Sushi Rolls

I love sushi rolls, and since being gluten intolerant, eating sushi out and about can be a minefield.

Even though it looks like rice, fish and vegetables should be safe and you just need to avoid the soy sauce, there are a few things to watch out for.



These are the ones I'm wary of:
* Soy sauce (you could take your own Tamari instead if you plan ahead)
* Crab sticks, which contain wheat
* Mayonnaise, used to season some types of rolls, like California rolls. Some mayos contains gluten. When in doubt I always avoid it
*Seasoning used for rice. In some restaurants it contains soy sauce in addition to rice vinegar, sugar and salt. I recommend asking when ordering


To ensure I could enjoy sushi rolls whenever I wanted, I was pondering how difficult it would be to make my own ...

As if by magic, I found an offer at my local Sainsbury's on all Yutaka sushi making ingredients, and all the packets have instructions, so this was my chance!
I bought a sushi bamboo mat, sushi rice, sushi nori (seaweed sheets to roll your sushi in), rice vinegar and sesame seeds.

In really good sushi, it is the quality of the fish that makes the difference. Sushi grade fish has to have a parasite destruction guarantee. According to European Union regulations, freezing fish at −20°C (−4°F) for 24 hours kills parasites. If you are planning to use raw fish, always check with your supplier that it is safe to eat.

 To make my life easier and avoid poisoning myself i decided to make mine with smoked salmon. Safety first!

Ingredients (this makes a generous portion for 2, I get 4 rolls that can be cut into 6 pieces each once you discard the ends)
For the rice: 250 gr sushi rice, 330 ml water
For the rice seasoning: 3 tbsp rice vinegar, 2 tbsp sugar, 1 tsp salt
For the roll: Nori sheets (roasted seaweed), Sesame seeds
For the filling: Smoked salmon, avocado, cucumber, Chives (or you could substitute the salmon for roasted red peppers)

How to cook the rice
Put 250gr of rice into a bowl and wash with cold water. Repeat 3 or 4 times and then drain the rice with a sieve.
Add 330mls of water and the washed rice to a saucepan. Bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes with the lid on. Turn off the heat and leave to stand for 25-30 minutes. Do not open the lid! I like to put it in the fridge for another 30 minutes, so that it is cold and easier to handle.

How to season the rice 
Mix the vinegar, sugar and salt first and once well combined mix it with the rice.


How to make the rolls
Place a sheet of nori onto a bamboo rolling mat
Spread a thin layer of cooked and seasoned rice as evenly as possible over the nori, leaving a 1cm gap at the top and the bottom so that you can seal the roll
Place the filling of your choice in a line about 5cm from the front of the nori, be careful not to use too much filling as it will be difficult to roll
Begin rolling the nori carefully and evenly around the filling, using the mat to help shape it, rolling away from you and pressing firmly. Pull the bamboo mat away from you, and make sure to keep rolling the nori around itself (there are some very good drawings on the back of the pack if you use Yakarta nori).
Once the roll is complete, press down firmly on the mat to compress the roll slightly, so that it keeps its shape
Cut the roll into evenly sized pieces and serve with tamari sauce, wasabi and sushi ginger

Inside out sushi rolls
These look very pretty with the rice on the outside and some sesame seeds (or even some fish roe to decorate the outside). It is a little bit more fiddly but not too hard.
Start as before with the sheet of nori on the bamboo mat and spread the rice thinly. Now sprinkle sesame seeds on top (or fish roe), as many or as little as you like.
Now comes the tricky bit: we cover the rice side with cling film and as quickly as possible and we turn it upside down, being careful to keep it all together.
It needs to go back on the sushi mat, with the cling film on top of the mat (then rice, then nori sheet).
It is now that we add the filling as before, but this time on top of the nori.
We'll need to cut off the top third of the nori sheet so that we get a nice roll, and it is rolled exactly like the other rolls with the help of the mat. In this case you have to be careful not to roll the cling film inside the roll, so pull it out gently as you roll.
It does look more complicated than it is, but once you watch a couple of you tube videos it is actually not difficult at all.
I'd say it's important to press the rice tightly when spreading it onto the nori sheet, as it will be easier to roll and the finished shape will be better too.

