Roast Chicken from Able and Cole

A few weeks ago, I was offered an organic chicken by Able and Cole. Able and Cole are an organic company who operate a delivery service whereby they deliver organic, locally grown and sourced, fruit and vegetable boxes plus a whole raft of other products. All organic and all very tasty

When I recieved my organic chicken, I was in a bit of a quandry as to what to do with it ... I have about half a dozen ideas for recipes I want to develop which involve chicken. In the end I decided to feature various gluten free products and produce a simply roasted chicken



I roasted the chicken at the standard 20 minutes per pound, plus an extra 20 minutes. 35 minutes before the end of the cooking time I added pork, sage and buttered onion stuffing from Marks & Spencer. The gravy was made from Bisto Best gravy granules, if you want gravy granules for the times when you need gravy in a hurry, this is the one to go for, the joy of the brand being that it comes in a range of flavours. The vegetables that went with it are all from my latest organic veggie box from Able and Cole



That wasn't to be the end of it!!!! I had sandwiches the day after from the left-over chicken and made stock from the skin and bones, currently frozen and waiting for me to make some soup! This chicken went a long way!

:)

In the UK? Take another look at Dietary Specials!

Being a working girl, every now and again I rely on fast food. Sometimes it's a question of having to! When these occasions arise, it's usually a bit of a struggle to find something to eat ....

However I often look at the gluten free range in Sainsbury's! Imagine my suprise when I discoved in a local branch that the Dietary Specials range had expanded. Either the range has expanded or the products that my local supermarket stocks has expanded, I'm not exactly sure which! Included now are two different pizza flavours and two pasta varieties!



Well! What's a girl to do! I got one of each! This range is definately worth keeping an eye on

:)

Coca Cola Ham

My Christmas lunch 2008 was a fairly large affair with 14 people all invited to lunch at my son's place. He did have help and everything was prepared well in advance. The main course was a beautiful meal of various vegetables and various meats

My son is a bit of a dab hand at cooking the famous Nigella Lawson Coca Cola Ham. He cooks this two or three times a year, and has done for the last three or so years. My son is an excellent cook and has modified this recipe over the years, the only problem is he wont tell me how he has modified it. It's all games here, I have to cook it myself and then he will tell me the modification(s)

So I have duly cooked it myself, using a small gammon joint, with just one tiny modification ... so now I know the real modifications. Trust me, his coca cola ham is to die for

This is a christmassy recipe with nice warm spices ... posted too late!



2 kg gammon joint
2 litres coca cola (not diet)
1 onion, peeled and chopped in half
1 stick cinnamon
12 whole cloves
2 tbsp black treacle
2 teaspoons mustard flour
2 teaspoons dark brown sugar

Place the gammon joint in a pan with the coca cola, cinnamon and onion, bring to the boil, then reduce heat to a slow simmer. Put a loose fitting lid on the pan. Cook for about two and a half hours or until the gammon is cooked through. Once the gammon is cooked it is usually referred to as 'ham'

Remove gammon joint from the pan and place in a roasting tin, reserve the liquid from the pan, as this makes a useful sauce for other dishes

Heat oven to a temperature of around 200 degrees

Leave the ham to chill slightly and then remove the skin from the gammon joint. With a sharp knife, make slashes in the fat creating criss-cross diamond shapes. At the corners of the diamond shapes, push in the whole cloves. Drizzle the black treacle over the fat, then sprinkle the mustard flour and sugar over the treacle

Roast for about 10 - 15 minutes or until you have a nice glaze on the fat

This tastes gorgeous :)

NB: the coca cola sauce that was reserved should be boiled down until it thickens and reduces in volume, it can then be used for a soup base or a barbecue sauce. I havent used my sauce yet, but my son assures me it makes a very good barbecue style sauce

Mango, Melon and Apple Smoothie

The day before new Year's Eve, I had two wisdom teeth extracted! I've been dreading the though of having this done, on the run-up, but decided not to put it off ... but to get it over and done with ...

Believe me, it was nowhere near as bad as I thought it was going to be. As both of the teeth are on the same side, I now find myself having difficulties eating, over new year. What a time to be unable to eat, one of the big festivals of the calender. New Year's Eve dawns and I am on four hourly pain relief ...

