After much searching for recipes and experimenting by baking one pie a week i have discoverea very tasty savory pastry recipe. Of course olly and i were both getting fatter from eating all the pies i was making, so i have now had to limit pie making to just once a month 🙂

Ingredients:

75g rice flour

75g cornmeal

75g potato flour

~ 1tsp xanthan gum

1 pinch salt

150g soya butter

1 egg whisked

• Sift the rice flour, cornmeal, potato flour, salt and xanthan gum into a large bowl and mix well.
• Add chunks or cubes of the soya butter and rub into the flour (or use a pastry cutter) to make “breadcrumbs”.
• Add enough of the egg to bring the pastry together but make sure it isn’t too wet as it will shrink in the oven.
• On a lightly potato/rice floured board knead the dough. Roll into a ball slightly flatten it, wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge for a minimum of 30 mins but best left overnight.
• When chilled roll the pastry out between two baking sheets and use as required.

Tips

• I brush a bit of whisked egg over the top of the pastry after it is half cooked, it makes the pastry go golden.
• if cracks appear in the raw pie casing smooth pastry dough with a little water to fill in the gaps.
• Always use a pie funnel to stop pastry collapsing and filling from boiling over.

Ingredients:

Parsnips

Animal fat (fat drippings from roast chicken/duck/meat) or olive oil

Salt

Pepper

Honey

• peel the parsnips and slice into long wedges
• Place in a bowl and add animal fat/olive oil and mix till all parsnips are coated
• Place parsnips on a baking tray and sprinkle with salt and pepper
• Place in a hot oven (180oC) for 15 mins or untill golden brown
• Remove from oven and drizzle honey over the parsnips, mix well till parsnips all coated.  Return to oven for a futher minute.

Ingredients:

peeled and chopped potatoes

animal fat  (fat or roasting juices from roast chicken/meat/duck etc) or Olive oil for a more healthy option!

Salt

Pepper

• Boil the potatoes in a sauce pan till soft and fluffy on the surface
• Drain the water and put thepotatoes back in the sauce pan.  Add the oilive oil or roasting fat/juices to th saucepan and replace the lid.  Carfeully shake the pan in a circular motion to coat the potatoes with oil.
• Place the potatoes in a roasting tin, sprinkle with salt and pepper
• Place in a hot oven (180oC) till golden brown

4 portions

Ingredients:

4 spring onions or two leeks

4 tbsp wheat free soy sauce

Zest and juice of one lime

2cm fresh ginger grated (use a cheese grater!)

2 cloves garlic finely sliced

4 boneless and skinless salmon fillets

• Mix soy sauce, zest and juice of the lime, ginger, garlic and leeks.  Place the salmon fillets in a dish/bowl and spread the mixture all over them. Marinate in the fridge overnight.
• Preheat oven to 200oC
• On shets of thick foil place each salmon fillet with some marinade and a feww slices of leek. Wrap up well in foil, place on a baking tray and bake for 15 mins.

Tips:

• Instead of the zest and juice of one lime, use an orange
• Instead of salmon try using chicken
• Serve the baked salmon on rocket & spinach salad leaves or with noodles

4 portions

Ingredients:

200g AdukiBeans

2 wheat/yeast/dairy free stock cubes

1 finely sliced onion

3 carrots sliced

1 leak sliced

1 butternut squash peeled and cut into chunks

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp tumeric

250g kale

• Soak the beans in cold water for 12 hours or overnight.
• Drain the soaked beans, rinse well with cold water. Place in saucepan with cold water and boil hard for 15 mins (removes toxins)
• Drain water and rinse the beans well.
• Place 1 l fresh cold water in the saucepan with the beans & stock cubes. Bring to boil then simmer for 10 mins.
• Add the remaining veg (except the kale)and spices, simmer for 15 mins
• Add the kale simmer for 2 mins.
• Serve.

Tips:

• I sometimes use chopped parsnip instead of carrots

This is the really tasty soup that seems to piss off everyone on all floors of PSSRI and ppl in the chemistry depatment. It is like these ppl have a fish phobia or something!!!!

4 portions

Ingredients:

2 garlic cloves finely sliced

5cm fresh ginger grated (i use a cheese grater!)

3 packs of miso paste (some brands contain yeast – i use Blue Dragon brand which is yeast free. you can find it in the supermarket aisle with other oriental sauces/noodles etc)

200g cod (or other white fish) cut into chunks

2 red peppers deseeded and chopped

3 pak choi sliced

2 handfulls mangetout or sugar snap peas

100g Fresh peas

4 spring onions

• Bring 1 and 1/4 litre water to boil. Add garlic, ginger and miso, boil for 1 min then add fish and the mangetout/sugar snap peas and pepper. Bring to boil then simmer.
• Skim off the foam, cook for 2 mins.
• Add pak choi & spring onions and cook for a further minute
• Place into bowls add raw fresh peas, stir and serve.

Tips:

• Add thin rice noodles to cold soup that contains a lot of liquid, reheat in the microwave for 3 mins and voila – a homemade pot noodle or more substantial meal….
• I add all sorts of veg like runner beans instead of mangetout or sweetcorn instead of peas etc

4 Portions of filling tasty soup!

Ingredients:

225g yellow split peas

1 wheat/yeast free vegetable stock cube

1tsp wheat/yeast free bullion powder

1 onion finely chopped

2 sweet potato peeled and diced into chunks

4 carrots peeled and sliced

1/2 tsp cumin

• Soak the split peas in cold water for 12 hours or over night
• Rinse the soaked split peas well and place in a large saucepan. Add 1.5l water, the stock cube and the bullion powder. Bring to the boil then lower the heat and simmer for 25 mins. Skim off any scum that rises to the surface.
• Add the onion and veg, simmer for 15-20 mins. Serve.

Tips:

• Use Butternut squash aswell as or instead of sweet potato.
• Allow to cool then blend using a hand blender for a smooth consistency soup – though i personally prefer chunky veg soup
• Chopped parsnip goes well in this soup as well

2 Portions

Ingredients:

2 Lamb shanks

2 cloves garlic cut into slivers

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground cumin or tumeric

1/2 tsp ground ginger1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/4 tsp ground pepper

2 tsp salt

1 tbsp olive oil

6 tbsp honey

• Preheat oven to 160 oC (Gas mark 3)
• Pierce gashes into the meat and place slivers of garlic inside
• Mix all the spices, pepper and salt in a bowl then pat the mixture all over the shanks
• Heat the oil in a pan, once hot sear the shanks on all sides to seal the flavours
• Place each shank on a piece of really thick foil and drizzle 3 tbsp honey over each. Wrap up the meat within the foil and place the parcels on a baking tray/roasting dish to catch juices that spill out
• Bake in oven for ~2hours for really tender meat