It's pasta but not as you know it!

I am writing to you today with jelly legs! In our wisdom, Dale and I decided to join the gym!!  We have just returned from our second fat busting session and I am feeling slightly weak at the knees and a little pathetic! However, on the flip side it's been a loooong time since my stomach has felt "normal enough" to take on a session at the gym so... long may it continue!

Anyway, enough fitness...on with the food!!

I luuuurve presents and I luuuuuurve food so when my lovely friend presented me with this to try....

....I couldn't wait to give it a go! Organic Mung Bean Fettuccine bought in Wholefoods I believe. I would be lying if I said Dale shared my enthusiasm for mung bean pasta, infact it took a few months of coaxing to finally get him to rustle this up!

The "pasta" held together well and didn't go sticky! I thought it had a mild, pleasant taste and with the sauce could easily be mistaken for regular pasta. Dale on the other hand would give you a different review! Nevertheless, I am sure if he hadn't know it was made of mung beans he probably would have been none the wiser!

Yesterday, my friend and I had a theatre day out in London! (Wooohooooo for Wicked!!). We decided on "Eat" for lunch. I must say I found the GF selection rather disappointing. Two salads that would have been ok but both had cold potatoes in so that ruled them out for me. The only other choice I could find was the mushroom soup. No other hot choice that I could see and no GF sandwich option! Quite surprising as so many chains are offering GF sarnies these days! Anyway, I went with the only option of mushroom and water chestnut soup.

Steaming hot and full of flavour, pretty impressed. Just a shame there weren't more options!

Dinner was at Hush at Holborn (http://www.hushbrasseries.com). As we were on a pre theatre offer our set menu was quite limited! The waitress was really helpful and reassuringly knowledgeable about what would be suitable for me. I opted for Caesar salad (no croutons) with poached egg and bacon to start.

Once I got over the shock of the poached egg being cold, I really enjoyed it. It was actually quite filling but don't worry I forced down a main course too!!!

Cod with bearnaise sauce a green beans (the fries are coated in flour so were not suitable).

It was all really lovely and cooked beautifully. It may have been a limited choice but I certainly didn't feel short changed. I look forward to returning to Hush and maybe sampling something from their "non pre theatre" menu in the future!

Enough savoury! Here are a few sweet treats to keep you going! 

Dale found these posh new Taste the Differene lollies in Sainsburys last week. He came back with pink lemonade flavour (which I opted for) and a mojito style flavour!

I really enjoyed! You can't go wrong with an ice lolly can you but this was a different a sort of "grown up" lolly! I pinched a bit of Dale's mojito one too and that was also pretty good! Think they may become freezer favourites!

Mum surprised me with this today!

She's getting a good eye for this GF lark! Maybe she's in training for our trip next week to the Allergy and Free Show! Food Heaven you are fab! We all love your cheesecake and often have one for pudding after Sunday dinner! This ice creamy / sorbety dessert is (as the name suggest) delicious! Gluten, dairy, egg and nut free...it's fab and tastes every bit as creamy as ice cream! Again, as the name suggests, it's Food Heaven!

Well, assuming I don't seize up completely or just loose complete control of all my limbs,I will see you again next week! Have a good one everyone! (Lizprice79)

 

Jumping on the Bandwagon!

Something I have learned about myself since starting on my GF adventure is that I don't like to be left out! If there is a new GF item, restaurant or menu around I've gotta be there.....jumping right on the GF bandwagon! Bearing that in mind, you will understand my need to go along and sample the new GF TGI Friday's menu! TGI's sent a blanket Tweet in the week announcing news of the new menu and being the advertisers dream that I am, I was booking my table before you could say "GF Sucker"!

The menu looked good. Dairy Free on one side, Gluten Free on the other....don't get them muddled up or else you'll be in a whole heap of trouble!

I ordered the chicken burger purely to try the bun. I even went all out and ordered the fries even though I have weired issues with potatoes! (Perfect opportunity to see if I can tolerate frozen potato again). 

All in all pretty impressed! The burger bun held together really well. It had a strangely springy consistency  but it wasn't unpleasant. I'm not sure that it would have been great on its own but as it wasn't meant to be eaten on its own I guess that's not a prob! Definitely fit for purpose! (Oh, and for anyone following the potato saga, I still had stomach ache PAH!) 

Comtinuning with the new Ilumi dinners I gave the Coq au Vin a try this week

I think it's safe to say I have a new favourite! Delicious and sooooo filling! I was stuffed *mental note less rice next time! Ilumi suggested I might want to "Dale Proof" my Ilumi cupboard by putting a lock on the door! As tempting as that suggestion was I have decided to play fair and share! Dale is happy taking his meals to work and I'm happy cos the quicker I get through my stash the quicker I can re order and make the most of the latest special offer! Mwah ha ha ha.....cunning plan laugh!!