It is quite fun, and I've already made rolls a few times. My next sushi challenge will be to experiment with different fillings ;)
Enjoy!

Torrijas

 This is one of those treats that I've grown up with.

My dad used to make torrijas for us occasionally and they hardly ever lasted a day.
They are made using bread that is a day or two old, and it was a fine art to casually leave enough bread around ready for Sunday morning, when he could be gently persuaded to make them.

There are as many recipes out there as people making them, some of them use syrup instead of the final coating in sugar, but this is the way I like them and I've eaten them all my life.
Thinking about it, I'd say I've only ever had them at home.



Milk dip

I've tried making them with a gluten-free baguette and it works quite well. I would recommend the one from Sainsbury's or Marks and Spencer's, both have the right consistency.


Ingredients:
* Gluten-Free baguette, one or two days old
* 125ml milk (I used soya) & 2 tbsp of sugar, mixed
* Gluten free flour
* 1 beaten Egg mixed with a couple of tbsp of milk
* Oil to deep fry it. I use a mix of olive and sunflower oil and a small pan
* Mix of sugar (3tbsp) and ground cinamon (1 tsp)

Method:


flour away

* Cut the bread into slices 1 inch thick
* Dip them in the milk&sugar mix, turning around and making sure they are well soaked. If your bread is really hard, you might need to keep it in there a bit longer.
* Coat them in the GF flour both sides
* Coat them in the egg mixture
* Deep fry until a golden brown colour. The oil should be on medium heat, too hot and they'll burn, too cold and they'll absorb too much oil


eggy

* Leave to rest on kitchen paper to absorb some oil for a few minutes

* Coat them in the sugar and cinamon mixture while still warm

Enjoy!



Gazpacho Cold Soup - Naturally Gluten Free

When the weather is as hot as this week, only one thing is on my mind, Gazpacho soup.

This cold soup is full of vitamins, as it's made with lots of raw vegetables, and because it has ice cubes too, it's cold cold, brilliant.

There are many recipes out there but in my family it's always made the same way.



Ingredients:
6 tomatoes peeled and cut in chunks
1/2 cucumber in chunks
1 green pepper in chunks
1 garlic clove
1 slice of bread in pieces (without crust)
1 tbsp of mayonnaise (could use olive oil instead)
1 tbsp of cider vinegar (or wine vinegar)
1 tsp of salt
1 tsp of sweet paprika
1 tray of ice cubes (or 1/2 glass of water and 6 ice cubes if you don't want it too cold)

Instructions:
It is very easy, put all the ingredients except the ice in a bowl and mix with an electric mixer.
You can add a bit of water to help the process along.
Once everything is mixed, add the ice cubes and mix again until smooth.
The result is a very cold soup with bits, marvellous!!!
If you don't like the idea of bits, you can always use a colander to get rid of them, it will be just as nice.

Coffee and walnut Cake - Cake Angels Gluten Free recipe

Another fantastic cake made at home following the recipe in Cake Angels by Julia Thomas.

It is one of my favourite cakes! The sponge is so light and airy that it melts in your mouth. Every time I've baked it it has been loved by gluten and non gluten eaters.

Like all gluten free cakes, it is always at it best on the day of baking, but it'll last in an airtight container for quite a few days, and it doesn't really loose much flavour.

I normally switch from normal coffee to decaffeinated, but I forgot this time, so after eating a piece in the afternoon, it took me a while to fall asleep zzz

Potato salad with vinagrette - naturally gluten free

Now that the weather is lovely, my favourite lunch is a salad, and the other day I made some potato salad with vinagrette.

This is a quick lunch, boiling the potatoes is probably the longest process here.
I boil them in the microwave cut in slices so that it takes even less time, but you can boil them in your preferred way.

The vinagrette is made in two parts:
* The solids: shredded lettuce, shredded boiled egg, roughly chopped olives
* The liquids: three parts of olive oil to one of vinegar (I use cider vinegar), salt and freshly grounded black pepper to taste
Mix all together, pour over the potatoes and enjoy!

