Go Ahead Honey it's Gluten Free - A Little Soirée and some canapés

One fresh April evening not so long ago, a small group of gluten free bloggers adjusted their pashmina shawls and wished they had worn something a little more substantial than a little black dress and some killer heels. Delicate glass flutes held the creamiest prosecco as they plucked delicious morsels from the jewel bright trays expertly balanced on the fingers of equally delicious french waiters. 

Ah yes, I wish you had been there too.....

But as you were not, let me share with you what we ate.

On the first tray were the tiniest of morsels, Cream Filled Jalapeño Olives from Kelly at The Spunky Coconut.

Quickly followed by a little smokey number of mine, Quail Egg Canapés.

Emilia of Gluten Free Day had taken the jewel theme to the next level with tiny Buckwheat Blinis adorned with a carnelian spoonful of caviar.

As the prosecco kicked in we abandoned all pretence of chic sophistication and gobbled up these delicious Asparagus Spears Wrapped in Prosciuto, licking our fingers as Shirley laughed heartily at our lack of delicacy.

The final palate cleanser before dessert was a Collard Roll Canapé, filled with crisp crudités and bursting with flavour.

Then on to dessert. Starting with fruit, so as not to appear gluttonous we each popped in a Raspberry Cream Canapé - which was delicious with Prosecco, Kelly - just as you promised.

The next up were my Banoffee Pie Canapés, decadently rich, sweet and creamy but without a bit of sugar (ok, so there was honey...)

Finally, a choice of tiny brownies, Katherine Hepburn Brownie Bites from Shirley at Gluten Free Easily and teeny Chocolate Mint Brownies with Vanilla Pudding from Kelly at The Spunky Coconut.

What a night! I look forward to doing it again soon girls.

If you'd like to take part in next month's event it's hosted by Emilia at the jaw droppingly beautiful, Gluten Free Day. The theme is Fruit Desserts - what's not to like?

x x x

Gluten Free Pecan & Apple Bread (SCD) by Popular Demand!

Well thank you my lovelies for all those comments and votes - to the silent followers who spoke out, hurrah! I love you too.
I held my breath and wondered which it would be, but Pecan Bread far outstripped the other two and the final decision was yours. I like Heidi's suggestion that I should make a little mini series - so as not to upset the other two recipes. I shall post one next week and the third the week after, leaving the exact details a mystery - so you can enjoy a faint tingle of anticipation.
Finley loves pecans - munching them secretly from a tiny saucepan shaped cup measure. Huddled under a sheepskin by the pink light of the bird tree - before we have rolled out the day and let the first light in. I find these cups lined up under the sofa where he has forgotten them, like a little record of his mornings. If I ask how many pecans he has had (you can have too many nuts!) he will provide an exact tally, sometimes adding the number of dried banana chips, coconut shreds or mango pieces consumed. Always assuring me that it was less than seven of each, with palms up and long fringed eyes wide in an attitude of such innocence - who could doubt the truth of those morning inventories?
When I told Fin that I was going to make bread with his beloved pecans, and apples were featuring too, he hugged me around the waist a little too hard and shone his most brilliant smile up at my face. His first taste of that bread was the next day in some unadorned cheese sandwiches. That afternoon, before he had even stuffed his lunchbox and book bag into my bike panniers a far off look of remembrance came into his eyes and he said wistfully - "those sandwiches were fantastic, make them again!"
Pecans give this bread a slightly malty, almost wheatgerm flavour and apples lend a sweet, light moistness that makes a great piece of toast. Both flavours sing with cheese and ham, love peanut butter and are made for pear and apple spread. Cream cheese or hung yogurt would also be just perfect with a nice hot, crisp piece of thinly sliced toast.
To make the bread as low salycilate as possible use a golden delicious apple and roasted hazels in place of some or all of the almonds.
Pecan Apple Bread (for my faithful followers - and silent appreciators)

5 large Free Range Eggs
50ml (double shot) Olive Oil (or a nut oil, cold pressed sunflower or melted coconut oil)
3/4 tsp Bicarb of Soda
big pinch Sea Salt
1 tbsp lemon juice (or 2 tsp cider vinegar)
1 apple peeled and finely grated
2 oz creamed coconut (the bar kind) finely chopped or grated (or finely ground dessicated coconut)
4oz pecans ground finely
7oz ground almonds (or roast hazels/almonds)
Preheat oven to 160C and parchment line a 9" square deep sided tin - or similar sized tin.
Whisk the eggs, oil, bicarb, salt and lemon juice in a mixing bowl until frothy.
Beat in apple and coconut and then all the ground nuts. Beat until smooth.
Pour into the tin and bake for between 40 mins and an hour until risen, firm and golden brown on top. A skewer should come out clean.
Leave in the tin for ten minutes and then lift out using the parchment to help and leave to cool completely on a rack.
This freezes excellently when sliced thinly (8mm-1cm) and frozen on a chopping board in loose layers. Box or bag when completely frozen and use within two weeks.
x x x

100 Lovely Souls

This morning I looked at my blogger dashboard and there blinking at me from my little band of followers was the number 100!

