Dairy Free Cauliflower Frittata

During the last six months I've had to eliminate DAIRY from Miss M's diet and as a seven year old who use to be able to everything we've found it difficult at times. Since we started this journey we've had to add citrus fruit and tomato to the list of foods to avoid so I seem to be learning new things all the time. I've been Gluten Free for twelve years now and you'd think it would be easy to adjust our diet but unfortunately I've had a heap of hassles adjusting our way of eating so that it was 100% dairy free. That was until I discovered Paleo. Eating Paleo means we can both eat everything without me having to make changes to nearly every aspect of the meal. I've also introduced the rest of the family to eating Paleo and dairy free just to make my time in the kitchen shorter.

So after a busy day at the shops getting three kids eyes tested and then having them all fitted for glasses I ran out of time to pick up a few things for dinner. I knew that I had a head of cauliflower which was coming close to needing to either been eaten or thrown out, so I put together this really easy and yummy Cauliflower Frittata with cauliflower puree. 

I've also decided to cut down on the amount of SUGAR that's in my kids diet. To do this I'm going to change out the processed foods and replace them with healthier home made treats for the kids. I'm also hoping that this small change will impact on the kids behaviour especially around the time when I'm making dinner and trying to get them bathed. I was really happy with how this frittata turned out.

Cauliflower Frittata serves 4

Ingredients

1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets

water to boil, retain ¼ cup of cooking water

400g can of coconut cream

10 eggs, beaten

300g ham or bacon, cut into large chunks

5 mushrooms, thinly sliced

onion, thinly sliced

5 sun-dried tomatoes, thinly sliced

4 tablespoons of almond meal

salt and pepper for seasoning

oil for greasing

Method

1. Pre heat oven to 180°C and grease your frittata dish.

2. Bring water to the boil and when it's boiling add the cauliflower florets. Boil until tender you don't want them to be mushy they need to hold there shape.

4. Meanwhile whisk the eggs and coconut cream together and season with salt and pepper.

5. Heat a little oil in a frying pan and fry the mushrooms, onion, sun-dried tomatoes and the ham or bacon until it's cooked to your liking.

6. Grease your frittata dish and then sprinkle the almond meal over the base of the dish. Place the fried vegetables and meat onto the base of your dish.

7. Pour the egg mixture over the top of the vegetables and meat making sure that you've half filled your dish.

8. Place the pieces of cauliflower in the egg so that some of the cauliflower is sticking out of the dish.

9. Cook in the oven for 30 minutes, check after 20 minutes and if the cauliflower is browning too quickly turn the temperature down to 160°C for the last 10 minutes. 

Note: depending on how you like your eggs you might need to cook it for a further 10 or 15 minutes if the egg isn't cooking around the cauliflower.

Cauliflower Puree

Ingredients

remaining boiled cauliflower

¼ cup of cooking water

Method

1. Place the cooked cauliflower and a little bit of water and blend together until the cauliflower is smooth. If it's lumpy blend a bit more.

2. Add more water as needed until you have a smooth consistency that you're happy with.

3. Spread the puree onto your plate and place the frittata on top. Serve with a green salad and enjoy.

I'm happy to report that all the kids ate their dinner and I didn't have to prepare individual meals for any of my fussy eaters. This recipe is great because there is no hidden nasties in the coconut cream and it's also dairy free so I'm able to give the kids a healthy dinner without them knowing it.

Having tried Paleo last year I know that this recipe is also Paleo especially if you use coconut oil to grease your frittata dish and to fry up the vegetables and meat. The other change I'd make would be to use dehydrated tomatoes instead of sun-dried tomatoes. 

Overall, I'm really happy with the way this frittata turned out and my daughter didn't get a belly ache after eating it which was an added bonus. Hands down, what a great start to 2016. 

Happy New Year everyone I hope that 2016 is a great year for you all and that you are blessed with lots of great opportunities during the next twelve months. See you soon.

