I was determined to make a pizza base which had the crispiness of the thin Italian bases I used to eat in Italy. They are the only bases I like. None of the fat, fluffy ones for me. I thought this tapioca recipe should work because it holds together brilliantly so I gave it a shot last week. This dough is similar to the bread rolls I made for the burgers we ate recently but with a few differences. Tapioca clumps up when heated with liquid and becomes like a gel. It is this gel which holds everything together to form a dough. I made it, rolled it out very proudly, covered it with my chosen toppings and popped it into a hot oven and waited. And waited and waited. In the end we had to eat – I am talking about after 8.30pm – so I took it out and served it. The edges were beautifully crisp but they rest was a doughy, uncooked mess. We ate what we could, scraping the toppings off and I slunk away to hide. But I was not defeated and tonight I precooked the base, actually turning it over … [Read more...] about Salmon Pizza – grain and nut-free
fast dinner
Smoked Salmon and Caper Tart – grain-free
Tarts always take longer to make than you think they will. First there's the pastry to prepare and bake and then the filling to prepare and bake. It adds up to ages. And so my family ate late amidst moans and groans about starvation. But the wait was worth it. The pastry is the one I have used for my sweet tarts but I left out the honey. As a shell, it holds together beautifully, even better than ones made with wheat flour and butter. Then I used a delicious filling which I found in a magazine with a few changes. It has a ton of vegetables and salmon for the daily hit of Omega-3. A complete meal in a tart. The pie crust has been adapted from the one Carol uses in her book, Indulge, which you can purchase on her blog, Ditch The Wheat. This is NOT a low Fodmap recipe. Smoked Salmon and Caper Tart Print Prep time 30 mins Cook time 40 mins Total time 1 hour 10 mins Ingredients For the pie crust: 2 eggs 30 ml coconut oil ¼ cup + 2 tbsp … [Read more...] about Smoked Salmon and Caper Tart – grain-free
Roasted Eggplant Stacks and Pan de Yuca – Grain-free
The changing of web hosts has happened, not without hiccups but it should all be smooth from now on. The great thing is the increased speed of my blog, in particular behind the scenes. I used to be able to go get a drink of water in between screens changing. And it kept going off line all the time. I spoke in a live chat with my previous host and they said they couldn't do anything about it. My new host costs about 5 times as much but it will be well worth it in the end if I can work faster. Time is precious. In the photo you can see a great food stack we had for dinner. Layers of eggplant, tomato, beef burger, poached egg and a sprinkling of parsley and sundried tomatoes. But anyone can make that or a version of it. What I am going to tell you about is that lonely little bread roll over on the side. As usual the photos were taken fast before the egg cooled down or slid off the stack so I didn't think to get a shot of the inside of the roll. But I will definitely be making these … [Read more...] about Roasted Eggplant Stacks and Pan de Yuca – Grain-free
Chicken Cupcakes with Sweet Potato Topping – Grain and Nut-free
I work in a real estate office in an upmarket suburb of Auckland. We have a corner shop with a window on the main street and other windows along a walkway back to the Village Green and parking. Back there is also a retirement village. We work to a background sound of clompity clompity clompity or clonk, shuffle, clonk, shuffle as a constant flow of elderly inch along the walkway with a variety of walkers and walking sticks. In the beginning, it worried me to be constantly reminded of where I was heading but now I see it differently. I see it as a signal to take control of my health right now. With my sedentary job and sedentary blogging in the evenings, I am a candidate for a bad old age. I was born and raised until my teens on a farm where movement was natural and gyms unheard of. We ran outside and played and dreamed up other worlds with our games, always on the move. Through the years since, I have attended gyms, danced, played squash and injured myself on numerous … [Read more...] about Chicken Cupcakes with Sweet Potato Topping – Grain and Nut-free
Eggplant Pizza – a grain-free meal
Here's a simple dinner which will please all the family from those eating grain to those who aren't. I kind of missed pizza but now I don't any more. You see it wasn't the base I missed; I missed all those yummy toppings and I can certainly still have those. Obviously the toppings can vary according to what you have in the fridge or what you fancy when doing the shopping. This is a complete meal but could be served with a green salad and bread for those who want some grains. I got the idea for this pizza from one of my favourite blogs, Drip and Drizzle. Check it out for Sam's lovely photography, great recipes and interesting posts on places in her home city, Capetown in South Africa. … [Read more...] about Eggplant Pizza – a grain-free meal
Beef Chimichurri, New Potatoes & Crunch Salad – Jamie’s 15 Minute Meals
I had to do it - I went out and bought Jamie's 15-Minute Meals. I made one of his meals last night and it took me 40 minutes and one part didn't work out too well so I didn't photograph it. Tonight I tried again with a different recipe and this was a stunning success. Okay, it took 30 minutes instead of 15 but that's not really too long to have all that food on the table. He says to put it all on a tray and the only thing big enough was an oven tray but it worked. Less dishes to wash too. And my Cuisinart DLC-2ABC Mini-Prep Plus Food Processor, Brushed Chrome, as always with his meals, was essential. I just checked on Amazon and these processors are heavily discounted at the moment so, if you need one, this is your chnace to get one cheaply. Some of you may have already realised that the way I am eating now aligns with the Paleo regime. This is more of a coincidence than any premeditated plan I may have conjured up. I decided to eat grain and refined sugar-free and then found out I … [Read more...] about Beef Chimichurri, New Potatoes & Crunch Salad – Jamie’s 15 Minute Meals