I felt a surge of pride and wanted immediately to tell you all how much I appreciate your support. No matter how often I click through comments, suggestions and questions, each one feels like a little pat on the back, a warm hand reaching out to fit into mine, just so.

I give my thanks to each and every one of my followers and to all those others who stop by to just to look or share their own thoughts. How wonderful to be connected to so many people!

As a celebration of this lovely round number I offer you the chance to pick which grain free recipe I post next. I'm keeping some back for a book that will eventually bubble up to the surface, but I'd like you to choose which one you want to see next.

Number one is Harlequin Squash Bread, light and sweet - pictured below:

Number two is Pecan Apple Bread, malty and moist - pictured here:

Number three is these Pear Muffins, with a delicious crust and soft interior:

Let me know by the 28th and I'll post the one with the most votes.

x x x

Gluten Free Banoffee Pie Canapés(SCD) for Go Ahead Honey it's Gluten Free!

We have been rolling the word 'canapé' around on our curious tongues for a couple of weeks now. Each crisp salad leaf has become a potential spring board for some new combination, each slice of chorizo a major player in the world of tiny food.

'Ta da!' announces Fin, his long fingers cradling a baby spinach leaf, holding a dollop of pesto, supporting a couple of garden peas - 'a canapé!'. An unusual word to fall from the mouth of a seven year old, but then again, Fin is not your average child where food is concerned.

Savoury canapés long since parcelled up into a taste memory, we turned our thoughts greedily to something sweet. A long list followed, of favourite desserts that could be downsized - so as to cunningly consume as many as possible before anyone realises that the combined volume of those delicate morsels is far more than a piece of pie.

Our minds came to rest with a communal sigh of longing at Banoffee Pie. It gave the requisite diversity of texture and taste, dense malty pecan base, soft sweet vanilla caramel and cool, thick, french cream with enough tang to set off the other flavours beautifully. I could hardly wait the 24 hours required to make french cream, so certain was I that a little square of pie had a corresponding space in my tummy, just waiting to be filled.

When everything was assembled, each layer cooked and cooled, I placed the squidgy banana squares on a lovely glass cake stand and managed to get a few snaps in before the chomping began. We had four each and then four were left as a special treat for Fin to look forward to.

All evening I thought of those four perfect squares of pie waiting in the fridge. It was with considerable restraint that I peeled myself a carrot and dipped it into a jar of tahini instead.

Now you could make these little pie squares with precision, adding more honey to the toffee to make it set firm and whipping the french cream to make it less oozy. But I liked them just as they were, a little softer and rather sensual for it. I'll leave it up to you to decide how precise you want yours to be - they won't be around that long, so I wouldn't worry too much...

Banoffee Pie Canapés (makes about 20)

Line the base and sides of a 4"x 5" (10cm x 13cm) container (such as a tupperware box) with clingfilm.

Base

3 oz pecan nuts

1 oz ground almonds

2 heaped tsp cold butter

1 oz dried banana chips (ground to a powder in a coffee grinder)

1 tsp honey

Whizz everything together in a food processor until the mixture resembles damp crumbs. Press into the lined container to form an even layer and chill.

Banana Layer

slice 3 very ripe large bananas (4 small ones) into thick coins. Throw a good knob of butter into a large frying pan (skillet) and gently fry the bananas in a single layer until golden and caramelised. Don't shake the pan or stir, just check the colour. You may need to do this in batches. Set aside to cool completely and then spread onto the base and chill again.

Honey Caramel 

While the bananas are cooling, make the caramel.

4 tsp honey

2 heaped tsp butter

3 tbs coconut milk (or other milk)

2 tsp vanilla extract

Gently boil everything over a medium heat, stirring constantly, until toffee colour and slightly thickened. To test for doneness drop a little onto a cold saucer - if it seems nice and thick then it's done. Don't boil too high or you will burn the honey. Cool and then pour over the bananas and chill for at least an hour.

