Gluten Free, Vegan Apple and Blueberry Custard Cake

It is unbelievable how much this cake tastes like rich, luscious custard! It has a slight apple tang with sweet almond undertones and is oh so creamy! Perfect served cold, straight from the fridge!

Ingredients:

200g Almond Flour (Ground Almonds / Almond Meal)

250g Finely Sliced Green Apple

100g Xylitol or Sugar

Egg Replacer for Three Eggs

2 Tsp Baking Soda

The Zest of one Lemon

70g Blueberries

1/2 Tsp Almond Extract

Method:

1. Combine the Almonds, Apple, Lemon Zest, Blueberries and Xylitol/Sugar in a bowl

2. Whisk the Egg Replacer with the Baking Soda until foamy

3. Gently fold the Egg Replacer into the Almonds, Apples, Lemon Zest, Blueberries and Xylitol and add the Almond Extract

4. Line a loaf tin with a cake case / liner - this is essential

5. Spoon in the batter and cook for 1hr 30 mins at 180C / Gas Mark 4 - after 45 mins has elapsed cover the top of the cake with baking parchment to prevent burning

6. Remove the Cake from the oven, allow to cool thoroughly then refrigerate over night before serving

7. When ready to serve invert the cake

*The cake will be very soft when removed from the oven, it should just hold its own shape within the cake case, don't remove it from the cake case until cool*

Vegan, Grain and Gluten Free Nut Butter Cookies

These Cookies are a Vegan twist on traditional Peanut Butter Cookies - they are chewy, moist and oh so delicious! Served with a warm glass of Vanilla Rice Milk they're my perfect midnight treat!

Ingredients: (Makes 12)
1/2 Cup Nut Butter (I used Almond)

1/2 Cup Xylitol / Sugar or your prefered Sweetner

Egg Replacer - use enough to make 1/2 an egg (you can use 1/2 a Hens Egg if desired)

1/2 Tsp Baking Soda
1/2 Tsp Almond or Vanilla Extract

Method:
1. Combine the Nut Butter, Xylitol, Baking Soda and Almond Extract 
2. Wisk the Egg Replacer until foamy
3. Add to the Nut Butter Mixture
4. Line a Baking Sheet with Baking Parchment

5. Devide the Mixture into tweleve Balls and space out on the baking sheet (the cookies spread)

6. Using a fork dipped in Xylitol or Sugar press down on the Balls once horizontally and once vertically until you have a cross shape - don't completely flaten the Balls. See below:

7. Cook for 15mins at 180C / Gas Mark 4 - the cookies will be slightly soft when you remove them from the oven but will firm up as they cool

10. Use a palate knife to gently place the cookies onto a cooling rack. Cool before eating!

Grain and Dairy Free Carrot Cake with Avocado Frosting

A delicious moist and light Carrot Cake with sweet and creamy Avocado frosting - perfect anytime of day as a treat or served with Booja-Booja Vanilla 'Ice Cream' for an indulgent desert.

Ingredients Cake:
200g Almond Flour (Ground Almonds / Almond Meal)
250g Grated Carrot
100g Xylitol or Sugar
3 Small Organic Eggs
2 Tsp Baking Soda
The Zest of one Lemon
50g Nuts or Seeds - I used a combination of Sunflower Seeds and Walnuts (optional)
50g Raisins (optional)

Ingredients Frosting:
1 very ripe Avocado
50g powdered Xylitol (I use a pestle and mortar) or Icing Sugar

Method: Cake
1. Combine the Almonds, Carrots, Lemon Zest, Nuts and Raisins in a bowl
2. Separate the Egg Yokes from the Whites
3. Beat the Egg Yokes then wisk in the Xylitol or Sugar
4. Whisk the Egg Whites until foamy
5. Gently fold the Almonds, Carrots, Lemon Zest, Nuts and Raisins into the Egg Yoke and Xylitol/Sugar
6. Add the Baking Soda to the Egg Whites and whisk
7. Very gently fold the Egg Whites and Baking Soda mix into the other ingredients
8. Line a loaf tin with a cake case or grease the tin and line the bottom with baking paper 
9. Spoon in the batter and cook for 40-45 mins at 180C / Gas Mark 4 - on touch the cake should spring back when cooked
10. Remove the Cake from the oven, allow to cool thoroughly before serving
 
Method: Frosting
1. Blend the Avocado and Xylitol or Icing Sugar
2. Frost the cake (the cake must be cool)
3. Frost the cake just before needed as the Frosting will discolor over time

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I'd love to know what you think of the Cake - let me know if you make any alterations to the ingredients and how it turns out! I'm going to try a Vegan version using Egg Replacer - I'll update you all with the results!

Low Carb Almond Butter Cake - Grain Free, Gluten Free, Dairy Free and Sugar Free

This recipe is adapted from 'Breaking The Vicious Cycle' by Elaine Gottschall who created the <#66cc66>Specific Carbohydrate Diet. I tried it out of curiosity (when you look at the ingredients you'll know why) and was pleasantly surprised! The recipe is sugar, dairy and grain free and the end result tastes surprisingly like a moist sponge cake. Enjoy!



