the rugby player!). I’d had the book for ages, but hadn’t used any of the recipes. It really is a great book with plenty of information about celiac disease and gluten intolerance, and some really delicious looking recipes.

Gluten Free Pizza (makes 2 pizzas)

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Gluten Free Flour Mix (makes more than you need for this recipe- store the leftover flour in an airtight container for up to 6 months)

300g fine cornmeal
500g rice flour
200g cornflour

  • Mix thoroughly.

 

Gluten Free Pizza Base

1 tsp. sugar
14g Easy Blend Dried Yeast
300g Gluten Free Flour Mix (see above)
1 tsp. xanthan gum
1 level teaspoon gluten free baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tablespoon olive oil

Toppings

Whatever you want as long as they’re gluten free!

  • Dissolve the sugar in 150ml of the warm water.  Stir in the yeast and mix well.  Set aside for 5 minutes, until the yeast has frothed up.
  • Preheat oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6
  • Place the flour mix, xanthan gum, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl.
  • Add the yeast and liquid along with the oil and mix well.
  • Gradually add the remaining water. Mix thoroughly until you have a smooth, slightly wet dough.
  • Cover the bowl with a clean tea towel and allow the dough to rise in a warm place for about 15 minutes (the airing cupboard is ideal or your kitchen if it is warm enough).
  • Line two baking sheets with baking parchment.
  • Once it has risen, divide dough into to equally sized balls.
  • Place one ball on each baking sheet, cover with a second sheet of baking parchment and flatten each to form a 20cm circle.
  • Bake for 8 – 10 minutes.
  • Remove from the oven and add the toppings of your choice.
  • Return the pizzas to the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes until golden and the cheese is bubbling.
  • Serve immediately.

Tony Tobin’s Seared Scallops @ Oxted Food & Drink Festival

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Sometimes a dish is so good that it remains in your memory forever, either for the occasion, the company or the food itself.

Quite a number of years ago, to celebrate a ‘big’ birthday (I fail to recognize which one!), I was fortunate enough to dine at The Dining Room, a Reigate based restaurant owned by Tony Tobin. What really stuck in my mind about the meal (apart from the fact that my husband had a broken nose and was sporting a black eye, following a game of rugby that afternoon!) was the starter of scallops served with a beautiful tomato based sauce. I had never eaten scallops before, so I didn’t know what to expect.

They were truly delicious and I’ve remembered them ever since. I can’t actually remember the rest of the meal- just the scallops.

For one reason or another the opportunity to return to The Dining Room has never arisen.

My opportunity to have some of Tony Tobin’s scallops was presented to me at the Oxted Food and Drink Festival. Although there were some other gluten free choices available, there was no other choice for me! I wanted to see whether they lived up to my memory.

They were seared to perfection and were served with tiny potato cakes and delicate stir-fried vegetables. It was sublime. The scallops were so tender, they could almost melt in your mouth and the potato cakes and vegetables added a great contrast of textures.

If you ever visit The Dining Room in Reigate, order the scallops, you wont be disappointed!

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tonytobinrestaurants.co.uk/

The Oxted Food & Drink Festival -21st June 2014

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What better way to spend a summers day, relaxing in the sunshine, enjoying delicious food and drink, a game of cricket being played close by. How quintessentially English.
Food festivals are popping up everywhere, and a new foodie destination this year was The Oxted Food and Drink Festival, held right in the centre of town in the park.
Unlike some similar events, the tickets were reasonably priced and children went free. Included in the VIP admission price was a glass of Prosecco, Strawberries and access to the VIP tent, so you could enjoy your lunch in comfort.
There were plenty of food stalls to chose from and a good selection of items if you couldn’t have gluten. One of the lovely organisers, Nelly gave me some suggestions of gluten free choices (I contacted her prior to the event, via Facebook). It was a fantastic afternoon; a great family activity and I can’t wait to go back next year!

Slow Cooked Roast Lamb (Serves 6)

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Eating al fresco is, for me, one of the most enjoyable things to do when the sun is shining, sharing food and wine with family and good friends.  Particularly special after the long grey winter months that we have in England, and one thing that really gets me in the summery mood is fragrant roast lamb. I think it stems from holidays in Greece, exploring the wonderful landscape, fragrant with the scent of oregano, the warmth of the sun on your back.

As much as I love cooking, I don’t want to spend a sunny day in the kitchen preparing Sunday lunch, so I either barbecue the lamb or cook it slowly in the in the oven.

Crispy roast potatoes and roast vegetables make the perfect accompaniment, and add beautiful Mediterranean colours to your plate.

1 leg of lamb, around 2.3kg

For the spicy rub
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1 tbsp. sea salt (the flaked kind)
1 tbsp. cumin seed
1 pinch smoked paprika
1 tbsp. dried thyme
2 tbsp. olive oil
250ml water

  • Place all of the rub ingredients except the oil butter in a mini processor and blend; gradually add the oil until you have a thick paste. (If you don’t have a mini processor, you can use a pestle and mortar, crushing the garlic and salt together and then adding the herbs and spices and then the oil as before).
  •  Place the lamb in a roasting tin and rub all over with the spice mix.
  • Place in the oven for 35 minutes.
  • Take the lamb out of the oven (make sure you close the oven door, to keep it at a constant temperature) and add the water to the roasting tin, and then baste the lamb with it.
  • Roast for 3 hours, basting every hour. If the liquid evaporates too much, just add some more.
  • After 3 hours are up, remove the roasting tray from the oven, and rest for 10 minutes.

