Category Archives: Lunch Recipes

[Recipe] Healthy Lemon Flavoured Quinoa

Ah Quinoa - which before I knew how to pronounce it, called it Quin-noa! (FYI it’s pronounced ‘keen-nwa’), It’s such a super healthy grain. Totally gluten free, full of benefits and is bursting with protein and vitamins! It’s no wonder it’s hailed a super food and for those who are sticking to a healthy diet have replaced rice with this funny sounding grain!

Now I’m always wanting to embark on a healthy eating regime but I do so well for a few days then stuff my face with the delightful bad stuff like… pizza, pasta, take away (all gluten free of course) but since I’m due to go on holiday to Florida in a couple of weeks, I was worried I’d look like Shamu the killer whale and get harpooned out of the pool! [fun fact: I’m actually terrified of Whales!]

For the first time ever, I have introduced Quinoa to my diet and I absolutely love it! I’ve had it alongside my curry and with my salads in the evening. Although some people may argue that it’s actually quite boring and tasteless, I have started to cook with a little hint of lemon, which makes it perfect for summer!

So if you fancy trying Quinoa, then here is my super easy recipe for Lemon Flavoured Quinoa

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup of dried Quinoa
  • 2 cups of Boiling Water
  • Pinch of Salt
  • 1/2 Lemon

 

Method:

  1. Measure out your dried Quinoa 
  2. Rinse the dried Quinoa in a sieve under cold water. Make sure you do this as the Quinoa can taste quite bitter 
  3. Add the 2 cups of Boiling Water and bring to the boil 
  4. Add the salt and reduce the heat until the water simmers. Continue to simmer until all the water has absorbed 
  5. Carefully pour the cooked Quinoa into a bowl, squeeze the 1/2 lemon into the Quinoa and mix to combine 

 

 

 

 

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[Recipe] Tomato and Grilled Halloumi Bruschetta

Well, I was planning on blogging more  but I have had a very hectic couple of weeks! I’ve ended up moving house, moving job and being poorly (story of my life!). My endometriosis is still causing me problems. I’m still having to take super strong ‘zombie-fying’ painkillers and on Tuesday I was admitted to hospital and given loads of morphine - which helped but is the reason why I haven’t blogged as often as I liked!

Anyway, since we have had a wash out start to the bank holiday weekend, today we finally got a little ray of sunshine which inspired me to have a fresh and healthy lunch. I’ve always loved bruschetta and if I could, I would have it every day! But today I wanted to shake things up a little bit and introduce some grilled halloumi to the party- which unsurprisingly turned out pretty delicious!


Ingredients:

  • Halloumi Cheese
  • Handful of Tomatoes
  • 1 Clove of Garlic
  • 2 slices of Gluten Free Bread (I used Genius Brown Bread)
  • Olive Oil
  • Pinch of Salt
  • 1 Spring Onion (optional)

Method:

  1. Put a tablespoon of Olive Oil into a grill pan or frying pan and put it on medium heat 
  2. Slice the Halloumi Cheese into 4 thin slices about 1cm thick 
  3. When the Oil is hot, place the Halloumi Cheese into the pan 
  4. Whilst the Halloumi is grilling, place the bread into the toaster and chop your tomatoes and sprinkle with some salt 
  5. Finely chop the stems of a Spring Onion and mix with the tomatoes 
  6. Once Halloumi has gone ‘golden’ underneath, flip over and fry the other side 
  7. Peel the Garlic, rub on the toasted Gluten Free Bread and drizzle Olive Oil onto the Bread. 
  8. Place Grilled Halloumi onto the Bread 
  9. Pour Tomatoes and chopped Spring Onion on top of the Grilled Halloumi 
  10. Enjoy! 

 

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Gluten Free, Dairy Free & Egg Free Boxty Recipe

HAPPY SAINT PADDY’S DAY! 

 

One of my many zillion wishes is to actually spend St Paddy’s Day in Ireland for once in my life! I absolutely love Ireland and I actually went for the first time a year and a bit ago to meet Mikes Irish side of the family in Newcastle, County Down. It was such a lovely little break away and Mikes family were so lovely and made me feel right at home! I remember turning up at his nan’s house [where we were staying] and she had already stocked up on gluten free bread for me which was so sweet of her! I can’t wait to go back again this year to see them all again!

Anyhow,  this week I took the  opportunity to try and look for some good old fashioned Irish ‘delicacies’ and of course,  make them gluten free! So going on a good ol’ gander on Google, I stumbled across the Boxty. A Boxty is basically a potato pancake that can be served with anything you fancy; a fry up, eggs, salad or just tomato ketchup. What I like about it is that in Irish it means ‘Poor House Bread’ and I can see why, it literally needs a few items such as Potatoes [obviously!], Flour, a little Milk and you mix it all together to fry it on a frying pan just like a normal pancake! What’s more, if you have any mashed potato lying about from the night before - even better!

What I have found about the Boxty is that there’s like a billion ways to make it! Some used mashed potato, some use raw potatoes, some use milk and make it into a really yummy batter much like a pancake batter, some make them looking like normal pancakes where as some have them looking like squished ‘fish cakes’!

I also love the little song that goes with the Boxty:

Boxty on the griddle,
And Boxty on the pan;
The wee one in the middle
Is for Mary Ann

Boxty on the griddle,
boxty on the pan,
If you can’t bake boxty
sure you’ll never get a man

Boxty on the griddle,
Boxty on the pan,
If you don’t eat boxty,
You’ll never get a man!

So there you have it singltons, if you don’t eat and make some Boxty you’ll never get a man! So to make sure you’re not alone this Paddy’s day, here’s my gluten free and dairy free Boxty Recipe!

I hope you all have a wonderful gluten free Paddy’s Day today! I know us coeliacs can’t drink any Guinness but don’t worry, there’s always cider!

 

Ingredients:

 

  • 3 medium Potatoes [peeled, boiled and mashed]
  • 3 medium Potatoes [peeled and grated]
  • 3 tablespoons Gluten Free Flour
  • 1 tablespoon of Dairy Free Margarine [melted]
  • 3 tablespoons of Soya Milk
  • Salt and Pepper to taste
  • 1 tablespoon of Olive Oil

 

Method:

 

  1. Peel, chop and boil 3 medium Potatoes until soft and ready to mash 
  2. While they’re boiling away, peel 3 medium Potatoes and grate using a cheese grater 
  3. Now for the part that tests your strength! Put the grated Potato into a clean towel, twist and squeeze out as much water as you can. I got my dad to do this because my arms pathetic! 
  4. Empty the nearly wrung grated Potato into a bowl. When ready, mash the boiled Potato. 
  5. Once the mashed Potato has cooled down, add to the bowl with the grated Potato 
  6. Add the flour and mix together with a spoon 
  7. Add the Melted Butter and Soya Milk and mix again with the spoon until it’s all mixed together and season with Salt & Pepper 
  8. Heat the Olive Oil in a frying pan over medium heat and add a dollop of the Potato Mixture and flatten with your spatula  
  9. Fry until golden underneath on both sides and leave to drain on some kitchen roll and then wait for your man! 

 

 

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