Ingredients: (Makes 8)
130g Nut Butter - I used Almond Butter
45g Xylitol
1 Small Egg
1/4 Tsp Baking Soda

You could add Vanilla Extract, Ginger, Cocoa & Chocolate Chips, Nuts or Dried Fruit for variation. The Cake would also be lovely frosted!


Method:
1. Mix the Nut Butter,Baking Soda and Xylitol together in a bowl
2. Whisk the egg and add to the Nut Butter mixture
3. Spoon the mixture into a greased 9x4 inch loaf tin
4. Cook for 20-25 mins at Gas Mark 4 (350 degrees)
6. Allow to cool slicing into squares and serving

Buckwheat Flour Pizza - Grain Free, Gluten Free, Dairy Free and Fat Free!

I love pizza, so I was absolutely miserable when I thought I wouldn't be able to eat it again! Cue lots of trial and error and finally the creation of my Buckwheat Flour Pizza! The Buckwheat Flour is the key to its success, its stretchy and malleable allowing you to create a fantastic pizza base that has just the right consistency! I'm now happy to say that I will never miss Pizza again, in fact this one is so good that I think my Gluten eating friends are missing out!








Ingredients:

For the base:
300g Buckwheat Flour
300g Butternut Squash
1 Tsp Italian Herbs
1 Tsp Garlic Powder

For the Topping:
Imagination is your only limitation! The following is my personal favourite, adapt it to suit your taste and dietary needs!

2 Red Onions
1 Tbsp White Wine Vinegar
1/2 Tbsp Sugar
1 Tbsp Tomato Paste
1 Red Pepper
2 Chicken Breasts
1 Green or Red Chili

Method:

1. Bake a Butternut Squash for 1 hour at 200c. Allow to cool then peel, de-seed and mash
2. Weigh out 300g of Buckwheat Flour and combine with 300g of the Squash and the Garlic and Herbs - this should give you a dough like consistency, add more flour if necessary
3. Sprinkle flour over your work surface and then roll the dough into a circle
4. Part bake the pizza base for 20 mins at 200c
5. While the base is cooking prepare the topping. For the recipe above start by placing your chicken breasts in the oven, cover with foil to retain moisture (they need 25mins at 200c)
6. Next slice then cook the Onions over a medium heat until soft and glossy. At this point add the white wine vinegar and sugar and simmer gently until ready to top the pizza
6. While the onions are cooking de-seed the Red Pepper cut into strips and place in the oven with the pizza base (they need 15-20 mins)
7. Remove the pizza base from the oven and spread with tomato paste. Then top with the onion and the slices of pepper. Lastly remove the Chicken breast from the oven, cut into bite size strips and arrange on the pizza
8. Place the topped pizza back in the oven for 10 mins
9. Remove from the oven, drizzle with olive oil (omit for Fat Free), cut into slices and serve.

*To save time you bake the base in advance and then freeze, defrost thoroughly before cooking!*

Raspberry & Flax Seed Loaf

Finding a bread recipe that works is the holy grail of allergy friendly cooking - I'm not saying I've cracked it but I think this loaf does a pretty good job! Its not the prettiest but its divine toasted and smeared in Almond Butter plus it makes a fantastic breakfast with a big mug of coffee!

Ingredients:
150g Raspberries
175g Ground Flaxseeds
1 tsp Gluten Free Baking Powder
1 tsp Baking Soda
5 Eggs - I used Ener-G Egg Replacer
20g Xylitol or 10 drops liquid stevia depending on taste
20g Walnuts (optional)

Method:
1. Add the Baking Powder, Soda and Xylitol (if using Stevia add after the Eggs) to the Flaxseeds and mix well
2. Heat 100g of Raspberries (microwave or in a pan) until they become slushy and release their juices
3. Mix the warmed Raspberries into the Flaxseed mixture and stir well
4. Add the egg replacer and stir
5. Add the remaining 50g of uncooked Raspberries and Walnuts (if desired) and stir gently
6. Pour the mixture into a lined loaf tin, distribute evenly and sprinkle the top with Xylitol
7. Cook for 45mins – 1 hour at 375 / Gas Mark 4
8. Allow to cool before serving and refrigerate to maintain freshness
9. Serve lightly toasted and spread with Nut Butter, Honey or Jam

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These are the flax seeds I use in all my recipes, they are fantastic as they are pre milled making them super easy to use, plus one bag just so happens to be the perfect amount for my Raspberry Loaf!



Find stockists here: http://www.virginiafoods.net/

Hot Apple stuffed with Spicy Sardines!

It may seem like a strange combination but I promise that this is truly yummy and makes a great lunch!

Ingredients:
1 x Can Skinless Boneless Sardines in Olive Oil, Drained
1 Apple (I use organic Pink Lady Apples)
2g Turmeric
1g Hot Curry Powder
Dash of Lime or Lemon Juice
Fresh Coriander to garnish

Method:
1. Core Apple, cut in half and microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minute depending on the size of the Apple
2. Drain Sardines, place in bowel and add Turmeric and Curry Powder
3. Mash Sardines and Spices together, add Lemon/Lime Juice and a little water if necessary
4. Stuff Apple and Garnish with Fresh Coriander
5. Eat!