Top with 150ml of French cream (creme fraiche) or whipped cream or greek yogurt and chill again before unmolding and slicing into 1" (2.5cm) squares. If you use a knife dipped into hot water your slices will be a little less organic looking than mine, but you will waste alot of delicious goo in the process.

There is still a week left to participate in this month's Go Ahead Honey it's Gluten Free! Just send me a link to your post by the 25th and then pop back at the end of the month to see what everyone else came up with.

x x x

Canapes, Nyom, Nyom - Go Ahead Honey it's Gluten Free

Canapes. Planned for days, maybe even weeks. Lovingly crafted and carefully baked, piped, primped and presented by hands aching from the delicate work involved. 

Canapes. Mouthfuls of joy, sweet and sour, crisp and creamy, smoke and salt, all juxtaposed in a single teaspoon of food. The perfect accompaniment to a flute of glacial bubbles, dry as a bramley apple.

Canapes. The very essence of sophistication.

With all this in mind I bent my nimble fingers to the task of creating serrano ham crisps, spicing a caramelised squash and onion paste, boiling to runny perfection and peeling the tiniest of quail eggs. I wiped the sweat from my brow (not with my apron you understand - I have a hygiene certificate) and arranged the morsels into a delectable whole, slicing the runny quail eggs with a surgeon's precision so as not to spill the precious yolk and finishing the whole with some chives snipped moments earlier from my own garden.

I bought the twelve canapes to the table and set them down for Nick and Fin to admire. 'Wow!' was the verdict. Fin twitched with anticipation - tiny eggs, (especially runny ones) are his idea of party food and his mood was indeed festive.

I pulled out a chair for myself and almost before my skirt had touched the seat the sound of chomping caused my head to snap to attention.

'Nyom, nyom, nyom' said Fin with his mouth full of canape and eyes full of pleasure. His fingertips were yellow with yolk.

Three canapes had disapeared already and I had the feeling that more were due to follow.

So we each popped one into our mouths and closed our eyes, enjoying the soft rich yolk, smoky sweet paste and crisp salty ham all at once.

When we opened our eyes another two had disappeared and we were forced to grab what was left or go without.

'Nyom, nyom, nyom' said Fin, licking the remains of those finely crafted canapes from his lips.

Only three minutes had passed.

I recommend you make more than 12 of these to avoid a similar situation - or hire a waiter with strict portion control who will hold the tray out of reach of small people with refined palates. They're really good. Worth the effort.

Nyom Nyom Canapes (makes 12)

Squash Paste

Make one quantity of the squash pizza topping from this recipe. You will need just half for the canapes. Add 1/2-1 tsp of sweet smoked paprika to the mixture and set aside.

Serrano Ham Crisps

Use 3-4 slices of Serrano or Parma ham. Cut into 12 roughly square pieces and eat the scraps (chefs perk). Lay these on a baking paper lined tray and bake for 10-15 mins at 200C. They will curl up a little and turn the reddish brown colour of a violin. You will have to judge when they are ready - thinner ham will take less time. They'll crisp up some on cooling but if they're not crisp enough when cool, just pop them back in for another 5 minutes. cool on kitchen paper.

Soft Boiled Quail Eggs

Put 3cm of water in a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Lower in 7 or 8 eggs (to allow for breakages) and bring back to the boil. Boil for 1 minute exactly and take off the heat. Stand for 1 minute 15 seconds and then pour off the water and cover with cold. Pour off again and cover with cold. Leave to stand in the water until completely cool. If you aren't sure you have the dexterity to handle runny yolks then boil the eggs for an extra 30 seconds and follow the same procedure for the rest.

To shell the eggs, tap them very carefully all over on a hard surface and remove the egg shell with your fingernails in tiny pieces. Dip the egg into cold water as you go to make this easier. Set the peeled eggs aside.

Assemble the canapes not more than 15 minutes before you plan to eat them or the crisp will go soggy. To do this, put the squash filling into a piping bag and pipe a thick ruched ribbon of paste down the centre of each crisp - or form a quenelle between two teaspoons and place this on the crisp. Then, with a surgeon's speed and precision, slice an egg in half and quickly transfer each half to the centre of a crisp with paste on - yolk side up. Nestle it in a little to ensure the yolk doesn't pour out. Repeat until all eggs are used.

Garnish with a couple of short chive pieces stuck into the egg yolk and pushed down just enough to hold, but not enough to puncture the egg white and spill the yolk.

Get ready to hear, nyom, nyom, nyom.......

