Beef Marinade #1 - Balsamic and Soy

photo from here

I found this recipe here and tried it on some rump steak. It was really yummy.

This is my version:

3 shallots, finely chopped

3 Tbsp GF soy sauce

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

4 tsp (or you can get away with less) fresh thyme (or 1 tsp dried)

1 clove garlic, crushed

1/2 tsp cracked black pepper

Combine ingredients in a bowl/jug and then use it to marinate the meat. According to the website, 30mins should do tender cuts or 3-24 hours for tougher cuts.

We have thyme and shallots in our vegie patch - gotta love fresh herbs!

Chicken Marinade #3 - Honey Soy

Honey Soy Chicken Marinade

30ml GF soy sauce
decent squeeze honey (maybe about a tablespoon)

Mix together and combine with chicken. Leave for about an hour and then cook.
So simple yet so delicious.

San Choy Bow

I made my own version of this recipe from the 'all recipes' website. Here's what I made:
This served 2 adults and 2 young children (but we were left wanting more - so I'd double it for 4 adults or older children)

25ml gf soy sauce
20ml Chinese rice wine
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp Chinese 5 spice powder
10ml rice bran oil
250g pork mince
1 tsp each ginger and garlic, minced
3/4 cup cooked rice vermicelli, chopped
3 button mushrooms. diced
1-2 shallots, finely sliced
100g water chestnuts, rinsed and chopped (water chestnuts are a grass not a nut)
6 iceberg lettuce cups
1 tsp sesame seeds, toasted (optional)

Combine soy, rice wine, sesame oil and five spice in a bowl
Heat oil in wok, add the mince and brown well
Add ginger, garlic, shallots and vegetables and stir fry 2-3 minutes
Add vermicelli, mix and then soy mixture and stir until heated through.
Spoon into lettuce cups, 2 per person and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Extra thoughts:
I think you could add finely diced red capsicum to make this dish more colourful and vege-ful, plus you could probably substitute finely diced celery for the water chestnuts, but it would need to be cooked more. The flavour tasted a lot of the vinegar so if you wanted it more salty, change the ratio. You can also do half pork mince, half chicken mince.

Autumn Spicy Rice

This is a Donna Hay recipe that my sister-in-law introduced us too. So yummy. You can get less spicy Chorizo sausage reasonably easily if the kids aren't keen on spice.

Serves 4-6 - it makes a lot!

1 tbs olive oil
1 red onion, sliced (but you can use any type of onion)
2-3 chorizo sausages, sliced (ensure GF - usually are)
200g butternut pumpkin, peeled and chopped
1/2 tsp chilli flakes (less if you prefer)
2 cups long grain rice
3 cups chicken stock
2 zucchinis, thinly sliced
Rocket to serve (optional)

Heat a deep fry pan over a medium heat. Add the oil, onion, chorizo, pumpkin and chilli and cook for 2-3 minutes or until onions are soft.
Add the rice and cook, stirring for 1 minute. Add the stock and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low, cover with a tight-fitting lid and cook for 15 minutes.
Stir through the zucchini and allow to stand for 2 minutes. Top with rocket to serve.

Margarine

I have been using Nuttelex for my daughter's replacement margarine since the beginning. While I was at the supermarket the other day I spotted Meadow Lea has a Dairy-free spread as well, and it was on special! As much as I appreciate Nuttelex providing for us for so long, I also really appreciate saving money where I can, so I think I'll be going with Meadow Lea while it's cheaper. The only thing to be cautious of is that it is much more easily confused with a normal Meadow Lea so you have to be extra careful to avoid accidentally contaminating it! I have written my daughter's name on top as an extra visual cue.

Popcorn

I make popcorn the old-fashioned way - in a pot on the stove. I saw it being done a number of years ago and ate the results and I was a convert! Now that my daughter is old enough to cope with it, I now make it about once a week as part of afternoon tea. It's very easy. I think the hardest bit is to take it off at the right time so that nothing burns onto the pot - then it is hard work!

Choose your saucepan with a lid - small to serve 2-3 as a snack
Add enough oil to thinly coat the base (I use rice bran due to it's high smoking point)
Add a little salt (1/4 teaspoon I think)
Add enough popcorn kernels to cover 2/3 saucepan base when oil is hot (a kernel will sizzle a little when you put it in). Put lid on immediately.
As the kernels start popping, give the saucepan a little shake over the heat (sideways, not up and down!) and do that intermittently as the popcorn continues popping.
Once the popping slows to less than 1 pop per 2 sec, get it off the heat and out of the pot asap.
Be careful not to burn yourself.
No need to add more salt, they should be tasty already.

Dairy Free Adventures

I found this blog - Dairy Free Adventures - a while ago and there are some nice looking recipes on there. She tends to blog a few times a month but it is worth a peruse for some inspiration.

Cheezly

I have seen this product mentioned on websites but never found a place that sells it, until I went to Choices Bakery and saw it in the fridge (it comes in a roll). Having had other soy cheeses without success, I thought I'd give this one a go, given its claims to being yummy and able to melt. I always feel my daughter is missing out on the true pizza experience when I put her pizza in the oven without cheese!

We tried it and it didn't quite melt as you would expect normal cheese to melt, but it did it better than the other ones I've tried. It also tasted reasonably cheesy and my daughter actually ate it all compared to the absolute 'No' we got with the others. I don't know if she'd like it without it going in the oven but we'll try it soon. It's a pity it's supposed to be used within 5 days of opening - we won't get through it.

Choices Gluten and Wheat Free Bakery

photo from here

Hello again.

A friend told me about this store and I finally had some time to go and visit. It's simple and small but it has a great range or foods that are mainly gluten & wheat free but many are dairy and egg free as well. They have 4 locations around Sydney - Turramurra, Bella Vista, Mona Vale and Bondi Junction.

They specialise in breads, pastries, pies and cakes but have other things as well. You can check out their website here and I realised that they deliver all over Sydney and delivery is free if you spend over $40. It's not hard to spend $40 because it is expensive, but having tried it with my daughter and seen how she eats it really well has encouraged me to go back. We have tried the fruit loaf (smells fabulous and my 3 yr old eats the crusts she won't eat!), hamburger buns and par-baked buns. They are all able to go in the freezer which makes bulk-buying a great idea. I just placed an order for the fruit loaf (2 of them!), and buns as well as a banana loaf pre-mix and noticed that they have started selling Christmas items so I have ordered some mince tarts to keep in the freezer. And it's nice to know I don't have to do the drive out to Bella Vista again unless I want to!

Sick

Apologies for the lack of posts this past week. I have a sore throat that is taking a long time to go, despite antibiotics and time. So blogging hasn't been on the priority list.
I will get back to it soon, God willing.