Tag Archives: homemade

Baking, Dairy Free, Family Meals, Gluten Free, Recipes, Special Diets, Vegetarian, Wheat Free

Sunshine Bars, super healthy goodness in a bar.

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These healthy, delicious oaty bars have to make you smile, packed full of fruit, seeds and with only 1 tbsp oil and 1 tbsp honey in the whole recipe, these really are a healthy alternative to a sugar laden flapjack.

They are gluten free (as long as the oats are gluten free of course), wheat free and dairy free too.

I baked these on slightly grey, possibly trying to rain, Bank Holiday Saturday and you know what, straight after they came out of the over the sun came out, little bars of sunshine they are 🙂

These would be great for lunchboxes, as breakfast bars or keep them handy when you need a snack and they will hopefully keep your hands out of the biscuit box.

 

Sunshine Bars
Yields 12
A healthy, fruit, oaty bar packed with goodness, great for packed lunches, snacks or as an on the go breakfast.
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Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
30 min
Total Time
40 min
Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
30 min
Total Time
40 min
194 calories
35 g
0 g
5 g
4 g
1 g
73 g
3 g
18 g
0 g
4 g
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size
73g
Yields
12
Amount Per Serving
Calories 194
Calories from Fat 46
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 5g
8%
Saturated Fat 1g
3%
Trans Fat 0g
Polyunsaturated Fat 2g
Monounsaturated Fat 2g
Cholesterol 0mg
0%
Sodium 3mg
0%
Total Carbohydrates 35g
12%
Dietary Fiber 4g
17%
Sugars 18g
Protein 4g
Vitamin A
4%
Vitamin C
5%
Calcium
3%
Iron
8%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your Daily Values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Does this look wrong?
Ingredients
  1. 200g oats
  2. 100g apricots
  3. 100g dates
  4. 150g raisins
  5. 25g sunflower seeds
  6. 20g linseeds
  7. 2 tbsp oil
  8. 1 tbsp honey
  9. 2 mashed bananas
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 5, grease and line a flapjack tin.
  2. Chop the apricots and dates.
  3. Mix the oats, dried fruit, sunflower seeds and linseeds together.
  4. Mash the bananas in a seperate bowl, add these to the mixture along with the oil.
  5. Heat the honey for 20 seconds in the microwave and add to the mix.
  6. Spoon into the tin and bake for 25-30 minutes. Cover for half of this time with foil or baking parchment to prevent the top layer of fruit burning.
beta
calories
194
fat
5g
protein
4g
carbs
35g
more
Dietitian UK https://www.dietitianuk.co.uk/

 

Family Meals, Gluten Free, Recipes, Special Diets, Vegetarian, Video, Weaning, Wheat Free

Homemade Pizza vlog made with my Toddler

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We all love a bit of pizza, in our house we make our own pizza – why? Well….

1)I’m wheat intolerant,

2) It’s just healthier,

3) It’s so easy in our bread machine,

4) We can choose our favourite toppings.

5) My toddler loves cooking and this is one recipe she can almost do all of.

Here’s my wheat free pizza base recipe.

Take a look and see us in action making our pizza, this vlog literally made me howl with laughter, I hope it does you too!

 

Dairy Free, Family Meals, Gluten Free, Recipes, Special Diets, Vegetarian, Wheat Free

Making Fresh Gluten/Wheat Free Pasta

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Back in the days when I could eat wheat I loved fresh pasta. It was a quick, easy meal that delighted my taste buds. I even got given a pasta machine by my mother-in-law one Christmas so I could make my own. Typically shortly after that I found out I couldn’t eat wheat. Boo.

I’ll admit, I didn’t venture into making my own wheat free pasta until a year ago, I so wish I had played around with this earlier as it really is easy. Literally flour in a bowl, add eggs, a drizzle of oil, mix. Roll, cut and cook. So simple a toddler could do it…..

 

Why not try my Buckwheat Ravioli Recipe Pasta Recipe, my Courgette Lasagne or make the meat Lasagne.

 

 

Family Meals, Gluten Free, Recipes, Vegetarian, Weaning, Wheat Free

Aubergine Bake for an Aubergine Addict.

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It’s no secret that I LOVE a good bargain, last week I picked up Aubergines for 10p, yes you read that right. I’d been saving them and ruminating in my mind about what I should do with them and then got inspired by a chef friend. So here is my aubergine bake.