Also, bigging  Ilumi up for one more time this week (are you feeling the luuuurve?!) we gave the Sweet Soy and Ginger stir fry sauce a whirl in a pork stir fry! 

They sauce was tangy with a little warmth behind it but not overpowering! Another score for Ilumi! It was made even more delicious by Blue Dragon prawn crackers!!

Well, it's quite comfy on that GF bandwagon of mine. Good job cos I'm jumping on again with M&S GF crumpets! Ahhhhh crumpets, something so soothing about them right!? Well before you look at the photo I have to confess something....I'm a Dairylea fan!! Ok, I've said it, prepare for photo of overloaded crumpets....

Mmmmmmmm! I was one very happy crumpet eater! Good texture with a bit of bite....necessary in a crumpet I feel! The only thing I kinda missed was the oooooozing into the crumpet! If my memory serves me right I'm sure chosen crumpet topping used to melt and ooooze down into the holes, deepinside  the crumpet. There were no holes deep inside and very little oooozing....

But that said, I would definitely buy again! Well done M&S, you rock!

In a bid to support my World Cup Sweep Stake Team I decided to opt for Colombian Empanadas for my lunch at Camden Market yesterday. Colombia......I hope you appreciate my support!! Maize Blaze (@maizeblaze) I certainly appreciated my chicken empanada

I also appreciated the clear signage on your stall stating everything is Gluten Free! Go Colombia!!!! My empanada was great and I loved the plantain crisps!

Did someone say Camden Market?! You can't go to Camden without visiting Cookies and Scream...it'd just be rude not to!!

If you don't know what I'm talking about you haven't lived!! Get yourself down there right now! Vegan and GF cookies, cakes, doughnuts, milkshakes and ice creams!! It doesn't get much better, In fact I'm not sure why I'm not still there now! Look how happy I look....

Yep, ice cream sandwich wth 2 choc chip cookies!! Oh my! Did I feel sick after.... Did I ever! Was it worth it?! Yes, oh yes!! It tasted every bit as dreamy as it looks. The only problem is looking at his pic is making me want another! It is doubly good as it is right opposite Honest Burgers (also great for GF). So while I was munching through my ice cream Dale was drooling at the open kitchen as they prepped the lunchtime burgers! Kept him quiet lol!

Well, from the lofty heights of the GF bandwagon I wish you a happy week! X (lizprice79)

Cheat week!

This week has been cheat week! Dale has either worked late or been unwell (how dare he!!) which has resulted in me eating whatever I can find that can be reheated in the oven or blitzed in the microwave! Shocking, I know but old habits die hard! Also, in the name of blogging it was great to try some new things.... Good excuse eh? So here goes!

Cheat week got off to a good start with a trip to Byron Burger last weekend. Now whether this visit was a success of not will depend on whether you ask Dale or me! 

Pro's according to Dale- one of the best burgers (like, ever!!), burger cooked to a "perfect" medium rare, good onion rings and "the best choice of craft beer not in a craft beer shop that you will find"!

Con's according to Liz - not a huge GF choice, no GF buns, had to have "skinny" option ie with salad not fries (kinda wanted the fatty option but didn't have the choice), after being forced into having the salad it could have been a slightly more exciting salad, my "well done" burger was so well done it was like cardboard!

I was a little disappointed whereas Dale raved about his experience! From a GF point of view I think Byron need to up their game. After all, GBK have got GF burgers and buns on a GF menu and Honest Burgers are nearly entirely GF (including fries, veggie burger and onion rings!!). If I have a burger craving again, I probably won't be returning to Byron. On the other hand I reckon Dale would be there I a flash!

Thank goodness for my well stocked Ilumi cupboard cos boy did I need it this week! Nevertheless, it gave me a good chance to try some of the new dishes I ordered! 

Northern Style Chicken and Mushroom with Tilda Wholegrain Rice

I liked this. It packed a bit more of a punch than I was expecting but it was tasty. I think I need to take more care over looking at the "hot scale" when I do my next order!

Basil and Garlic Chicken Meatballs in Tomato Sauce with a mixture of different GF pasta!

So far this has been my favourite of the new meals. Packed with flavour and really filling. This will definitely be on my re ordering list!

Venison Casserole with Pancetta and Sloe Gin

 

This was a bit of a gamble for me beause I'm not a huge venison fan. However, I was pleasantly surprised. The meat was really tender and it tasted great. Dale even commented on how lovey it smelled while it was cooking!

