mmmmmm Pavlova!

I think it is no secret that I have rather a sweet tooth at times. I often tell people that going gluten-free is no concern to me because I'm still able to eat ice-cream, pavlova, and chocolate!

I made a Pavlova for an international dinner we hosted recently. It takes some forethought but Pavlova is really quite a simple dessert to make. All the egg-separating is most definitely worth it! (nb If I forget to get castor sugar for the occasion, I substitute with white sugar.)

Pavlova
4 egg whites
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup castor sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1 teaspoon white vinegar
2 teaspoon maize cornflour

300ml cream
1 teaspoon icing sugar
kiwifruit and chocolate chips for garnish

Preheat oven to 150C. Beat egg whites and salt until soft peaks form. Gradually add in sugar until stiff. Fold in remaining ingredients. Cut baking paper for oven tray, turn upside down and use a pencil to trace the diameter of a dinner plate onto the paper. Turn baking paper back over and place on oven tray. Spread pavlova mixture out evenly within the circle and cook at 140C for 15 minutes, then reduce to 120C for 1 1/4 hours. Leave pavlova in oven until cold. Whip cream with icing sugar together and spread over cooled pavlova. Peel and slice kiwifruit and use to garnish pavlova with chocolate chips.

Pesto

Friends of ours helped us establish a herb garden during the summer holidays and the basil has really flourished. Looking for a way to preserve the last of the basil leaves before the plants go to seed, I started experimenting with basil pesto recipes. I've now found that if I experiment making basil pesto with my husband around, I don't need to worry about preserving the basil at all!! Enjoy :)

Pesto
1 cup basil leaves, packed
1/2 cup almond nuts (whole)
1/2 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp crushed garlic
salt and pepper to taste

Wash and crush basil leaves. Combine ingredients in food processor and pulse until the nuts are small. Spoon into small jars and put in the fridge, or press into silicone muffin tray cups and freeze. When frozen, wrap in gladwrap and place in an airtight bag in the freezer.

Chicken Nuggets

Recently I had a deep-frying spree. I don't own a deep fryer but a pot of oil did the trick for me. It has been a long time since I have had chicken nuggets and even then, they were only from fast-food restaurants! Patience is the key here because the chicken must be cooked thoroughly.

Chicken Nuggets
for 800g boneless, skinless chicken
2/3 cup brown rice flour
1/3 cup white rice flour
1/3 cup potato flour
1/3 cup tapioca flour
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp chilli powder
2 tsp ground black pepper
2 eggs
water

Chop the chicken into small cubes. In a separate bowl, combine the remaining ingredients until smooth. Add water 1/4 cup at a time until the mixture appears like a thick paste. (As the batter sits, you may need to add more water to keep the consistency.) Test the oil's heat by dropping a small amount of batter in. It should immediately fizz, then come to the top. Coat each chicken piece in batter and drop into the oil, one at a time. Fry in batches; don't overfill the pot/fryer.Cook until golden brown on each side, turning when the first side is done. Remove just one nugget from the oil and cut it in half to check that the chicken is thoroughly cooked (it will appear dry and grainy, not pink). Drain each batch on paper towels and eat while hot.

Chocolate Eclairs

I went gluten-free when I was in my 20's so a lot of my cooking is inspired by memories of (gluten) baking I ate when I was younger. Some things I haven't been prepared to live without for ever! One such thing is chocolate eclairs. Although they are typically long in shape, I like to shape them like cream puffs.

I recently challenged myself to come up with a GF alternative to chocolate eclairs and now I have all kinds of people asking for the recipe as a preference to regular eclairs! I love it!

Chocolate Eclairs
75g butter
1 cup water
1/3 cup tapioca flour
1/3 cup brown rice flour
2 Tbsp white rice flour
1 Tbsp xanthan gum
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon (imiation) vanilla essence
3 eggs
whipped cream
chocolate icing*

Combine butter and water in a saucepan. Bring to the boil. In a separate bowl, combine tapioca flour, rice flours and xanthan gum. Quickly add the flour to the boiling mixture and beat with a wooden spoon until mixture leaves the sides of the saucepan. Remove from heat. Add sugar and vanilla. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Grease an oven tray. Use two teaspoons to shape the mixture into small balls and place on the tray. Bake at 200C for 30 minutes or until eclairs are puffy and golden. Turn out onto a wire rack to cool, then use a sharp knife to cut slits in the sides of each eclair. Ice tops with chocolate icing and fill with whipped cream.
Makes about 20.

*I forget how much chocolate icing I made, but I used 1 part cocoa, 2 parts icing sugar, both sifted, and boiling hot water to make a thick paste.

Start The Blog!

Blogging is a big part of life but I have avoided joining the bandwagon, until now. Thanks to a certain level of peer pressure, I'm about to begin. Why? Not because I easily succumb to pressure but because I love food. Not just any kind of food, but gluten-free food. I love experiementing with different flours and recipes and I've had a good level of success with chocolate eclairs, chicken nuggets, and all things foodie. I love to cook! And I'm looking forward to sharing my adventures and successes with you :)