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Recipe: Salpicón de pollo (Peruvian chicken salad)
Salpicón de pollo is a salad with chicken, cooked vegetables and mayonnaise commonly found in many Latin American countries. In Perú it’s often served as an entrée but it makes a wonderful main meal particularly during warmer months. This recipe is gluten-free and dairy-free. It keeps well in the fridge for a few days, especially if you dress it just before eating. On that note, I recommend you make your own mayonnaise (it’s super easy!) because most commercial ones are made with less-than-ideal ingredients.
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Recipe: Fig salad with goat’s cheese and prosciutto
Figs are in season! They are great as dessert or snacks, however I think they really shine in salads. Similar to last week’s recipe, you can enjoy this fig salad with goat’s cheese and prosciutto as a summertime lunch or serve it to share in your next dinner party. The saltiness in the goat’s cheese and prosciutto will bring out the sweetness of the figs. If you can find smoked almonds, they will add overall complexity of flavour, however they are not essential and you can use dry roasted almonds. This recipe is gluten-free but there’s no point in trying to make it dairy-free or vegan, sorry!
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Recipe: Fig salad with broad beans and Pecorino
Figs are in season! This fig salad with broad beans and Pecorino brings the best of the Mediterranean cuisine to your table. Perfect for a summer lunch or BBQ. Some notes on ingredients: you can find fresh broad beans in some markets but it’s easier to find them in the frozen section of your supermarket. Pecorino is an Italian sheep milk cheese that I love due to its sharp, salty taste. You can substitute Parmesan if you prefer. This recipe is gluten-free and can be made vegan if you omit the cheese. However, I think the Pecorino really complements the flavour of ripe figs. Serve this salad as a side…
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Product review: Slendier konjac pasta and rice
As its name implies, Slendier is a brand of food products designed to help with weight loss. Slendier konjac pasta and rice come in different styles to suit your culinary needs. What is konjac? The dictionary tells us konjac is “the swollen underground stem of a herb that grows in parts of Asia and is often used for adding fibre to food, or the herb itself.” (1) Konjac is very low in carbohydrates and very high in a type of fibre called glucomannan, which is linked to several health benefits, including appetite control and digestive health. Slendier konjac range All Slendier konjac pasta and rice style products come in 2-serve…
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Recipe: Pastel de choclo con polenta
I recently inherited a bag of polenta that I had to put to good use. Instead of going the easy (Italian) route, I decided to see if I could use it to sub fresh Peruvian corn to make our version of cottage pie. Thus, pastel de choclo con polenta was born. The recipe calls for ají amarillo paste and ají panca paste. If you don’t have ají amarillo I would not bother trying to find a substitute as most chilli pastes will add heat rather than flavour. If you don’t have ají panca for the filling, you can use tomato paste instead. This dish is gluten-free and can be made…
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Recipe: No bake low carb cherry cheesecake
No bake low carb cherry cheesecake is a quick and easy recipe to satisfy your sweet tooth during the summer months. This recipe is vegetarian, high in protein and free of added sugar. It is not low carb or keto, but all the sugar comes from the cherries so there’s no need for you to feel guilty. I used Natvia natural sweetener, but feel free to use your favourite. I recommend using stevia and/or monkfruit. Final note on ingredients: different brands of cottage cheese have different amounts of water and fat. Therefore, the recipe calls for a variable amount of water to be used when whipping the cheese. You are…
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Product review: F4U formulated meal replacements
Formulated For You (F4U) is an Australian health food company based on the Gold Coast. F4U formulated meal replacements are designed to help with weight loss by replacing one meal a day. F4U formulated meal replacements These meal replacements are based on grass-fed whey protein concentrate (WPC). Each serve provides 30g protein, 5g of fibre and 25 vitamins and minerals. The protein and fibre contribute to satiety and, therefore, weight loss. The product is gluten-free and low in sugar. It does not contain any artificial flavours, colours or sweeteners (it contains stevia extract). Other products F4U also offers protein powders, including organic pea, organic rice, organic hemp and grass-fed WPC.…
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Recipe: Pistachio pesto pasta
I love pesto and basil remains my favourite herb/vegetable base. However, I’m not too strict when it comes to nuts. This recipe for pistachio pesto pasta pairs fragrant basil with sweet pistachios for a delicious alternative to classic pesto. This recipe is vegetarian. It can be made gluten-free and/or low-carb depending on the pasta or pasta substitute you choose. I used Barilla red lentil penne but feel free to use your favourite pasta. As usual, I roast the garlic before mixing it with the rest of ingredients. However, I don’t recommend firing the oven just to roast it. Instead, pop it in the oven while you are roasting other foods…
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Product review: Orgran Sugar-Free Cereal
Orgran Sugar-Free Cereal is a good alternative for those looking for a mostly allergen-free breakfast cereal alternative, which is, in addition, free of added sugar. The brand Orgran is a brand of gluten-free products founded back in the 1980s. Their range include baking and cooking ingredients, biscuits, breakfast products, crispbreads, dessert mixes, pasta and snacks. Orgran Sugar-Free Cereal The breakfast range of Orgran products include 2 sugar-free cereals: matcha & coconut and acai & coconut. Both are free of dairy, wheat, gluten, eggs, nuts, soy, yeast and, of course, sugar. They do not contain GMOs or MSG and are, in addition, kosher. These cereals come in 200g boxes, with a…
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Recipe: Spinach and tomato frittata
I love frittatas because they are so versatile. They can be eaten any time of the day, hot or cold. They are also great for using vegetables that might not be at their prime. This spinach and tomato frittata is a basic recipe, a blank canvas for culinary creativity. As it stands, this spinach and tomato frittata is gluten-free but not dairy-free. You can make it dairy-free by using non-dairy yoghurt and nutritional yeast for that cheesy flavour. If you do dairy, you can use cream instead of sour cream and your favourite cheese. Also, feel free to add your favourite herb(s) and/or spice(s). I would suggest dried oregano, fresh…