My Roast Potatoes (serves 6)

1.5 kg Potatoes
4 tbsp. Olive oil
My Secret Kitchen Lemon & Chipotle
Spiced Sea Salt (or salt and pepper)

  • Bring a large pan of potatoes to the boil and then cook until a fork will scratch the surface of the potatoes and make ridges.
  • Meanwhile heat the olive oil in a small pan.
  • Drain the potatoes and shake in the pan or in a colander until the edges are ‘roughed up’.
  • Drizzle the oil onto the potatoes and toss them a little.
  • Place them in a roasting tin and season with My Secret Kitchen Lemon & Chipotle
Spiced Sea Salt or salt and pepper.
  • Roast for 30 minutes at 160C and then 35 minutes at 200C (or 1 hour at 200C, if you’re not cooking the lamb)

Roast Vegetables (serves 4-6- it depends how hungry you are!)

1 red pepper, cut into chunks
1 orange pepper, cut into chunks
1 punnet of cherry tomatoes
2 bunches of asparagus, bending until the woody parts snap off- discard these ends
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 lemon, quartered
A sprinkle of OLD BAY® with Lemon & Herb Seasoning

  • Toss all of the vegetables and garlic in olive oil and place in a roasting tin.
  • Sprinkle OLD BAY® with Lemon & Herb Seasoning, or salt and pepper.
  • Add the lemon quarters to the tin and bake for 30 minutes at 200C until soft and blackened around the edges.

Timetable for the whole meal if you serving it at 1.15pm:

8.30    Preheat the oven at 160C
8.45    Cook the lamb for 35 minutes
9.20    Baste lamb
10.20  Baste lamb
11.20  Baste lamb
11.50  Add potatoes
12.20  Remove lamb and keep warm- turn oven up to 200C
12.25  Add vegetables.
1pm    Remove everything from the oven and serve on a platter.

(If the potatoes or vegetables aren’t cooked enough- don’t panic, pour yourself a glass of wine and cook them for a little longer!)

Strawberries and Cream Cupcakes (makes 12)

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Making gluten free cakes can have varied results, sometimes they can be grainy due to the texture of some gluten free flours or they can be quite dense due to the lack of elasticity and rise, which is usually provided by gluten.

There is a book of recipes that produces consistently delicious results, Red Velvet & Chocolate Heartache, by Harry Eastwood.

I needed to make some cupcakes this week for a shoot and found this recipe.

The unusual feature of Red Velvet & Chocolate Heartache recipes is that they all contain vegetables. Yes I did say VEGETABLES!

They add moistness to the cakes that I haven’t tasted in a while, well since I became gluten free, and I LOVE cake!  I’ve been known to sprint a steep hill if there is a possibility of cake at the top (okay, a bit of an exaggeration, but you get the picture!).

But don’t believe anyone (you know who you are!) who tells you that there is a café at the top of  Pen Y Fan in the Brecon Beacons, because there really isn’t!

2 medium free-range eggs, at room temperature
160g caster sugar
200g topped, tailed, peeled and finely grated courgette
1tsp vanilla extract
100g white rice flour
100g ground almonds
2 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp salt

 FOR THE FILLING
½ pot good quality jam

FOR THE ICING
50g unsalted butter, softened
150g icing sugar, sieved
50g mascarpone

FOR THE TOP

12 strawberries or decorations of your choice

 YOU WILL NEED

12 whole muffin tray
12 cupcake cases

  • Preheat oven to 180c/gas mark 4.
  • Line a muffin tray with paper cases.
  • Using a hand whisk, whisk the eggs and sugar together for 4 minutes until they are pale and fluffy.
  • Add the courgette and vanilla extract, and whisk until well mixed.
  • Whisk in the flour, ground almonds, baking powder and salt until completely combined.
  • Spoon some mixture into the paper cases and then add a teaspoon of jam into each one.

Top with the remaining cake mixture, ensuring that the jam is completely covered otherwise it will bleed out and they wont rise properly (although not the end of the world if it does, just cover it with more icing, nobody will know!)

You can see in this photo, that is exactly what happened to one of these cakes- it tasted just as nice!

  • Place in the centre of the oven for 20 minutes until risen and pale brown on top.
  • Once they are cooked, cool them in the tin for 10 minutes before placing them in the fridge for a further 20 minutes until completely cold.
  •  While they are in the fridge make the icing
  • Beat the butter with 50g of the icing sugar, by hand in a large mixing bowl, using the back of a wooden spoon.  Go gently as icing sugar does have a tendency the blow everywhere if you’re over vigorous!  Keep mixing until it forms a paste.  Be patient- it does work!
  • Repeat the process with another 50g icing sugar and the mascarpone.
  • finally add the last 50g icing sugar, which will correct any ‘curdling’ that may have happened.  Pop the mixture into the fridge until the cakes are ready to be iced. Remember that they have to be totally cold.
  • Wet a knife and spread the icing on top of the cakes one by one.  (You will need to keep wetting you knife, so keep a cup of water close by).
  • Top with a strawberry or any other decoration you fancy (I used rice flowers and dried raspberry flakes on these).They can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days, taking them out 30 minutes before serving.