Spanish omelette naturally Gluten Free

I love Spanish omelette!

I remember as a child, whenever I went on a day out with my scouts group, my dad would get up early to make my lunch for the day.

It was generally a bread roll with something delicious inside, and when I got really lucky he made some Spanish omelette the night before for dinner, and kept some for my roll.

A bit of time has passed since then, and I've now learned to make it myself, but it always has so many good memories attached to it, it's always great for get togethers.

 

I cooked it recently for my sister, but of course I had to try it for quality control, very very nice.

So, if you fancy making your own, here is how to:

 

Ingredients

2 medium to large potatoes (aprox 330gr) cut in pieces (think of a plumpy 50p coin)

1 onion (aprox 250gr), roughly chopped

4 eggs, beaten

salt to taste

plenty of olive oil

Tools

A very new non stick 20 cm pan, I keep one exclusively for omelettes, otherwise it will stick and not come out in one piece

A 22 cm plate aprox to turn the omelette

Wooden spoon

Instructions

The trick is to make the onion and potatoes very slowly in the olive oil so that they become as soft as butter. It seems like it uses a lot of oil, but once cooked, the potatoes are drained of it, so it is not that much in the end.

Put the potatoes and onion in a large pan with plenty of olive oil. They don't need to be completely covered, but you need to see a little bit peeping at the top.

I used 150 ml aprox, and had left around 100ml when I drained them later.

Leave to cook slowly for aprox 30 mins or until the potatoes are so soft that you can easily break one with a wooden spoon. Then drain well the potatoes and onion and place in a clean bowl.

Add here the beaten eggs too and add salt to taste.

Heat your non-stick pan and when hot add the contents of the bowl.

It can be cooked at high heat, but feel free to keep on medium too, it'll just take a little bit longer.

Stir with the wooden spoon all the ingredients until the egg is starting to set but it is still a bit runny.

Then keep still for a bit, until more of the egg sets and it gets a more consistent texture. You can shake the pan gently and see if the omelette is moving "as one" or not.

You can also run the spoon on the border of the omelette carefully.

When it seems quite set it is time for the turn.

 

Now, don't be a hero!

There is no need to throw the mix in the air while some cheese 80s music plays in the background...

Take your plate, position safely on top of the pan, full palm open on top, turn the pan quickly, and slide the omelette back on the pan, uncooked side down.

Leave to set for a few minutes; you can tap the top of the omelette with the spoon to check how set it is.

Once you are happy with it, slide back out onto a plate and enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

Sweet Mandarin Gluten free Aromatic Crispy Duck

I recently bought the Sweet Mandarin recipe book and first on my To Cook list had to be the Aromatic Crispy Duck.

I've always loved the flavours of this dish, and now I have the chance to make it myself!

The ingredients were easy to find in my local supermarket, except the Shaoxing rice wine. One tablespoon is used in the duck marinade, and, as the store cupboard page says it's similar to cherry, I used some sweet moscatel wine that I already had.

The taste of the duck was delicious, just as I remembered it from restaurants.

I also made barbecue sauce which is the gluten free suggestion instead of hoisin sauce, and it was really tasty! I ignored the Worcester sauce as I didn't have a gluten free option, and added a dollop of American mustard instead of the mustard powder, as I didn't have any at home and I was already back from the supermarket.
I have to confess I've been using it on just anything afterwards, no need to worry about expire date.

My only problem was with the pancakes, as I made them just a bit too thick and probably used more flour than the recipe calls for. So just a bit more practise here for next time ;)

Woman & Home March Gluten Free Recipes

I was surprised but in a good way when I opened my Woman & Home this month. I got to the recipes section and saw the first photo, a gorgeous looking Chocolate and orange cake that was gluten free!