       Megan

Sweet Potato Scones

Growing up I loved getting into the kitchen on the weekend and doing some cooking. When I first started on my cooking journey I didn't do so well but I slowly learnt how to make the basics. The one basic I never mastered was scones and it wasn't from lack of trying. My scones have been doughy, resembled rock cakes, crummy and not edible. So when we went out to Warwick for a Sunday drive during the school holidays I jumped at the chance to buy some lovely Pumpkin Scones for the children's morning tea.

The next day after purchasing four kilograms (81 pounds) of sweet potato I decided to make Sweet Potato Scones using the Thermomix, because there's no way the Thermomix could mess up scones. So after a little bit of research I found a light and fluffy gluten free scone on the Quirky Cooking Facebook page. I made a few changes to the original recipe because I didn't have everything on hand but overall I was really happy with the outcome of the scones. I also made them in a muffin tray instead of on a baking tray the first batch spread out.

Sweet Potato Scones

Ingredients

300 grams sweet potato

300 grams self-raising flour

60 grams butter

1 teaspoon fine sea salt

2 eggs

150 grams milk

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200°C. Line a baking tray with baking paper and spray with a little bit of cooking spray.

2. Cut the ends off each potato and place in the oven until soft and roasted through, depending on the size of the sweet potato this could take up to 30 minutes.

3. Once cooked, remove from the oven, cut open the skin and scoop out the cooked flesh. Mash with a potato masher or set aside for later.

4. Add flour, butter and salt to Thermomix on speed 6 for 5 seconds.

5. Add eggs, milk, reserved sweet potato and mix 6 seconds on speed six or until just combined.

6. If the mixture is too wet add a little bit more flour and if it's too dry add a little bit more milk.

7. Drop large tablespoons full onto your lined tray, placing them close together.

8. Bake for 15 minutes or until lightly brown on top.

9. Serve with jam and whipped cream.

There are heaps of different scone recipes so tell me do you have a favourite recipe that you use or are you lucky enough to be using a recipe that your grandmother passed down to you. I've always wanted to use my grandmothers recipe but with children who don't like cooked sultanas I'd end up having to eat them all on my own. So tell me what type of scones do you love.

Megan

Caramel Gluten Free Cookies

My children love cookies and its been ages since I've made a batch of cookies for them. So last week I set about making these Caramel Cookies for the kids just before I left to do school pick up. The plan was to have them finish cooking just as I was about to drive away, hopefully they would still be warm by the time we got home. However, what I got out of the oven was nothing like the picture in the recipe book. They looked terrible but they did taste nice and the kids seemed happy.

I posted this picture of my FLAT COOKIES on my Facebook Page and I also shared it with a few other blogging friends. Thankfully I had a few people give me some suggests on how to selvage my cookies. The suggestions made so much more sense as did reducing the cooking time and with these few piece of helpful information I was able to make some more Caramel Cookies. So here is my version of the Caramel Cookie, I hope you have the same success as I did the second time round.

Caramel Gluten Free Cookies

Ingredients:

110 grams butter, not to soft

110 grams brown sugar

2 tablespoons golden syrup

1 small egg

230 grams of gluten free self-raising flour

30 grams of cornflour (make sure it doesn't contain gluten)

Method:

1. Pre heat oven to 180°C and line a baking tray with baking paper. In a bowl, cream butter and sugar until the mixture has changed colour slightly.

2. Add the syrup and egg and mix until its light and fluffy.

3. Mix in the flour and cornflour until a soft dough has formed and the texture is such that you can roll into tablespoon sized balls. It your dough is to soft add about 10 grams of flour until the dough has formed.

4. Place on a lined baking tray, 2cm apart and press each gently with a fork.

5. Bake for 7 minutes or until golden.

6. Cool completely before eating and enjoy with a glass of cold milk.

I'm really happy with the how the cookies look. They kept there shape, they didn't melt all over the baking tray like the first batch and they were ready to eat five minutes quicker than the first batch. In my world that's a good thing because it means my kids are eating quicker and complaining less about been hungry. I'd love to hear about the disasters and the successes you've had when making cookies and cakes.