Dale seems to have got in on the Ilumi act! Serves me right for shouting about them for so long! I've noticed him rummaging through my stash and merrily munching his way through some of my curries! Ilumi, you will be pleased to know you have a new non GF convert! Between muches were comments along the lines of "mmmmm, really impressed" and " I might start taking some of these to work with me"!!! Looks like I'm going to have to share my special cupboard PAH! (www.ilumiworld.com)

On with the cheats....

I was interested to read a good review about Sainsburys Free From Chicken Steaks soooooo not wanting to miss out I had a try...

I real kiddie dinner eh?! BUT I really, really enjoyed it lol! The chicken steaks are great! I love the Sainsburys Free From chicken nuggets so these were much the same but on a larger scale. Think they may become a firm freezer favourite!

On the kiddie theme.....it had to be done...

Young's (Free From wheat and gluten) fish fingers. The irony is I never liked fish fingers as a child! They clearly appeal to my more refined palette?! I really enjoyed these too, chucked on some ketchup combined with my sweet potato and carrots et voila! (thank goodness for the Tefal Actifry otherwise I would have actually needed to get a saucepan out!?!)

So, there ends cheat week! Normality will return and I will wave good bye to my breaded meals for five year olds....well for the time being anyway!!

Have a great week everyone x (@lizprice79)

Noche Mexicana

Last weekend Mum and Dad came over for Mexican night. The pork had been marinated in a selection of herbs and spices, it was then tenderly rubbed and massaged in a way Champney's would've been proud of! It merrily sat cooking in the slow cooker for approx 10 hours until it passed Dale's inspection and was finally served with The Cool Chile Company's GF tortillas! Mexican pulled pork tortillas with salsa and home made avocado hummus!

As we all became slowly stuffed (and still with enough pulled pork to feed the entire street) my moment finally arrived! Oh yes, Dale may have slaved away, attending to the main course for approx 24 hours but here comes my all important, Masterchef standard, crowning glory....yep, I was in charge of pudding and here it comes.....

Oh come on, you're pretty impressed right?! Homemade frozen yogurt lollies with blueberries....you got the HOMEMADE bit yeah?! I mixed the GF plain yogurt, with a splash of milk and a shed load of frozen blueberries all my myself woop woop! I actually followed the recipe from A Girl Called Jack's cookbook (@MsJackMonroe). All joking aside they actually slipped down quite well and helped to extinguish the mild burning in our mouths after the Mexican pork!

The other week Dale came home with Feel Free's choc chip cookie mix. Knowing that a packet mix was just about within my culinary limits I claimed the kitchen as my own and set about work. Easy peasey to follow instructions. You've got to wait an hour to chill before baking which nearly led to me having a toddler style strop, cos when I want warm cookies I WANT THEM NOW!! Nevertheless, I managed to contain my excitement and waited patiently for the cookies to be ready!

Guess which cookie Dale meddled with?! Ok, that man can cook but his presentation sucks at times! The cookies were fab! Very chocolately, good crunch and loved the chunks of chocolate! Need to investigate this company a bit more to see what else they do! Watch this space......

A few months back I felt quite smug. I had fully stocked my "Ilumi Cupboard" making the most of all the offers they had been emailing (http://www.ilumiworld.com). I was set up for my nights home alone with the microwave when Dale had to work. However, the smug smile was wiped off my face when Ilumi began introducing a new dish every week! Suddenly, I was no longer satisfied with my cupboard full of old favourites, I wanted to be in on the act, enjoying all of the new dishes! Anyway, I finally made a dent in my stash and quickly ordered a shed load of new dishes! Expect a lot of "Ilumi Love" themed blogs over the next few weeks! Here's two dishes to kick off the luuuuurve..

Geng Gari Curry with Butternut Squash and Basil served with Tilda Coconut Basmati rice. This was doubly delicious as I don't often get to eat veggie due to Dale's carnivorous ways. Really tasty, loved the mild coconutty flavour in the background. Big fan of anything with butternut squash, only thing was it has gone a bit mushy in the sauce and I would have liked it a bit more chunky! To be fair, I probably overdid it in the micro!

Beef in Black Bean Sauce with Roasted Vegetable Wholegrain Tilda rice. Nice, enjoyed it but not one of my faves. Not a huge water chestnut fan and had a bit more of a kick than I bargained for! Nothing terribly wrong, just down to personal taste I guess!

I'm also wading my way through the selection of King Soba noodles that they were kind enough to send me to review. This week we gave these a go

I always enjoy King Soba noodles amd these were no exception. Cooked well, good taste and held together without being gloopy!

(Remember what I said about Dale's presentation?! Lol!) Guess who doesn't like baby corn in our house!!

