Time for tofu

Today was a good day. Productive at work, delicious Thai for lunch in the company of dear friends, and even time for a quick gym session after work. There was also the fact that I took my very broken PC in to hopefully be repaired.....but why focus on the negative ;)

Tonight's dinner was initially inspired by a block of tofu that we have had in the fridge for a little while...

Then it all sort of grew around that.

     

Steamed broccoli...

Steamed cauliflower...

A little steamed sweet potato (topped with real butter and a sprinkle of cinnamon).

For the tofu, I marinated it for half an hour or so in a mixture of sesame oil and dijon mustard – and just a splash of GF worcestershire sauce.

Then grilled it on our trusty grill for 5 minutes or so each side, until cooked through and slightly crispy on the outside.

It is meals like this that remind me that cooking doesn’t have to be hard. Or tedious. Or really take much time at all to throw together.

Meals like this also remind me that healthy doesn’t equal tasteless! For with the mustard zing of the tofu, the sweetness of the sweet potato and the texture of the vegetables, this meal had a little bit of everything.

What about you? Are you a fan of tofu?

Semi-dried tomato chicken burgers

Wow – what a day. I felt like I barely stopped from the moment I got up, with a busy work schedule keeping me on my toes all day.

Thankfully,  we had a quick and easy dinner planned for this evening.

Sun-dried tomato and chicken burgers!

The burgers themselves were super easy to make, thanks to the not so secret ingredient…

Semi-dried cherry tomatoes (oops I just realised these should have been sun-dried tomatoes!)

I picked up this variety a little while ago from our local supermarket, more out of curiosity than anything else. And, I figured they would be the perfect flavour enhancer for our burgers this evening.

Combined with chicken mince, garlic, flaxmeal and a sprinkle of salt and pepper, shaped into 4 patties and set aside in the fridge for half an hour or so to firm slightly.

As to cooking the burgers, my trusty George Foreman grill was the perfect solution (given it is a bit chilly to stand outside cooking them on the BBQ), with a slice of mozzarella added to each patty during the last few minutes of cooking.

I served the burgers on a couple slices of GF bread that I had toasted lightly…

And finished them with some other delicious burger ingredients including avocado, tomato and cos lettuce.

And my favourite?

Fresh basil.

As far as mid week meals go, this one was a winner - fast, easy and healthier than their chain store counterparts.

And not to mention being packed with flavour.

But then again – the chicken + semi-dried + basil combination rarely fails to disappoint lol.

Sundried tomato and chicken burgers (makes 4)

• 400g chicken mince
• 60g sundried tomatoes, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 tbs flaxmeal
• Salt and pepper to taste

1. Place all ingredients in a bowl, and stir until just combined.
2. Shape into 4 patties, and place on a plate lined with baking paper.  Cover with cling wrap and place in the fridge for 1/2 hour to firm slightly.
3. Heat non-stick pan or grill, and spray lightly with oil. Cook patties for 4-5 minutes each side, or until cooked through.

What about you? Do you have a favourite burger variety?

He cooks!

With the blossoms blooming, and a distinct warmth finding its way into the sunshine, it is undeniable that Spring is in the air. And, to be honest, this summer-loving gal could not be happier!

Although, it seems, that my love of rich comforting meals continues, perhaps in celebration of the last few days of Winter.

Mr BBB was the household chef extraordinaire this evening, turning some diced pork, lima beans, apples and root vegetables into a hearty belly-warming stew.

The secret ingredient???

A dried chilli, reconstituted in boiling water and providing just the right amount of heat to the stew, without being overpowering.

Actually, funny story, Mr BBB asked me to get him the dried chilli during my trip to the grocery store over the weekend. I couldn’t find any in our local supermarket, nor at our greengrocer, so I ended up at the local spice market. Where this was the smallest bag they had......

Um...yeah....anyone need some dried chillies?! lol!

The stew simmered away on the stove for a couple hours making me hungrier and hungrier with every passing minute.

Then, at long last, dinner was ready!

Finished with a sprinkle of fresh parsley.

You know when a meal is good, when barely a word is spoken over dinner.

Can't talk....too busy gobbling! I really do think Mr BBB should cook more often!

What about you? Does your partner like to cook?

Couches and comfort food - Sunday style

Last week sure was a crazy one - from both work and life perspective, so I must say that I am a little sad that this weekend disappeared so quickly.

And, while I wish I could have the weekend all over again, I will be spending what’s left settled in for some couch time and a few movies courtesy of the DVR.

And, just to complete the lazy night stereotype, a comfort meal was a must. A big bowl of pasta to be precise.