Ingredients (serves 4):

2 aubergines

1.5 tins chopped tomatoes

3 cloves garlic

1 onion

1 stock cube

1 tbsp tomato puree

1 tsp sugar

Dried mixed herbs

Mozerella

 

Recipe:

  • Slice aubergines lengthways into long slices. Drizzle with a little oil and then cook on a griddle pan or under the grill for a few minutes on each side.
Dietitian UK: Griddled Aubergines
Dietitian UK: Griddled Aubergines
  • Whilst the aubergines cook, put the tins of chopped tomatoes into a pan with garlic, chopped onion, dried mixed herbs,  stock cube (gluten free if required),  tomato puree, sugar and plenty of black pepper.
  • Bring to the boil and simmer the sauce for 15 minutes so it reduces and thickens.
  • Spread a layer of aubergine in an ovenprood dish, top with the sauce and then repeat the layers – a bit like a lasagne.
  • Finally top with mozzerella.
  • Bake for 30 minutes at Gas Mark 5.
Dietitian UK: Aubergine Bake
Dietitian UK: Aubergine Bake
  • Serve with pasta and a green salad. YUM.
What’s your favourite Aubergine recipe? Please let me know, I’m an aubergine addict!

 

Dairy Free, Family Meals, Gluten Free, Recipes, Weaning, Wheat Free

Quick, Simple, Fresh and Tasty Mushroom Pasta Sauce

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So what do you do when you look in the fridge and see a large punnet of mushrooms that are about to go past their best? You make this! It’s a quick, easy and tasty dish that you can rustle up with ease and with the knowledge it’s healthy too. Plus it’s Wheat free, Gluten Free, Dairy Free and great for getting those veggies into little ones 😉

Recipe (Serves 2 plus toddler):

1 tbsp oil

2 tbsp flour (I used rice flour)

200ml white wine

500g mushrooms

200ml water

Mixed Herbs

Seasoning

  • Heat 1tbsp oil in a pan, remove from the heat and stir in the flour until it resembles breadcrumbs.
Dietitian UK: Mix Rice flour and oil to resemble breadcrumbs
Dietitian UK: Mix Rice flour and oil to resemble breadcrumbs
  • Add half the white wine and stir well to make a sauce free of lumps.
  • Place it back on the heat and gradually add the rest of the wine – do not stop stirring!
  • Add the mushroom and keep on a medium heat, the mushrooms will release water as they cook.
Dietitian UK: Cooking the Mushroom Sauce
Dietitian UK: Cooking the Mushroom Sauce
  • When the mushrooms have cooked down a little add some of the water, the amount you need will depend on your mushrooms.
  • Add mixed herbs (fresh parsley would be amazing) and season well. Leave it to simmer for 10 minutes.
  • Serve with pasta. Nom Nom.
Dietitian UK: Mushroom Pasta Sauce
Dietitian UK: Mushroom Pasta Sauce

 

Now of course you could finish this with cream……but that’s just not my way 😉 Enjoy and let me know your variations by commenting below…

 

Family Meals, Recipes

Easy Peasy Baked Apples

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Evenings. They can be those times when you just fancy a sweet treat. Perhaps it’s been a tough day, perhaps it’s the fact the kids are in bed and you have time to yourself, perhaps you’ve been working out and need a snack. You know the feeling.

This also makes an ideal pudding – great for family mealtimes.

Here’s one of my winter warmers, it’s super quick, filling and satisfying, plus you can make all kinds of variations on a theme. Go get creative and let me know what you come up with. I need inspiration too 😉

Recipe:

    • Cut the core out of the apple – I place it on a chopping board and hack with a knife, but use an apple corer if you have one.
    • Fill the centre with rasins, cinnamon and whatever else you fancy.
    • Microwave for 1 minute.
    • Top with custard and reheat then EAT.

    • Dietitian UK: Baked Apple - stuff it with raisins then microwave
      Dietitian UK: Baked Apple – stuff it with raisins then microwaveDietitian UK: Baked Apple with raisins and custard.Dietitian UK: Baked Apple with raisins and custard.

 

Contains 1-2 portions of fruit, fibre and calcium from the custard.

Baking, Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Recipes, Special Diets, Wheat Free

Gluten Free, Wheat free Banana and Choc Chip Cake.

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It’s been a hard few days….I fancied cake. Being a wheat intolerance, lover of all thing healthy, dietitian type, going to the shop was not an option. So I embraced the baking love and created this beauty.

 

Dietitian UK: Gluten Free, Wheat Free, Banana and Choc Chip Cake
Dietitian UK: Gluten Free, Wheat Free, Banana and Choc Chip Cake

I’ll be honest, I wasn’t sure if it would work….but it did, the big bonus, it took about 10 minutes to whip up. I really should have more faith in myself!

Recipe:

1 cup Rice flour

1 cup Gluten free blend (I used Doves Farm)

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp xanthum gum

2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/3 cup rapeseed oil

3 eggs

1 handful of chocolate chips

 

Mix the dry ingredients first, then add the eggs and oil.