This my entry for this month's Go Ahead Honey it's Gluten Free. To enter yourself, just make some gluten free canapes - as simple or complex as you like, blog about them, include a link to this blog and send me a link to your page by the 25th April. You don't have to write up the recipe, but a picture and something about how they taste would be great. I'll post the round up at the end of April.

Gluten Free Canapes - Go Ahead Honey it's Gluten Free (April)

With Easter fast approaching, eggs to paint and canapes to invent for this month's Go Ahead Honey it's Gluten Free!, I thought I'd kill two birds with one stone and make some canapes that involve eggs. But most eggs are really rather too large to fit into your mouth in one bite, and chopped egg just isn't refined enough for a canape. The egg of choice for those seeking something tiny enough to sit on something the size of a ritz biscuit is laid by a quail and comes in the most beautiful speckled shell, biscuit tan with chocolate spots and a pale, luminescent blue inside.

Finley had an easter egg painting competition to enter and had the idea to paint eggs of different sizes to resemble Russian Babushka Dolls. I myself painted these ones below after my sister sent me a blank set for Christmas.

Fin watched me apply the different layers whenever I had a few free minutes, spots and flowers, hands, eyes, aprons and round red mouths. Marveling at the transformation each day he returned from school. When the time came to paint his own eggs he refined the elements to scarf, face and hands - my favourite is the tiny quail's egg baby with the wonky expression. We hung them proudly in the bird tree (temporarily the easter tree).

I set to thinking about my canapes and how I would get that combination of crisp, soft, flavoursome and gorgeous without involving, grain, sugar or tomatoes. I wrote a list up on the wipe board and tried to imagine how each one would taste. 

Would I make mini pea blinis with french cream and carrot crisps? A parmesan cheese basket with avocado and a quail's egg? A crisp cheese cracker with caramelised onion, wild garlic and a cool swirl of hung yogurt? My mouth tasted the words and textures for days as I thought through the endless possibilities. I guess I could have made them all but I had my quail's eggs and I was determined to use them. I decided to make Serrano ham crisps with a smokey, squash and red onion paste topped with a soft boiled quail's egg half and a couple of chives for that allium kick.

Tomorrow I'll tell you how I did it and how they tasted. I hope you'll join me by making some canapes of your own. The submission deadline is April 25th and I will post the round up at the end of the month. They don't have to be fancy, just small!

x x x

Seven Things I love

Natalie of Le Petit Oiseau tagged me with a meme/award combo, The Kreativ Blogger Award. As she is one of my very favourite people, I was delighted to accept the award and determined to get round to the meme.

It's simple really, just list seven things you love, in no particular order and then tag seven others to do the same. My only problem was narrowing the list down to seven. In the end I just wrote what came to me and told all my other favourite things that I loved them just as much. Here they are in no particular order:

1: Making Nick's morning coffee just the way he likes it, at the perfect moment to hand him a fragrant cup as he pushes open the kitchen door, still rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

2: Imagining how some newly invented dish will taste and finding that it really does, it does hurrah!

3: Meeting a cat in the street and bumping foreheads (it's a trust thing) and purring, I love the sound of purring.

4: The sherbet and muscat scent of a ripe quince.

5: Seeing the spark of hope come into a patient's eyes, watching their burden shift and lighten, helping their body work it's own magic.

6: Turning on the fairy lights strung in the bird tree and drawing the curtains for the evening, knowing that any moment now Nick will kiss Finley goodnight for the last time, close the story book and pad downstairs - all mine for another night.

7: Finley sleeping, limbs tossed about, duvet half way to the floor, peace written across his gorgeous rosy cheeks.

I nominate the following inspirational and creative types to receive the award and write a meme about seven things they love:

Melissa of Gluten Free for Good

Beatnik of Beatnik Bazaar

Kelly of The Spunky Coconut

Claudia at Cook Eat Fret

Emilia at Gluten Free Day

Heather at Life Gluten Free

Kate at I Love You Big

Pizza, Low Salicylate and SCD legal!

Pizza is one of those easy classics beloved of nearly everyone. Back in the days when I was (damaging my gut by...) eating wheat it was a real treat to buy a ready-made pizza on my way home from work, to toss carelessly into the oven while I mixed myself a well earned rose martini. Something about that combination of crisp bread, melted cheese and sweet, concentrated tomatoes, oozing with umami goes right to the very soul of anyone with a functioning set of taste buds.