And that is not the only recipe that is gluten free, there are various sections with food to get us through the winter with gluten free recipes:

Foods for heart health
Chocolate and Orange cake
Slow cooked pork casserole with grapes
Seared spice salmon (just have to substitute soy sauce for tamari)

To boost your immune system
Asian-Style beef salad with coconut dressing
Roast chicken

Food for healthy skin
Grilled aubergine with miso and sesame
Beetroot kale and feta salad

Foods for energy
Butternut squash soup with shiitake mushrooms and rye soda bread (add your favourite bread instead)
Broccoli and bacon frittata

It is great to see that gluten free eating is being acknowledged and catered for. Thanks Woman & Home!

Sweet Mandarin Cookbook

Brilliant news when I heard the Sweet Mandarin Cookbook was out! I was trying to stop myself from buying it being January, a month of control, but didn't manage it ;)
I love their sweet chilli sauce and the recipe is in the book, as well as the recipes for barbecue sauce and sweet and sour sauce. No more looking for them in the supermarket, I can now make my own!
There are recipes for soups, dumplings, spring rolls, prawn toasties, satay chicken, char siu pork, glutinous sticky rice and even crispy duck. So many other recipes too, I'm sure everyone can find their favourite here.
The book is very well presented, with loads of photographs that make your mouth water.
All recipes give you instructions on what to substitute if you are on a gluten free, egg free or dairy free diet (most of the time you just need to swap one or two ingredients, easy).

I loved Dim Sum in my gluten eating days, and have bitterly missed it, so now I'll be able to make some myself, yummy.

Salt cod and potato stew

This dish is perfect when the day is really cold. The salted cod gives it a lovely taste.

Ingredients:Potatoes, approx two medium to large ones per person, cut in chunks
1/2 Leeks cut in chunks
50 to 100 grams of salted cod pieces
Water
1tbsp Olive oil
No need to be too precious with the proportions, it will be as good if you add more or less of any of the ingredients.

Salted cod is widely used in Spain and Portugal. The best way to know if it's fresh is to look at the colour. It should be quite white. When it starts to go a bit yellow, you never know how long it's been in the shop, so best to leave it as it will be a bit rancid.
In London you can find it at Garcia and Sons on Portobello Road or in any of the Portuguese shops around Vauxhall.

Instructions:The cod needs to be desalted before you use it. Put the small flakes in a bowl with plenty of water, leave for 5/10 minutes, then change the water and repeat two or three times. This should remove most of the salt.

Add the olive oil to a large pot and heat at high temperature until it starts to smoke.
Add the leek pieces and stir until lightly brown.
Then add the potato chunks and stir until they are coated in the oil and are slightly brown.
Now it's time to add water. This is always an approximate amount, try to cover the ingredients plus one/two inches. You can always add more during cooking if it looks too dry (if you add any extra water, remember to turn the heat up until boiling and turn back down again).

Now turn the heat down to the lowest setting and leave to cook, covered with a lid.
You can add the desalted cod flakes now, or if you'd like to desalt them a bit more, they can also be added 10/15 mins into the cooking time.
The potatoes need to cook now slowly, probably for 45 mins (I never time it, oops!).
Best thing to do is to check the potatoes every now and then, when you can break a piece with a wooden spoon easily, they are done.

If you don't like fish much, you can make this recipe without it, just remember to add salt. It's also very good substituting the cod with pork ribs.

Yule Log Genius Bake Along

What a good idea from Genius, to have a Bake Along.
I love to try new recipes and specially when I know there will be no gluten and no dairy in it!
I've never baked a Log before, but it has come out as per the recipe. And there is a minuscule chance of winning one of their great prices!

My dish was just slightly small so I've had to cut out a little bit to make it fit.
It was soooo delicious that I've nearly had to reach for an even smaller dish.
Good thing I got the photo out of the way first ;)
Find out more on their blog.
http://www.geniusglutenfree.com/gluten-free-living/blog/bake-along-christmas-yule-log/

Lentil Stew Naturally Gluten Free

A dish meant for winter, how warming it is when it's cold outside and you feel like hiding under the duvet!
It's quite easy and quick to prepare if you have a pressure cooker, and i do ;)

If you don't have a pressure cooker you can also cook it in a normal pot, it will just take longer, maybe around one hour until the lentils are tender.

