They are simple and easy to make, work well on their own as a side dish or can be combined with other ingredients to make a complete meal.

Roasted summer vegetables

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

2 courgettes, thickly sliced

1 aubergine, chopped into chunks

1 red pepper, deseeded and cut into chunks

1 yellow or orange pepper, deseeded and cut into chunks

1 red onion, sliced into wedges

Calorie-controlled cooking spray

12 cherry tomatoes

Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 200°C, fan oven 180°C, gas mark 6. Put the courgettes, aubergine, peppers and red onion into a large roasting tin, or use a large baking sheet.

Toss to coat in about a table spoon coconut oil. Spread out evenly. Transfer to the                   oven and roast for 20 minutes

Remove the vegetables from the oven. Turn them over and add the cherry tomatoes. Season with black pepper. Return to the oven to roast for a further 5 minutes.

Serve as they are for a side dish, stir them through hot pasta for a tasty lunch, or through cold pasta for a packed lunch or picnic. Add to salads, or include in sandwiches, wraps and rolls. (I use gluten free).

Enjoy

Gluten Free and Sugar Free Double Apple Muffins.

 

Makes approx 24 – 30

 Ingredients

115g, 4oz Porridge Oats
170g, 6oz Self Gluten Free Raising Flour
1 and a half tsp Baking powder
2 Apples grated (including the skin but not the core)
2 Eggs
200 ml Apple juice
6 tbsp of a mild flavourless oil, e.g. sunflower oil, rapeseed oil
1 tsp Cinnamon
1 tsp Mixed spice (I think this is called “apple pie spice” in the US)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 180oC, 350F (if you’re not using a fan oven you might need it a touch higher).

Mix the flour, oats, baking powder and spices in a bowl.  Put the remaining ingredients in a jug.

Grease two to three mini muffin tins -brush with oil. Then mix the wet ingredients into the dry, stirring until almost combined, don’t stir too much.

Fill each hollow with the batter, it is quite wet but don’t worry.

Bake for 13-15 mins approx (it took 14 in my oven but my old oven was a bit slower so just check by pressing the tops and seeing if they spring back easily.)

Put onto a wire rack to cool.

Enjoy

 

 

Chicken nuggets 

Ingredients

• 2 orgainc or free range chicken fillets

• Bread crumbs ( I usually make mine in advance and freeze)

• Salt and pepper to taste

• 1 tsp mixed herbs

•  Coconut oil for greasing baking tray.

Instructions

• Cut chicken into strips

• Season chicken stripes with salt, pepper and mixed herbs

• To make breadcrumbs – put any left over gluten free bread or cut off crust on a baking tray and toast in a hot oven until golden brown. Blend in a food processor to form bread crumbs.

• Toss seasoned chicken in the breadcrumbs lay out on a greased baking tray. and cook in a pre heated oven for about 18-20 mins until cooked.

Buckwheat feta goat’s cheese and broccoli savoury muffins.

Ingredients

For:  12 muffins

• ½ broccoli chopped

• 100 grams feta cheese

• 1 and ¼ cup buckwheat flour ~185-195 grams

• 2 tbsp tapioca flour ~20 grams

• 3 tbsp ground flaxseed or chia seeds

• 1 tsp baking powder (gluten free)

• ½ tsp bicarbonate soda

• 1 tsp salt

• ½ tsp ground nutmeg

• 1 tsp dried herbs of choice e.g. parsley, thyme, basil, or a blend

• 3 eggs

• 2 tbsp olive oil, extra virgin ~40mL

• ¾ cup hemp milk or almond milk, unsweetened ~185-190mL

• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar ~20mL

• 4 tsp grated goat’s cheese – optional

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 180 C and grease a 12-cup capacity muffin tray .Combine the hemp milk and the apple cider vinegar and set aside to form a sour non-dairy “buttermilk”.

• In a large mixing bowl, combine the buckwheat flour, tapioca flour, ground flaxseed, baking powder, bicarbonate soda, salt, nutmeg and dried herbs.

• In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, olive oil and the “buttermilk” mixture.

• Make a well in the centre of the dry flour mixture and pour in the wet mixture, stirring as you go, until evenly combined.

• Fold in the chop broccoli. Crumble up the feta cheese with your fingers and then gently fold this in, too.

• Divide the mixture evenly between the 12 muffin holes, smooth over the tops and sprinkle on the grated cheese.

• Bake for 30 – 35 minutes, or until the muffins have puffed up and feel firm to touch in the centre, and are turning a golden brown at the edges. Cool on a cooling rack.

Can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days, or can be freeze for at last two months.

 

Energy balls: date, cocoa & roasted coconut and pumpkin seeds.

A perfect lunch box snack.

MAKES 12 PORTIONS –COOKS IN 25 MINUTES

Ingredients

• 70 g pumpkin seeds

• 40 g roasted coconut ( or freshly grated coconut)

• 50 g whole almonds

• 40 g cashew nuts

• 80 g Pitted dates

• 1cm piece of fresh ginger – optional best for adults

• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1 heaped teaspoon raw cocoa powder

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• ½ tablespoon raw honey

• 1 orange

Method

• Blitz pumpkin seeds and roasted coconut in the processor with the almonds and dates (destone first), ginger (optional) then blitz until finely chopped.

• Add  the cinnamon, cocoa powder and a pinch of sea salt.

• Blitz again until finely ground, then add the vanilla, honey and half the orange juice.

• Blitz for another 1 to 2 minutes, stopping to scrape down the sides a couple of times, and adding an extra squeeze of orange juice to bind, only if needed – it takes a while for the mixture to come together.

• Divide into equal sizes  and roll in the palm of the hands to form balls.

They can be kept happily for up to 2 weeks in an airtight container

How to roast coconut:  Crack open a fresh dried coconut. Take out coconut flesh – using a knife take out the flesh from the shell. Using a sharp knife or potato peeler, thinly slice coconut into pieces. Place onto a baking tray and cook in a pre-heated oven at 180 for about 20-25 mins until brown. Can be stored in an airtight container for up to two weeks.