When I gave up wheat there was a period of frenzied experimentation with pizzas made from dark, malty teff and light, chewy sorghum - adding a little millet or maize flour for crunch and a spoonful of arrowroot for a light as air, thin and crispy base. All deliciously good, but as you will no doubt realise from my current diet - not good for me.


Post flourgate (that scandal involving me, grains and digestive disorder) pizza seemed like one of those foods that I would always think of wistfully, but do without for the greater good. Not so! I found that I could make the base of my pizza with almond flour and even ring the changes between thin and crispy and fluffy deep crust just by beating my egg whites. No mozzarella allowed because of the lactose content, but I always preferred cheddar or Parmesan anyway.


Yet there was still the tricky question of what to do for Fin? Fin's low salicylate diet excludes most traditional pizza toppings - no tomato, peppers, olives, aubergine or spicy salami - all the piquant counterpoints to cheese and bread that form the perfect golden section that is pizza.


Much head scratching ensued and I was put in mind of a time when I laughed (politely behind my hand) at Craig Sams nightshade free ketchup, 'Nomato' when he told me about it on Hastings beach. Back home as we licked the sea salt from our lips, we chuckled about Nomato, declaring it to be the very apotheosis of bourgeois food faddism. Oh how I'm eating my words now Craig, humble pie is in the post.


What I came up with is a paste made from roasted butternut squash and red onions, spiked with fresh lemon juice to give it the required bite. It's delicious - I could eat it by the spoonful. It's definitely not tomato, but it is sweet, sharp, richly thick and fruity enough to do the job. I may even prefer it, always having been a sucker for caramelised onions.


The base is a cinch - you can even prepare them in advance and freeze for those times when you'd rather call up a take away than peel another damn carrot (only you can't eat take-out because they don't come grain free, sugar free, potato and milk free). Then all you have to do is smear on a tasty topping and grate some cheese, stick it in the oven for ten minutes and lie on the kitchen floor until it's ready.


I also use home made pesto with a little Parmesan grated over (another low salicylate option) or Turkish red pepper paste which I buy in my local green grocers (not remotely low in salicylates). Anything garlicky, fragrant or piquant will work here, this is just a springboard for your imagination.


If you have a small person who longs for pizza but can't eat tomatoes, grains or mozzarella then make a batch of these pizzas. You can let them assemble their own or just present a surprise tray full of slices ready to be delivered just a bit too hot to the mouth. I guarantee you will be fighting over who eats the last slice!


Low Salicylate, Grain Free Pizzas (makes two cookie sheets of pizza, feeds 3-4)

Pizza Bases

3 large free range eggs
3 tbsp yogurt
1 tbsp vegetable oil/melted butter or goosefat
1/2 tsp bicarb
1/2 tsp sea salt
6oz ground almonds (or to make this geniunely low salicylate, ground cashews, or hazels)
1 tsp vinegar

Preheat the oven to 180C and line two cookie sheets with non stick baking parchment - or make this up with other flat trays. You could also use silpats, well oiled trays or non stick ones.

Whisk the first five ingredients together in a bowl until frothy and starting to thicken slightly (if you want a fluffier base then you can separate the eggs and beat the whites, folding them in at the end).

Beat in the ground nuts and vinegar and spread onto the baking parchment in an even, thin layer about 1/2 cm thick. It will be like thick batter, not dough.

Bake for 5 minutes until just firm but not coloured. leave the trays to cool a little before spreading your chosen toppings on and re-baking until the edge of the pizza base is golden brown and the cheese melted. Voila!

'Nomato' Red Onion and Squash Pizza Topping (makes enough to cover both bases and some extra).

Ideally make this before the bases.

1 medium butternut squash
2 red onions
juice of 1/2 to 1 lemon
olive oil/pepper/sea salt to taste

Preheat oven to 200C

Peel, de-seed and chop squash into small dice. Place in a mixing bowl.

Peel and chop onion into rings and put in the bowl with a slosh of olive oil, a few grinds of black pepper and large pinch of sea salt. Smoosh about to coat everything and tip onto a large flat baking tray.

Roast for about 25-30 minutes stirring occasionally, until squash is soft and onions are starting to crisp around the edges.

Tip into a food processor and whizz to a paste with the juice of half a lemon. Taste and decide if you need to add the rest of the lemon - it needs to balance the sweetness of squash and onion. Spread on your pizza, top with cheese and bake again.

A note about olives for those on a low salicylate diet - they are high in salicylates so avoid if you are very sensitive, but I figure that a few are ok every now and then providing the rest of your diet is low in salicylates.