Who says you can't carb load for a movie marathon anyway ;)

I have been thinking about this pasta for a few days now. Normally I prefer rich tomato based sauces, but for some reason a creamy  sundried tomato, mushroom and spinach pasta sounded oh so appealing. And it wasn't long til this craving materialised before my eyes.

GF pasta....

Chicken, diced and sautéed in a little olive oil and garlic....

Mushrooms and spinach, cooked until soft....

And then, the creamy sauce.

Light cream, sundried tomatoes and a splash of mustard.

Then in went the spinach, mushrooms, chicken and, of course, the pasta.

Stirred and piled high,

Finished with a sprinkle of grated parmesan…

 

And my Sunday night comfort pasta was no longer just an idea!

Delicious! But then again, I am kinda biased when sundried tomatoes are involved!

But now, some kitty cuddles and couch time is calling my name.

What about you? What is your favourite way to spend a Sunday evening?

D is for Doughnuts!

   

Is it "donuts"? Or is it "doughnuts"?? I never know. I'll go with what I think is the Australian version (doughnuts) shall I?

Either way, since adopting a wheat free diet over 2 years ago, this girl has not had the opportunity to indulge in these childhood treats.

Then the blog world jumped on board, and began teasing me with wonderful baked doughnut creations. Gluten free, vegan, the possibilities seemed endless. The only problem?? I did not have a doughnut pan in which to make said doughnut creations. Nor could I find anywhere in Australia or online that sold the pans. It was big drama, you know.

That was....until now.

Before we left for the US, I had a short list of things I wanted to buy while overseas. Vibrams, lara bars, some clothes....and most importantly, doughnut pans. And while it took me a while to actually find them, I literally skipped with glee when I finally had them in my hot little hands (much to the shop assistant's amusement/concern).

So I guess it goes without saying that the first sweet treat to be baked in the BBB household on returning from our overseas adventure was to be doughnuts.

Inspired by Ashley's recipe, along with a few tweaks of my own.

I followed the same base recipe for both my full size and mini doughnut varieties, using both gluten free flour and spelt flour, but made adjustments for their cooking time and the toppings.

The result? Soft vanilla doughnuts that smelled amazing fresh out of the oven. But, let’s be honest, when it comes to doughnuts, its all about the toppings!

For the large doughnuts, I drizzled them with melted chocolate, then finished them with some fun sprinkles.

For nothing says ‘fond childhood memory’ more than sprinkles!

I couldn’t get over how adorable these doughnuts were…

And not to mention…

Photogenic!

   

So much so that I had a lot of trouble narrowing down which photos I would use in this post.

Along with the regular sized doughnuts, I topped the batch of mini doughnuts with a mixture of ground cinnamon and sugar.

The taste and aroma of which immediately took me back 20 years, when our family would stop for a big bag of warm cinnamon donuts on our car trip to the Victorian Coast.

So very moreish indeed.

I served these doughnuts for dessert at our Mexican fiesta last weekend, and with only a couple leftover, I am calling my first batch a success!

But a big question now remains? What flavour to create next???

Basic Baked Doughnuts (makes 12-14 large doughnuts or 24+ mini doughnuts)

(Adapted from here)

• 1/2 cup gluten free plain flour
• 1/2 cup spelt flour*
• 1/3 cup caster sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk**
• 2 tbs apple sauce
• 1 tsp vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 180C. Lightly grease the doughnut pan.
2. Sift the dry ingredients, then whisk to combine.
3. In a separate bowl, mix the wet ingredients.
4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined (the batter will be quite runny).
5. Pour the batter into the doughnut pan, filling only to halfway. You may need cook the doughnuts in batches depending on how many pans you have.
6. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the doughnuts spring back when lightly touched.
7. Remove from oven and allow to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely before topping.

*To make a gluten free variety, you could substitute the spelt flour for gluten free flour or perhaps rice flour (although this will probably change the texture slightly). I used spelt flour as I am able to tolerate small amounts of spelt, and found that it gave the doughnuts a nice springy texture.

** You could quite easily substitute the milk for non-dairy milk such as soy or rice if you prefer.

Chocolate glaze: Melt 1 cup of milk chocolate chips and 1/2 tbs butter in the microwave, stirring to combine. I heat the chocolate chips/butter for 30 seconds, stir, then continue to heat in 10 second increments until smooth and glossy. Drizzle over the cooled doughnuts, and allow to set.

Cinnamon sugar: Combine 1-2 tbs caster sugar and 1-2 tbs cinnamon in a small bowl. Brush doughnuts with a little melted butter, then sprinkle over the cinnamon sugar until the doughnuts are well coated.

What about you? What is your favourite doughnut variety? And is it ‘doughnut’ or ‘donut’???