Megan

Banana Pancakes

In my family my sister is known for her love of sharing recipes on Facebook. My brother thinks its strange but as a male who's in his twenty's he doesn't have the desire to create quick, simple and delicious things. I'm always guaranteed that my sister will share something that the kids will want to eat of that Mr Opoes will spot and start drawling over for awhile. So when she shared these Banana Pancakes on Friday night I knew straight away we'd be having them for breakfast sometime during the long weekend. 

As Monday was a public holiday for the Queens Birthday (we changed the date so we celebrate it after her actual birthday) and I knew the kids would love having something special I wiped up these pancake in a matter of minutes thanks to my Thermomix, however you can still make them without one. I've included both the recipes because sometimes it makes for difficult reading.

Banana Pancake

Ingredients:

1 egg

1 Banana, mashed up

1 cup Milk

1 cup Self Raising Flour

Method:

1. Sift flour and add a pitch of salt. Add the egg.

2. Beat gradually while adding the milk and mix until its thick and smooth.

3. Add banana and mix through.

4. Heat non-stick frying, pour desired quantity into frying pan. Cook until bubbling on top and then flip.

5. Serve with maple syrup and sliced banana.

Banana Pancake (Thermomix)

Ingredients:

1 egg

1 Banana, mashed up

1 cup Milk

1 cup Gluten free Self Raising Flour

Method:

1. Add banana and egg speed 7 for 5 seconds or longer if you want your banana to be smoother. Scrap down the side of the bowl.

2. Add milk, salt and flour on speed 8 for 15 seconds until its smooth.

3. Heat non-stick frying, pour desired quantity into frying pan. Cook until bubbling on top and then flip.

4. Serve with maple syrup and sliced banana.

Tip: you can use any types of milk it's up to you. You can also use any type of flour be it gluten free or wholemeal but you need to remember to use 175 grams of flour whenever you make this recipe.

I really like how versatile this recipe is. As it's Winter here in Australia I really liked how basic this pancake recipe was. Next time I make this for the children I going to put warm caramelised bananas on top. If you're enjoying the lovely Summer weather at the moment you could add fresh berries or a tropical fruit salad on top to accompany your pancakes.

The kids really enjoyed these pancakes and I was able to get my four year old to eat these. She isn't a huge fan of pancakes but when she eats three of them for breakfast and asks you for more you know you're on a winner.

Megan

Rustic Ricotta, Egg and Zucchini Pizza

Just because you're egg free, gluten free or dairy free doesn't mean you have to miss out on having pizza! Last weekend I wanted to create a delicious pizza that didn't look boring, inedible or just plain weird. Since finding out that I can't tolerate gluten I've tried using a few things to create a great pizza base and none of them have wowed me. About six months after becoming gluten free I tried to make a potato pizza base, I've tried a cottage cheese and potato base, rice paper rolls and my all time favourite FLOP was the rice, egg and cheese base. So when I discovered a gluten free base that was similar to our local pizza shops 'deep pan base' at the supermarket I was in heaven.

Recently I purchased a new cookbook 'Quirky Cooking' by Jo Whitton and Thermomix. In the past I've purchased cookbooks that are specifically designed for people with a gluten intolerance and all the pictures look beautiful but the taste isn't always the best. Jo's book is completely different, the pictures look great and the food tastes good as well. So when I saw her recipe for #Egg and Zucchini Pizza I knew that I had to give it a go. Now as always I change recipes up because I need them to fit into my budget, the ingredients I have and to the likes of my children. So with Jo's help this is the recipe I came up with.