Well, that's all from me this week. Have a good week everyone and enjoy that sunshine x (@lizprice79)

Report Relief

So, this week saw my jubilation at the arrival of Half Term which was quickly followed by the "down in the dumps" depression of report writing.....the bain of every teachers life! So, to get through the monotony of the "has made great progress" and the "is making steps to improve" a certain amount of comfort eating and sneaky snacking was needed to survive! 

The report writing got off to a good start when I tried classic diversion tactics.....write some more or bake....write some more or....BAKE!

I returned to my faithful Intolerant Gourmet blog and had a crack at her Chickpea Loaf (http://www.theintolerantgourmet.com/journal/category/biscuits-breads?currentPage=6)

I am such a fan of The Intolerant Gourmet, her recipe's are easy to follow and use "normal" ingredients that you already have at home. We love her Sweet Potato Rolls which regularly make an appearance in our house. So I confidently chucked all the ingredients in and in my usual baking style.....hoped for the best!

Easy to follow recipe, didn't take long to bake but I have to say I wasn't a huge fan of the flavour. Nevertheless, it was the perfect accompaniment to my Yorkshire Provender soup!

 

I was given a "heads up" about Yorkshire Provender by a friend at work. It clearly states Gluten Free on the front of the pot and the Tomato, Red Pepper and Wensleydale Cheese was delicious!  And, as you can see from the photo it was a bargain too! (Thank you Waitrose!)

Finally I had to face the inevitable and crack on with some work! It was made bearable by the occasional munching on

Yep, you read it right! Crispy bacon and maple syrup?!! An interesting flavour combination, I must admit! Not unpleasant but not sure I loved it either!! Mind you, that didn't stop me munching my way through the bag! Thank goodness reports are paperless now, at least I can wipe the sticky fingerprints off my ipad ha ha!

I finally got round to sampling the chocolate Genius cupcakes! They have sat, quietly calling out to me from the kitchen cupboard for the last fortnight! Unfortunately, my willpower was at it lowest point and I have to say I gave in to the whispering! I did, however, share my cupcakes with Dale. 

They got the gluten eater (and the GF eater's) seal of approval! High praise indeed! He has even been spotted recommending them to Free From customers in Sainsbury's!

Mum and I had a little trip out mid week....it's important to take regular breaks right?! We decided to give the new Marks and Sepencer Food a try on the A10 in Enfield. I was pleasantly surprised that there was a sweet and savoury option in the cafe

Mum and I both had the GF cheese poughmans sandwich and we shared the GF chocolate brownie. We were both really impressed. The sandwich was well filled (something I know has been lacking in other recently produced GF sandwich shops) and the bread held together well. Mum was surprised at how "normal" the bread tasted! The brownie was every bit as gooey and chocolately as you would expect! Regular readers will know I am a huge M&S fan, they are doing a great job with their GF lines. The only thing I would say is that it would have been nice to have a bit of choice.....loved what I had but being able to choose between two or three items would be a huge luxury! (Which is what M&S is about isn't it?!)

Soooo back to the question of report writing or baking.....report writing or.......BAKING!!

Back to The Intolerant Gourmet I went and this time I had a go at the Homey Banana Bread (http://www.theintolerantgourmet.com/journal/tag/bananas)

Again, easy to follow recipe (I replaced honey with agave syrup just because that's what I had in the cupboard...but it worked out fine!). Really pleased with this! I took advice from the website and enjoyed it warm from the oven and have even had it toasted with butter...delicious!

Finally, to end the week and to celebrate the completion of my reports (yes, I actually found time to finish them in amongst all the eating!). Dale and I went with some friends to Miller and Carter  Steakhouse in Epping (http://www.millerandcarter.co.uk/millerandcartereppingforest/)

I was impressed to discover that they had a GF menu. This was news to me as they hadn't replied to my email enquiring about allergy menu's etc. However, I was a little disappointed to see there was no steak on the GF menu. Call me old fashioned but when dining at a steakhouse, I kinda expected some steak! Anyway, this story ends happily! After chatting to our waiter (who was more than happy to check everything I needed) it turned out that the steaks are grilled on a griddle with other gluten filled food. Nevertheless, the chef would be happy to pan fry me a steak separately! Great! Just a shame they don't tell you that on the GF menu! Anyway, all my veggie readers look away now...

I felt a bit like I was on the Atkins with my huge hunk of steak and veg! My Rib Eye was delicious and cooked exactly as I like, despite being pan fried. I'm not a huge steak fan but I would definitely go back to Miller and Carter for their hunky steak (and  their ever so slightly hunky waiters....sorry Dale!)

Sooooo back to work this week and it's school trip week!!!! (Forty 4 and 5 year olds at the farm!!) I have a feeling the comfort eating might not have stopped just yet!! Have a good week everyone! (@lizprice79)