Welcome all, fill your tum with my num num nums.


Gluten, Dairy & Legume free recipes; some by design, others are just nice recipes that happen to be! There are recipes and also shopping 'finds', all of which are good for free from people and all yummy whether you are following a particular diet or not! Just because something is 'free from' doesn't mean everyone can't enjoy it - and you may be surpised at how much happier your body is.

'Special' is how my friends describe my food and me, I don't think it's entirely complimentary!

Monday 18 June 2012

Chocolate & Cupboard Stuff Ice Nohm

Sometimes you've shopped & planned, sometimes you just want something and make do! I've got some gluten free cones from ocado and wanted some ice cream to go in them. Chocolate I had the ingredients for but I like my ice cream Ben & Jerry style with bits so I raided the cupboard. I made double quantities as I wanted a scoopable amount; this made a small ice cream tub full.

2 Tins of coconut milk
Carton of coconut cream
1/2 cup sugar (I prefer golden caster sugar) 
1/2 cup good cocoa powder
Big pinch of salt
2 tsp Vanilla Extract
Tsp xanthan gum

Handful of chocolate chunks (more would have been better)
Glace Cherries (half a tub)
Couple of big tablespoons of fluff

I mixed the icecream then put it in the machine til it got to soft set stage. I stirred through the bits & swirled in the fluff before slopping it into a tub & putting it into the freezer to firm up (not for long enough - it was still a bit sloppy to scoop). Sometimes winging it really works. 


Sunday 10 June 2012

Smoked Duck, Apple, Sesame & Ginger Salad

Today's lunch is a small lesson in matching things. I wasn't impressed with the ginger & sesame salad dressing when I tried it on a side salad with chicken & chips - ginger & sesame salad with chicken & chips? Of course it didn't work! However on this salad (mixed leaves, cucumber, red pepper & apple) topped with smoked duck slices it totally rocked. It's one of those combos you know will work before you taste it! I made a bit of potato salad on the side; a girl's gotta have some carbs!

The ginger & sesame dressing and smoked duck were from ocado - the smoked duck you will no doubt see on bambis bentos - I'm thinking maybe smoked duck nigiri tomorrow.


Friday 8 June 2012

Birds Eye Baked to Perfection

I post saying I'm gonna make space for more recipes then do a post about opening a box! These are very user friendly - fish & sauce in 1 portion bags that you put straight in the oven from the freezer - but difficult to serve in one piece as you can see from my pic!
There are a few in the range but only the cod in olive oil, tomato & rosemary sauce (yummy with a very subtle rosemary flavour) and the king prawns in chilli sauce (why would you want to bake that?) are BBD / paleo friendly.
Tasty & handy to have in the freezer for a quick dinner. Served here with new potatoes & cherry tomatoes roasted with garlic oil & rosemary.

For the non paleo my dad says the haddock in butter sauce one is nice!



Bambis Bentos

To make room for recipes I now have a seperate blog for the bento's so they will be there from now on. I'd better step up my game with them if they're gonna have their own blog - but I do have a trip planned to a near by oriental mini market tomorrow so hopefully I'll get some new ingredients!

Thursday 7 June 2012

Got up late bento

But I put rice in the rice cooker before my shower & had teriyaki chicken left.

L-R I have watermelon slices, chocolate pudding, the last bit of fennel salad, rice & dill pickles, Hawaiian chicken teriyaki with salad.

I have a new bento box & some accessories coming so bentos next week should have a new home!


Wednesday 6 June 2012

Thank god the jubilee is over Bento

Yet again I forgot to post until I had eaten some of it! The pot with the closed lid had red pepper & cucumber crudites in. The tall thermos pots got (still warm) Hawaiian teriyaki (from a jar-ocado) chicken & sushi rice in. There is a pot of fennel salad next to it (recipe from just bento here; http://justbento.com/handbook/recipes-sides-and-fillers/bento-filler-fennel-salad-fennel-shiomomi) the chicken flavours are quite rich so the fresh crunch of the fennel alongside is nice.  I've also got some watermelon slices & a dairy free vanilla pudding. I've also got some dark chocolate with wasabi somewhere - I'm not completely sure I like it! A healthy bento today!


Monday 4 June 2012

Passion Fruit Ice Nohm

We won't go into the minor mishap that saw me wearing half the mix - but I still got a decent amount!

It has a subtle flavour and is a good accompaniment to other fruit - strawberries in my pic. Pretty much my usual Ice Nohm mix but I doubled up - the standard mix doesn't make much (this would have made a lot more if a good third hadn't ended up on me and the floor).

2 tins of coconut milk
1/2 cup of golden caster sugar
Good pinch of salt
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp xanthan gum
2 or 3 passion fruits (seeds & pulp scooped out)

Quite simply mix everything together then pop it in your ice cream maker.