By Melissa Corkhill
28th November 2016
PASTA SALAD WITH CHERRY TOMATOES AND BASIL A perfectly well-balanced salad that’s easy to prepare and makes delicious lunchbox food.
SERVES: 4 PREPARATION: 5 MINUTES COOKING: 30 minutes
INGREDIENTS: 500g cherry or small tomatoes; 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced olive oil, for drizzling; 300g gluten-free pasta shapes; small bunch of basil leaves, roughly chopped; freshly ground black pepper; grated Parmesan or pecorino cheese, to serve, optional
1 Preheat the oven to 200°C/ gas mark 6. Line a roasting dish with foil. Remove the stalks from the tomatoes and place in the lined dish. Mix the garlic slices in with the tomatoes and drizzle with olive oil. Roast the tomatoes for about 20 minutes until the skins begin to colour.
2 Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions. Drain and keep warm. 3 Crush the tomatoes with a fork, drop in the basil leaves and stir. Add the tomato mixture and all the cooking juices to the pasta. Season with black pepper. Drizzle over olive oil and sprinkle with cheese, if using, to serve.
HINTS: • Roasting vegetables concentrates their natural sweetness and they are full of flavour, so there is no need to add any salt. • Stir 2 tablespoons of half-fat creme fraiche into the tomato mixture, to make a more creamy sauce for the pasta. TO STORE: Keep in the fridge for up to 2 days. TO FREEZE: Not suitable.
GLUTEN-FREE FLOUR MIX
MAKES: 1KG PREPARATION: 5 MINS
INGREDIENTS: 700g fine white rice flour; 200g potato flour; 100g tapioca flour
Mix all the flours together very thoroughly or put into a food processor and pulse until mixed. Store in an airtight container and use by the soonest ‘best before’ date.
CHERRY TOMATO TORTILLA
This delicious and simple meal is really nice eaten hot or cold
SERVES: 4 PREPARATION: 15 minutes COOKING: 35 minutes
INGREDIENTS: 600g potatoes, sliced; 3 tablespoons olive oil; 1 onion, chopped; 125g cherry tomatoes, halved; 5 large eggs; freshly ground black pepper
1 Cook the potato slices in boiling water for 10 minutes and drain well. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a non-stick, ovenproof frying pan, add the onion and cook over a medium heat for 10 minutes.
2 Add the potatoes and tomatoes to the pan and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes begin to colour, about 5 minutes. Preheat the grill to high.
3 Beat the eggs in a jug, season with black pepper and pour over the potato mixture. Shake the pan gently to combine the ingredients evenly and cook over a low heat for a few minutes until the eggs begin to set at the bottom and the sides.
4 Place the pan under the grill and cook the top briefly, to set. To serve, run a spatula round the edge and invert the tortilla onto a plate. Cut into wedges to serve.
HINTS: • This is a brilliant way to use up leftover boiled or roast potatoes • Instead of cooking the cherry tomatoes in the tortilla, you can serve them raw alongside, if you prefer.
TO STORE: Not suitable. TO FREEZE: Not suitable.
ROASTED SQUASH AND BASMATI RICE SALAD
A good, well-balanced salad, with plenty of veg and a nice, simple dressing – perfect lunchbox food.
SERVES: 8 PREPARATION: 20 MINUTES COOKING: 25–30 MINUTES
INGREDIENTS: 2 × 115g packets gluten-free basmati rice; 100g frozen peas or beans; 1 butternut squash, peeled and cut into 8–10 bite-sized pieces; 4 tablespoons olive oil; salt and freshly ground black pepper; 4 medium tomatoes, roughly chopped; ½ iceberg lettuce, finely sliced; 4 tablespoons white wine vinegar; 1 tablespoon granulated sugar; juice of 2 large limes; 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil; 2 pots coriander, roughly chopped
1 Cook the rice following the packet instructions. Cook the peas or beans according to the packet instructions and drain. Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas mark 6.
2 Place the squash pieces in a baking tray, then add the olive oil and season well with salt and pepper, mix well and bake for 25–30 minutes until lightly browned and cooked through.
3 Meanwhile, place the tomatoes, cooked peas or beans and chopped iceberg lettuce into a deep bowl and mix carefully but well. Remove the cooked squash from the oven and cool slightly. Leave to cool completely.
4 Add the squash to the tomatoes, beans and lettuce, then add the rice. Spoon over the vinegar, sugar, lime juice, 1 teaspoon black pepper, the extra virgin olive oil and coriander, then stir gently to combine thoroughly.
TO STORE: Keep in the fridge for up to 2 days. TO FREEZE: Not suitable
BANANA BRAN BUNS WITH STREUSEL TOPPING
MAKES: 12 PREPARATION: 15 minutes COOKING: 20–25 MINUTES
INGREDIENTS: 150g Glutenfree Flour Mix A; 55g soft light brown sugar; 1½ teaspoons gluten-free baking powder; ½ teaspoon xanthan gum’ ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon; 55g rice bran; 2 eggs; 2 tablespoons oil; 2 medium bananas, mashed; 125ml milk; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
FOR THE TOPPING: 1 tablespoon chopped walnuts or seed mix; 1 tablespoon demerara sugar; ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon; 30g glutenfree banana chips, broken up
1 Preheat the oven to 180°C/ gas mark 4 . Line a muffin tin with 12 paper muffin cases.
2 Mix together the ingredients for the topping and set aside.
3 For the buns, in a large bowl mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, xanthan gum, cinnamon and rice bran. In another bowl mix the eggs, oil, mashed bananas, milk and vanilla extract.
4 Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and add the wet mixture. Stir gently until just combined, soft and dropping from the spoon – don’t leave it to stand after mixing. If the mixture is too dry, add a drop more milk.
5 Spoon the mixture into the paper muffin cases straight away and top each bun with the streusel topping. Bake for about 20 minutes until risen and golden. The buns are best served warm.
HINT: The banana buns can be enjoyed without the streusel topping, if you prefer. TO STORE: Store in an airtight container for up to 2 days. TO FREEZE: Cool and freeze in an airtight container. Allow to defrost completely and for best results warm through in the oven for 10 - 20 minutes before serving.
For more recipes see Seriously Good! Gluten-free Cooking for Kids by Phil Vickery. (Kyle Books, £14.99)