Pour into a well greased and lined loaf tin.

Sprinkle the top with chocolate chips.

Bake at Gas Mark 5 for 35 minutes.

 

I used frozen, defrosted bananas. Whenever I have bananas going a bit over-ripe I stick them in the freezer for baking purposes. For example we often make our famous flapjack.

Next time I’m going to stir the chocolate chips through, they were kind of an afterthought….but a pretty tasty one!

Get baking guys 🙂

Family Meals, Gluten Free, Other, Recipes, Special Diets, Weaning, Wheat Free

Spicy Bean Burger Heaven

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I love bean burgers. They are one of those foods that want me make to turn vegetarian. But they just aren’t one of those things that I make very often. Till now.

Tonight was one of those evenings where I hadn’t got round to planning dinner, so I turned to the fridge for inspiration…. the bowl of kidney beans was calling my name. We also had  carrot and courgette’s eyeing me. Bingo.

I’ll be honest, I wasn’t expecting these to work well as I literally threw them together on a whim, but in my experience that’s often when my best recipes occur. In my opinion this is one of them.

A great recipe for Family Meals, for weaning, it’s vegetarian, gluten free, wheat free, dairy free….need I say more?! Oh, hold on… ITS TASTY!

Ingredients:

1 tin kidney beans

2 carrots

1 courgette

1 onion

2 cloves garlic

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp coriander

1 tsp garam masala

1 tsp Curry powder (I used a Sri-Lanka blend, use your favourite mix)

1 tbsp mixed fresh herbs or a pinch of dried

seasoning

Method:

  • I am a complete cheat. I used my food processor. To do this – place the beans, carrot, courgette, onions, garlic in the food processor and provess until finely chopped.
  • If you don’t have a food processor then grate the carrot and courgette, finely chop the beans, onion and garlic.
Dietitian UK: Bean Burger Mix
Dietitian UK: Bean Burger Mix
  • Shape the mix into large patties, pressing the mixture firmly together. I made 5 patties in total.
  • Place on a greased baking tray, pop into the fridge for 30 minutes to firm up. (You could make ahead to this stage and cook later or freeze them at this stage).
Dietitian UK: Bean Burger's Firming Up
Dietitian UK: Bean Burger’s Firming Up
  • Cook in a large pan or on a griddle, turning part way through cooking.
  • I served ours with salad and potato wedges.
Dietitian UK: Homemade Bean Burgers and Salad
Dietitian UK: Homemade Bean Burgers and Salad
Seriously yummy.

 

Family Meals, Gluten Free, Recipes, Video, Weaning, Wheat Free

Making Fishcakes Vlog

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My top 5 reasons to make Fishcakes:

1. A delicious way to get the family to eat fish, suitable as weaning food, finger food and adult food too.

2. An easy way to mix veggies into a meal (these ones have mushrooms but it could be any veg of your choice).

3. Great for the summer with salad.

4. Fun for the kids to get involved in making.

5. Can be prepared in advance then put in the oven to cook ready for dinner.

Here’s a little vlog showing my cutie pie helped and myself making ours. She promptly devoured 2 for her dinner!

Get that fish in that dish 😉

Gluten Free, Recipes, Wheat Free

Sri-Lankan Plum Chutney

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We’ve had a right plum glut this year, after making much plum jam I decided something else was needed. We love a good chutney….along with cheese, fresh salads and maybe a little wine. For me a chutney needs to be thick, fragrant and a bit spicey, so here is my take on a chutney recipe, inspired by my Sri-Lankan roots.  I’ve added in some spices from the Spice Isle.

It took me flipping ages to make, but having tasted it I can say it was well worth it. A labour of love to make and a labour of love to eat.

Sri-Lanka Plum Chutney Recipe:

1 kg plums – halved and destoned

2 large cooking apples peeled and chopped

2 large onions finely chopped

4 garlic cloves crushed

250g dried prunes

150g sultanas

500g brown sugar

1 cinnamon stick

1 heaped tsp mixed spice

1 tsp ground cardomom

1/2 tsp groound cloves

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

575ml malt vinegar

  • Chop, destone and crush all the ingredients – it’s a lot of prep but put on some music and dance whilst you do it 😉
  • Place in a large pan and bring to the boil.
  • Reduce to a simmer and cook for 2 hrs or until thick enough to leave a trail when you run a wooden spoon through it. Be warned, the chutney will thicken a bit more once you put it in jars.
  • Keep stirring occasionally as it simmers.
  • Taste before potting up, add extra cayenne if wanted.
  • Pour into sterilised jars and seal. This will improve over time and keep for at least a year.
Dietitian UK: Sri-Lankan Plum Chutney
Dietitian UK: Sri-Lankan Plum Chutney