Ingredients: 100 grams of green lentils per person, one onion cut in thick wedges, one piece of chorizo per person (approx 30 grams or more if you like it), a piece of Serrano ham or bacon, 1 bay leave, salt to taste, 1 tsp of sweet paprika, 2 tbsp of olive oil, and three garlic cloves, peeled and cut in chunks.

Instructions: put the lentils, onion, chorizo, ham, bay leave and salt in the pressure cooker and cover with water, enough to cover the ingredients plus one inch more. Close the cooker and leave it to cook for 15 minutes in the vegetable setting.

When it's done, in a separate small pan heat the oil and when it starts to smoke add the garlic until brown. Then remove from the heat and add the paprika, mixing it quickly with the oil with a wooden spoon, just until mixed. Pour this over the lentils and they are ready to go!

101 Gluten-Free Christmas Recipes

I found this magazine at WH Smith last week, and had to buy it!
It looks quite promising, with lots of recipes for the season. It costs £4.99 and as the title says, it has 101 recipes, divided into several sections:

Baking: 34 recipes, including Christmas pudding, nougat, cake pops, stollen, panetone and mince pies.

Starters and party food: 23 recipes, with cheese straws, pancake rolls, croquettes, mini quiches and blinis.

Mains: 13 recipes, inclluding, yorkshire pudding, gravy, Christmas stuffing, and a few sauces.

Leftovers: very turkey based.... 17 recipes.

Boxing day: 15 recipes, with pies, pastry, beef Wellington and a few quiches.

All the recipes have photograps, so no guessing what it should look like.

Now trying to decide what to cook first....

Ink Squid

I love fish and seafood, and I take any opportunity to eat plenty of it. I was in Spain this week visiting my mother and I went to the supermarket where I saw some yummy squid that I had to have!
My mum always lets me cook, so that makes it easy, I can have whatever I want ;)
The ink in this dish comes from the squid, so it's all natural. The squid has a little bag inside of it with the ink, which can be used in the sauce to give it the dark colour. If you buy the squid prepared and the insides have been removed, you can buy an ink sachet separately. I've bought them in London in a local fishmonger or at Carluccio's (Nero di seppia). These sachets are long life, I think they are pasteurised, so I always have a couple in the fridge just in case. The taste is a bit salty and a bit fishy.
Cooking the squid is easy, all you need is a bit of time.

Ingredients: Nothing needs to be in a particular proportion, so you can do the same recipe with any amount of squid. I'll list the ingredients that I used but feel free to have more or less of anything, it won't make a huge difference to the dish.

1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 onion thinly chopped
2 garlic cloves thinly chopped
1/2 kilos of squid cut in chunks (plus one/two ink squid bags or a sachet)
2 tablespoons of tomato sauce
4/5 tablespoons of water to dilute the ink

Preparation: Heat the olive oil in a large pot (will have to fit the squid) and add the onion and garlic.
Let it cook at a low heat and stir some now and then until the onion is slightly translucent.
Now add the squid, stir a bit, add the tomato sauce and the ink previously diluted in water.
This will now have to be cooked at low heat for around an hour. The test to see if it's done is to taste one piece, the squid should be tender.
I like to serve it with rice, boiled the Spanish way, with salt and plenty of water as if it was pasta, then drained in a colander and cooled under cold water. To finish it, fry it in a pan where you've previously browned a couple of chopped garlic cloves.

Vanilla cupcakes

I was dreaming of some sweet nothing the other day and reached for my baking book, Cake Angels by Julia Thomas, going over my favourite recipes for a quick and easy one. Vanilla cupcakes it was, plishhh plashh plosh, done in no time!
I always leave out the frosting, too sweet for me.

Chickpea Stew - Cocido

Another winter warmer. I've eaten many cocidos in my life, but haven't tired of them yet, and it is a naturally gluten free dish, brilliant. I like to cook them in a pressure cooker as otherwise it takes forever, but I guess a slow cooker could be used too (not tested!)

Ingredients: 100 grams of chickpeas per person, 30 grams of chorizo per person, a piece of serrano ham (or serrano ham bone, or bacon), bay leave, salt, cabbage or spinach.

