Blueberry Pie (Gluten free pastry)

 

 Since finishing University I have found my self feeling liberated and able to bake with out a guilty "i shouldn't be icing this cupcake i should be studying'' conscious. I can breathe a sigh of relief and get down to what i ultimately love most, baking and Beebz. Bobbin has been getting lots of extra walks and attention and my kitchen has been a hive of activity.

 

My mind has been racing with lots of recipes I want to try out or convert to gluten free. This afternoon I took on pastry... This was a first attempt and I'm gonna keep dabbling with quantities but here's my very healthy GF recipe for

BLUEBERRY PIE.

  

Gluten free sweet short crust pastry

1 cup sifted gluten-free flour mixture (I used doves white flour mixture)
1 tbsp granulated sweetener
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup applesauce (orrrr 2 tsp butter)
2 tablespoons ice-cold water
1/2 teaspoon xanthum gum
around 1 teaspoon confectioners’ sugar (dusting/ for rolling)

    1.    In a medium bowl, sift together the flour mixture, sugar, and salt.
    2.    In a small bowl, combine the oil, water, and vanilla.
    3.    Pour the liquid mixture into the center of the flour mixture. With a rubber spatula, stir the dough well until it holds together.
    4.    With your hands, knead the dough until it forms a smooth ball.
    5.    With a rolling pin, roll out the dough into an 11-inch circle.
    6.    lift pastry and press in to greased 8' pie dish.
    7.    with remaining dough roll out and cut into strips for the pie top.

 Blueberry pie filling
1 cup Blueberries (fresh or frozen)
4 dates finely chopped
1/2 tsp xanthum gum
 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
4 tsp water

    1.    In a saucepan add all ingredients and simmer on a medium heat for 10 minutes or until mixture is thick and dates are soft.
    2.    pour blueberry filling in to pie crust and basket weave the strips of remaining pastry, brush with egg and sprinkle with a little caster sugar.
    3.    bake ya pie at 185/350 for 30-40 minutes or until the crust is golden.... allow to cool and slice it up.

  Enjoy on its own but I shoveled my slice down my pie hole with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. mmmmhmmmm.

 I have to say the gluten free and mostly fat free pastry was quite crispy on top, and a little chewy when still hot, but once it had cooled completely this pie was awesome. I think its the sweet fruity filling that makes it.
 One day i will make buttery flakey pastry but something inside me yearns to find and invent healthy alternative recipes...probably because when, like me and my sweetooth, you have 3 servings of pudding type meals a day (breakfast, lunch and dinner and pudding) something like butter has gotta give....but some times i have to admit the original is best. So if its special occasion or you just want an super amazing crust i would substitute the applesauce for 2tbsp of chilled butter. 

 

/>

Whadda pear! and ginger drizzle cake.

Hello there. its Sunday, my favourite day of the week! The only day when you don't have to feel guilty about doing nothing productive. Today I have enjoyed being a lady of leisure; pottered around the kitchen walked bobs in the park, read some gossip magazines and blogs, enjoyed a day of procrastination from Uni work.
  
Pear and ginger lemon drizzle cake
Good ol' diet soda cake strikes once again, but its all spruced up.
I used the weight watchers lemon mini muffin kit and added some diced pear and crystallized ginger.

 After my last batch of cakes I didn't have any muffin cases so i poured it into a cake pan.
 Oh so very tastey and only 80 calories for a generous slab of this moist cakey torte. The combination of the spicy ginger, sweet pear and zesty lemon works brilliantly.

Ingredients

• 1 boxed cake mix
• 1 small pear
• 5 pieces of crystallized ginger
• 5 tablespoons water
• egg white

Directions

1. dice pear and slice ginger
2. add dry mix and combine with fruit and wet ingredients
3. bake at 190*c (350)  for 30 minutes
4. remove from oven and cool
5. in a separate bowl, combine icing sugar 1 tbsp of water and lemon juice for icing.
6. drizzle icing mixture all over cake and enjoy.  

There wasn't that much mixture and it only just covered the base of the tin so its a shallow cake. would be best in muffin cases i think. oh and the extra egg white isn't necessary but I added it to make sure it rose successfully, and it did.

Time to curl up on the sofa with a cuppa tea, my dog and some cake. I will do work tomorrow!

Holey Moley: A big ball of wool and a bowl of guacamole.

size comparison against dog.

Spent the majority of this week locked away on my knitting machine making a giant ball of yarn! this wool will be hand knitted into one of my final garments for my final degree, and finally I have used up all my wool and the garment making can begin. But first these biceps need an good rest.

In other news... i recieved the new limited edition MAC Wonder Woman lippy!

WONDER WOMAN!

POW! just look at that packaging! I love the shade, its a very usable everyday nude pinky colour tone.