For everything there is an up-side, and the up-side of not being able to eat much over New Years Eve was a gorgeous mango smoothie on New years Day. I have a fair bit of fruit in the house that needs eating up, so here is my solution



2 mango's, pulp only
2-3 slices melon, chopped
1 braeburn apple, peeled, cored and chopped into cubes
1/4 pint semi-skimmed milk

Place the fruit into a liquidiser and pulse for a few seconds, until well combined and forming a liquid. Add milk to make a more fluid consistency

Chill and serve :)

A Healthier Bubble and Squeak

I am in the fortunate position whereby various companies in the UK and further afield, from time to time ask me to evaluate their products

Just before Christmas I was approached by Able and Cole, who operate an organic fruit and veggie box system, whereby they deliver the box's to your doorstep. I used to use Able and Cole, but cancelled my order some time ago

I jumped at the chance to have the free organic box. Lovely fruits and veggies, they were lovely. I have had another organic box since the free one and expect to receive one every other week

So what did I make with my free organic box ...



Bubble and Squeak is a traditional English recipe for using up left-over veggies, usually potatoes mashed with butter and milk and green vegetables, but can include just about anything else, all fried in lard. A cholesterol nightmare! So I wondered, as I do, if I could throw together a bubble and squeak that is a bit more healthy ...

2 - 3 carrots, chopped into chunks
1 lb potatoes, peeled
1 head of broccoli, chopped into small florets
2 -3 small white onions
Knob of butter
1 tbsp olive oil

Add the carrots and potatoes to a large pan of water, bring to the boil, simmer for ten minutes or until the potatoes are approaching being cooked through
Add the broccoli to the potatoes and carrots, simmer for a further five minutes or until all the vegetables are cooked through
Strain the vegetables, tip into a large bowl, fork through to break the potatoes up and combine the vegetables
In a large skillet of frying pan, add the butter and olive oil, fry the onions until they have a good brown singed colour
Add the vegetable mix and fry, turning occasionally, this will allow a light crust to develop on the veggies

Divide between two plates and serve with your favaourite gluten free dipping sauce :)

At Last!!!! .......... an Update

As happens, to the best of us, life sometimes gets in the way of blogging and I have abandoned this blog for the last three months, while leaving it available for anyone to read.

I continue to deal with chronic illness in my very near and dearest. I also continue to deal with terminal illness in my very nearest and dearest too. This all takes it's toll and something has had to give ... and I have needed my holiday from blogging

Over the coming months I plan to brighten up this blog, which could do with a fresher look and try to make at least one post per week ...



Christmas is going to be a very different experience this year. The celebrated Christmas lunch for twelve people is to be cooked by my son, age 23. He has to cope with his gluten issues and my gluten issues, so maybe not your traditional ingredients. We have managed to get gluten free gravy sorted out + a gluten free Christmas cake and pudding. We haven't done a huge amount of preparation for this gluten free Christmas feast, most of our gluten free alternatives have come from the high street, so to speak, as you can see!!

Bread sauce - I don't like this, so haven't even tried to find an alternative
Gravy - Bisto Best
Stuffing - home made alternative based on rice
Christmas Pudding - Sainsbury's
Christmas Cake - Sainsbury's

I also like a flavour of Italy with my Christmas, this crept into my Christmas experience about three years ago, so on the days leading up to Christmas I take a trip to Winchester News in Winchester. This is really a newspaper shop that has all sorts of Italian goodies. The man who runs this store shows me what he has in stock that is gluten free. I usually leave with a carrier bag laden with a 'Taste of Italy'. This time my haul included marzipan biscotti and a bottle of Il Santo

Try my gluten free cinammon coated nuts, recipe here

Happy Christmas to all of my readers :)

The Wanderer Returns!

I'm recently back from a breaak in the Highlands of Scotland. I've fiund a few new places to eat gluten free and a hotel that cater totally to the needs of a gluten free guest. Inspirational or what. I've successfully eaten gluten free meals in many restaurants across the globe, but unfortunately hotels have continued to be a bit more of a problem

I ate loads of seafood while I was away ... well I was staying predominantly in Coastal regions. This picture is of King scallops wrapped in bacon which I ate in a tiny inn sat right on a loch. They were pretty good. So good, I'm going to try and replicate this meal!



Happy days! :)