Instructions: soak the chickpeas in salty water overnight. They will double in size, so make sure the water is well above the chickpea level. When you are ready to cook them, drain the chickpeas and put them in the cooker, with enough fresh water to cover them and approx 1 inch more. Add the chorizo, a piece of serrano ham or a bone if you have it, this gives the dish a smoky, salty taste that is really nice and the bay leave. There is no need to add salt as the ham is salty. Better to adjust at the end if needed. Close the pressure cooker and cook on the meat setting for approx 30 minutes. If you are doing it in a normal pot, it will probably take approx 3 or 4 hours at low heat, it might be a good idea to check it now and then until the chickpeas are tender.

Once the chickpeas are cooked, you can add the greens to it. If using cabbage, shred it, boil it in a separate pot with a bit of salt and water and drain in a colander. Add a tsp of olive oil and some garlic chunks to the pot and when the garlic is slightly brown, add the cabbage and stir quickly. This can now be added to the chickpea pot or served on top.
If you are not too keen on cabbage or don't fancy spending much time on it, you can also add some washed baby spinach to the cooked chickpeas and boil for a few minutes, it's also very nice. Spoon ready!

Clearspring Organic Miso soup

When it's cold out there a soup is my thing, and when I don't have the time or the inclination to make one from scratch, Clearspring miso soup does the trick, just need to boil the kettle! Check out which variety you use though. The organic one with Sea Vegetables (in the pic) is gluten free, but the Mellow White one is not.

It also makes a nice lunch if you add a few things. Using two sachets and a bit more water, you can boil in it most kinds of vegetables for a few minutes. I like mushrooms, broccoli, red chilli and salad onions, all thinly sliced. I also like to add a shredded one egg omelette and a bunch of rice noodles, quick and tasty. You can also add some tamari sauce for seasoning.
I must say I've been known to do this soup with any leftover vegetables in the fridge, asparagus, spinach, baby corns, peppers, you name it. As long as it's all thinly sliced, it'll boil quickly. If you are after a more substantial meal, you can also add a boiled chicken breast (thin slices) and a few more noodles. Dinner is served!

Easy Paella

Not feeling up to much cooking yesterday, I made one of my last minute easy to make dinners. This is some basic rice that resembles paella in the flavours, as it has sweet paprika and saffron, but without the glamour of seafood.
Ingredients (for 2): 1 chicken breast, cut in cubes, 30 grams of chorizo cut in thin slices, 1 green pepper cut in chunks, a small cup of frozen peas, 180 grams of rice (more below), 500 ml of hot water, 1 tsp of olive oil, 1 tsp of sweet paprika (unsmoked), a few threads of saffron, salt to taste. The brand of rice I use is SOS, a Spanish brand, available in London at Garcia and Sons on Portobello road. Otherwise any risotto rice should do the job.
Instructions: In a pot put the olive oil until hot and then add the chicken, chorizo and pepper until slightly brown. Then add the rice and brown a little (1/2 mins should be enough), add the paprika and move until all the ingredients are slightly coated. Don't move the paprika for too long, otherwise it will burn and give the dish a funny taste. I like to add the saffron and salt to the hot water while everything else if being cooked. Add now the hot water, saffron, peas and salt. Without moving anything further, leave it to boil for 10 minutes at maximum heat, then another 10 at low heat. I keep some additional hot water nearby in case it's all getting a bit too dry. You should be able to see some of the liquid in the surface in the last 5 minutes, if not, add a little more water then. Now you can take it away from the heat, cover with a kitchen towel, and leave it to rest for 20 minutes if you can wait that long ;)

Marinated Salmon

A great dinner that is naturally gluten free. This marinated salmon recipe is from the book The Hairy Dieters. The salmon is marinated for 30 minutes with ginger, garlic, soya sauce (Tamari for me thanks!), chilli and orange (juice and peel) and then baked in the oven. Add some rice and some broccoli and you have a delicious meal that is quick to make, gluten free, filling and low in calories. Great dinner option!http://www.hairybikers.com/books/the-hairy-dieters/1593