Tonight im making a mexican feast for a friday fiesta at home.
so i rustled up some home made guacamoley in advance with some very ripe avocadoes that were on offer.
combine and mash together:

• 1 ripe avocado
• half a shallot
• lemon juice
• crushed garlic
• table spoon extra light mayo

perfect for dipping or smushed in a tortilla with some chili.

Easy peasy herby and cheesey.

I re-made my savoury muffins this afternoon, but in loaf form. We delved in whilst the bread was still warm, smelling herby and the cheese in the mixture was still gooey.
This bread is very addictive so be warned...
Recipe
Ingredients:
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1 cup flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon oregano
pinch of garlic powder
1/2 cup grated cheese (plus extra for topping the loaf)

fresh outta the oven.

•  In a large bowl, blend together the flour, the baking powder, herbs and the salt. 
• Stir in the grated cheese and blend well.
• In a smaller bowl, blend together the milk and the beaten egg. 
• Add the wet ingredients, all at once, to the dry ingredients and combine just until the dry ingredients are moist. Twelve strokes should be enough. Over mixing will cause your muffins to be flat. (i think i over mixed it a bit too much this time.)
• Spoon your batter quickly into the bread tin and bake for approximately 20 minutes. then top with extra grated cheese and bake for a further 10 minutes. 
• Remove from oven and eat! Serve slightly warm with butter.  

Pretzels pronto

There must be something wrong with me, But tonight I wanted something savoury, something crunchy and salty, which is definalty not like me. I needed a salt hit quick...Pretzels were calling.

I have only ever eaten tiny supermarket outta the bag pretzels, so i was looking forward to this challenge, only problem, no yeast to make my dough, dough. Not having quite the right ingredients doesn't stop me. Searched the internet for a while and found me an alternative recipe for baking soda pretz.
Ingredients

• 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tsp milk/ enough to bind dry ingredients to form dough.
• 1 tsp vinegar
• salt and butter (melted) for topping

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, sift together whole wheat flour and baking soda. Stir in milk and vinegar until dough pulls together. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead briefly to form a firm dough.
3. Divide dough into equal pieces. Roll each piece into a long wiggly cylinder approximately 8 inches long. Form into classic pretzel shape. place on lightly greased baking sheets.
4. brush with melted butter and Sprinkle each pretzels with salt, and bake in preheated oven until golden brown, about 10 minutes. 

I had mine warm with some hummus for dipping.

HAPPY SNACKING.

I'm sure my sweet tooth will be back to cover stuff in chocolate tomorrow.

Wholemeal ravioli and skinny lemon cheesecake

Im reminising about last nights yummy dinner. It was really fun to make, I could really go for it again. but im too lazy and too hungry to make it tonight, my favourite... quick peanut butter oatmeal for me.

but here's the recipe for anyone who wants to have a go...

tuckin' in

pasta dough

• 1 egg
• 100g wholemeal plain flour

  make a well in the flour and add the egg, combine and knead the dough. wrap dough in cling film and place in refrigerator for at least an hour to chill and rest.

cheesy spinach filling

• fresh spinach (or defrosted frozen spinach)
• 100g low fat cottage cheese
• 50g grated mozzarella cheese
• garlic clove
• pinch of nutmeg
• salt and pepper

Fry garlic still soft and ad spinach, once wilted, add cheese and seasoning

Roll out dough with rolling pin, (or if you got one use a fancy pasta making roller contraptions) when the dough is papery and thin, divide and cut out squares. Place spoonfuls of the spinach cheese mix in to the centre of half of the squares. with your finger wet the squares around the sides and place another piece on each. pinch around the edges. Once you get into the swing of it you get a sort of factory line going and its pretty quick to make.

slighty squiffy pasta parcel

Bring a pan of water to a rolling boil and careful submerge each parcel into the water. cook for 5 minutes.

To serve drizzle with oilive oil, balsamic vinegar and top with an extra sprinkle of cheese. we had ours with roasted baby plum tomatoes and a rocket salad.

dinner time.

Skinny lemon cheesecake

This was deliciously light, tangy and fluffy and did not taste like a 'healthied' dessert in the slightest.

serves 2

• 2 egg whites
• 50g non fat cream cheese
• juice and peel of one lemon
• table spoon of icing sugar.
• 3 digestive biscuits
• teaspoon of melted light butter

Using an electric whisk whip up egg whites, whilst peaks are soft add sugar, lemon juice and grated peel, continue to whisk til it reaches stiff peaks. carefully fold in cream cheese.

Crush biscuits and add melted butter. divided crumbs into two dessert bowls. top with creamy lemmon mixture. place int he fridge to chill for at least 2 hours.

It doesnt set quite like the calorific verison but its just as dreamy and guilt free!
175 calories per generous serving.
could make it even lighter with a less calorific biscuit base.