One of the most requested recipes when I worked on the advice line at Juvela, was for gluten free dumplings. Within the same enquiry, I would generally be asked as to where you were able to buy gluten free suet from?
Gluten free suet is a little tricky to get hold of. However, I have a great tip that I’m about to share with you. Which will mean, you no longer have to specifically source gluten free suet to make dumplings or suet puddings!
I know that we’ve only just waved a fond farewell to Christmas, but whilst things are still fresh in my mind I thought it would be good to jot down a few ideas, that I think may save some cash (and valuable time) in our house and hopefully in yours too, for when the festive season rocks up again!
Ooh I’m rushing in quick (and just in the nick of time), to share with you this rather fabulous festive recipe for delicious gluten free frangipane topped mince pies.
My recommendation, is to enjoy these moreish, soft frangipane topped mince pies, warm with a spot of fresh thick cream – and your feet up with a cuppa!
I do love a good tasty canapé. For me, it’s a perfect morsel to pop into your mouth whilst enjoying a glass of chilled fizz!
Canapés make such a great pre-dinner starter, that bit of something to ‘put you on’, before heading to the table to tuck into the main meal – giving the designated cook a much needed bit of breathing space to crack on with stuff while your nicely pre occupied with something to graze on! And of course canapés are great to serve up over the festive period too……an ideal Christmas party nibble!
I’ve always loved cottage pie – it’s another one of the many tasty meals I’ve grown up tucking into, as it was something my mum and grandma would often make.
Cottage pie is such a comforting tummy warming meal. And after hearing Steve Wright on Radio 2 talking about the fondness of traditional hearty pub food (cottage pie was mentioned!), I felt inspired to share my own version of this yummy fork food, as I know when I worked at Juvela gluten free foods, what people mostly asked about, was how to make gluten free versions of traditional dishes that they had enjoyed before they had needed to follow a gluten free diet.
I’d heard great things about LEON restaraunts and their super gluten free offerings. So was delighted to discover that they had opened a branch at Cheshire Oaks (one of my favourite places to shop!). And on Wednesday, after a spot of Christmas shopping with my fabulous buddy Carol, we called in for our tea.
I finally got chance to pop into Off The Wheaten Track for a bite to eat the other Friday – it’s something that had been on my wish list ever since it had opened earlier this year! And, I cannot tell you how giddy I’d gotten myself in anticipation of my visit to this !00% gluten free deli and cheese specialist, situated in the lovely town centre of Altrincham, not too far away from where I live.
I have always loved cauliflower cheese, it used to be my ‘Saturday lunch’ of choice when I was a teenager, and very often when I came home from doing my weekend job in our local village shop, my mum would have rustled up a cauliflower cheese beauty ready for me to enjoy! It’s making me smile as I tell you about this lunch, as all those years ago, it wasn’t the done thing to cut up the cauliflower prior to cooking, so I usually had a whole cauliflower to tuck into!! What’s really great about the way my mum used to make it, was, despite the traditional way of making a cheese sauce is to make a roux, she would instead make it by simply thickening the milk with cornflour. So, despite not needing a gluten free diet at that point in my life, the cauliflower cheese in fact, was naturally gluten free and tasted tremendous!
As with many of the recipes (and other stuff) I share with you, it’s not always my first intention to do so, but instead, the fact that I’ve just fancied rustling up something particular for myself to eat, and when it turns out great, I get all giddy and think, Oooh, must tell you about it too! And that’s exactly what happened last weekend, when I whipped up some gluten free creamed mushrooms on toast for my lunch!
I do love to cook gammon/ham at home – I just think there is something very satisfying about the process, and if not being eaten straight away, it’s nice to have it in the fridge to cut at for butties, salads, or to enjoy with egg and chips etc! It’s also far more cost effective than buying ready cooked meat. I tend to keep the ham for up to 3 days in the fridge but if I’m not going to use it within this time, I just slice the meat (or cube it as it’s great to go in fried rice dishes), wrap in foil, then in a freezer bag and pop into the freezer to use at a later date.
Proudly introducing my ‘magic mallow crispy cakes’…. a truly magnificent indulgent gluten free treat for kids of all ages! The idea for these rather jolly – if not crazy – looking chocolate crispy cakes came from something my mum would make for our birthday parties and family celebrations when we were younger.
Last updated 12th December 2019
I’m so glad that when the lovely Martin at PPM was taking down notes for my website design, he suggested that along with all my gluten free things that I also had a ‘lifestyle’ section too. As knowing what a crazy eclectic head I have, there will always be extra things that I ‘need’ to chat to you about – and this blog I’m about to share with you is a perfect example!
I love to pick out meaningful and thoughtful gifts for my family and friends, that I hope they will love. And although my suggestions below are anytime presents, I thought as we countdown to Christmas, now would be a perfect time to share some ideas with you, in the hope it may offer that little spark of inspiration as you hunt out the ideal gift, that makes you extremely excited to give!
Whilst there are few gluten free suggestions within this post (oh my, you must check out the gf hampers!) my gift ideas are of course for everyone!