Rustic Ricotta, Egg and Zucchini Pizza

Ingredients

Pizza Sauce

2 tomatoes, cut into quarters

2 garlic cloves

2 sprigs basil, leaves only

2 sprigs oregano

1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

pinch fine sea salt

80 grams tomato paste

Ricotta, Egg and Zucchini Topping

400g zucchini, cut into quarters

150g sun-dried tomatoes, cut in strips

2 eggs

100 grams soft ricotta

capsicum, cut into fine strips

3 mushrooms, thinly sliced 

1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs

pinch of salt

Method

Pizza Dough

1. Preheat oven to 210°C. Prepare your pizza dough as per recipe and place it on your pizza tray.

2. Set aside.

Pizza Sauce

3. Place all ingredients into mixing bowl and blend 4 sec/speed 5.

4. Spread over pizza base.

5. Rinse and dry your mixing bowl.

Ricotta,Egg and Zucchini topping

6. Place zucchini into mixing bowl and chop 4 sec/speed 5. Spread zucchini over pizza sauce.

7. Top with sun-dried tomatoes, capsicum and mushrooms.

8. Bake for 10 minutes.

9. Remove from oven. Place spoonfuls of ricotta around the outside of the pizza base to keep the egg in.

10. Lightly beat eggs with a fork, then drizzle over pizza and sprinkle with herbs and salt.

11. Bake for a further 8-10 minutes at 210°C or until the egg is cooked and the pizza is lightly browned on top.

12. Allow to cook slightly before slicing and serving.

Now if you don't have a Thermomix you can use a blender to mix all the ingredients together to make the Pizza Sauce and to chop up the zucchini. Just follow the instructions as above and remember to clean the blender between both step.

All in all I had this pizza all made and cooked with 40 minutes. Mr Opoes and I really enjoyed our pizza and as I made small pizza's for the children using small pita breads they had their pizza's within 20 minutes. Nearly everyone liked their pizza's but I did have to make a few changes to Quinlan's one. I ended up adding more vegetables to his pasta sauce and I making him an Egg, Ham and Cheese Pizza.

If you want to make it more of a meal I would suggest adding a garden salad to go with a pieces of pizza. This also allows you to add some more vegetables to your daily allowance, this is one reason why I enjoy making pizza for our family as I'm guaranteed that we'll all have at least 5 serves of vegetables in this one meal. What's your favourite pizza topping?

Megan

Coeliac Awareness Week

So today's Coeliac Awareness Week and this week is dear to my heart because this September it'll be ten years since I was told I needed to follow a Coeliac diet. My diagnosis came just after we'd found out we were pregnant and it came as a complete shock. All I remember about my diagnosis was walking out of the doctor's room, sitting down at a coffee shop and wondering what I'd be eating for lunch while I drank a cup of tea. I'd been experiencing morning sickness and it was while I was drinking my tea that I remembered the doctor had told me I'd need to eat my breakfast twice if I was sick. I soon got use to making two lots of breakfast every morning.

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Ten years ago I read labels every time I went shopping, never went out to eat and I always made sure that I had enough gluten free food in our pantry in case the grocery store went out of business. I'd spend hours on the internet researching recipes and looking for new products that might be good to try. The one thing I did learn quickly was that eating gluten free wasn't cheap and with a growing family I had to find products that would be tasty and good value.

I'm now happy that our supermarkets have increased their product range for people who have intolerances and that they're always looking into ways to make it easier for the consumer to find items that suit their lifestyles. Recently my local Aldi store sent out a catalogue showcasing all the new products that they're offering to help celebrate Coeliac Awareness Week. I'm looking forward to trying a few of the new cakes and biscuits that they're offering however, I'm hoping that the other three big stores also celebrate the week with new products, cooking displays and free recipe cards.

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Every little bit of information you can collect can make a difference. So this week if you're a coeliac why not try looking for a new product that you wouldn't normally eat, try a new recipe or maybe go out to that new restaurant and try their menu (remember to ring first and check that they can accommodate your dietary requirements). I know this week I'm looking forward to trying a new pasta and some gluten free lasagne sheets. Lasagne is one of my all time favourite meals and for a few years I tried making it using rice paper sheets and it just never tasted the same.

So if you've intolerant to gluten I hope that you use this week to do something different or special. I know that my children will be looking forward to eating some of mummies' lasagne. Maybe if I get it made before we go away on our trip up north, I might get around to sharing my recipe with you. Until then I hope you have an enjoyable week.

Megan