In a Hurry Breakfast Buns

Quick and easy breakfast buns to enjoy with cheese, marmelade or any other topping of your choice. Best served warmed. Mix all the dry ingredients together a day ahead to have them ready for a quick bake the following morning.

Serve as part of a breakfast menu with
Swiss Style Healthy Morning Muesli
Yoghurt Bread with Cream Cheese

Makes 4 large buns.

200 ml gluten free flour mix (or 100 ml rice flour and 100 ml quinoa flour)
50 ml gluten free rolled oats
1 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp flax seed
½ tsp salt
1 tsp Psyllium Seed Husk
250 g quark
2 eggs

1 tbsp flax seeds for decoration

Pre heat oven to 215 C

  1. Mix eggs, quark and fiberhusk. Let stand for 10 minutes to
  2. Mix dry ingredients in a separate bowl.
  3. Mix the two together.
  4. Using 2 spoons, shape 4 buns on a baking tray covered with greased baking parchment.
  5. Sprinkle some flax seed on each bun.
  6. Bake around 15 minutes in oven.

Cool on rack.

Cauliflower Crust Pizza

photo 4

For a while now I have been trying to figure out the perfect recipe for a cauliflower crusted pizza. This one is a winner. I used a pizza stone, which I highly recommend you to get. It gives the perfect crust and is easy to work with. You can find pizza stones in most kitchenware stores. However, if you do not have the time to purchase or the space in the kitchen, you can do without it. Just put the pizza with the parchment paper on a baking tray.
I have given some options on topping for your pizza, but not the specific amount. You know best how you like your pizza, so experiment! To avoid eating all the topping in the kitchen prepare some dates with blue cheese and parma ham to have available while cooking. Finish off your dinner with a fresh fruit salad with cinnamon-star anis sirup and homemade vanilla ice-cream.

Serves 2

For the crust:
1 medium sized cauliflower
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp garlic powder
20 g shredded parmesan cheese
20 g shredded mozzarella cheese
1 egg
salt and pepper

For the tomato sauce:
1/2 yellow onion
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 canned tomatoes
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp caster sugar
salt and pepper

Optional topping:
mozarella, spiced
parmesan, grated
slices of parma ham
baby asparagus, blanched
green beans, blanched
fresh basil, chiffonade
ruccola
pine nuts, roasted
balsamic vinegar

1. Pre-heat the pizza stone in the oven at 230 C. Make sure to put in the stone when the oven is cold, otherwise the stone may crack. For the best result, heat up the pizza stone for 40 minutes before baking the crust.
2. Wash and dry the cauliflower. Cut off the florets and steam for 7 minutes, or until tender. For the steaming process, place a steaming rack in a pot and add just enough water to cover the bottom of the pot, not touching the rack. Bring the water to the boil, add the florets and let steam with lid on.
3. Prepare the tomato sauce by frying onion and garlic in oil in a pan until soft. Add the tomato paste and fry for another minute. Pour in the canned tomato and dried basil, and let simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Pulse the steamed cauliflower florets in a food processor for 30 seconds, until you get a powder. Wrap up the powder in a dish towel and twist to squeeze out as much liquid as possible (this will make the crust hold together better). Put into a bowl, add the remaining ingredients for the pizza crust and mix well.
5. Using your hands, form the dough into a crust on the parchment paper. Slide the crust onto the hot pizza stone and bake in the oven for 11 minutes, or until it starts to turn golden brown. photo 5 6. Taste the tomato sauce and add sugar, salt and peppar. Taste and season more if needed.
7. Once the crust is ready take it out. Add the tomato sauce, mozzarella slices and grated parmesan. Place back into the oven for another 7 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and slightly golden.
8. Remove the pizza from the oven, add the slices of parma ham, the vegetables, basil, ruccola, pine nuts and balsamic vinegar. Voila!

Oat and Raisin Rolls with Cream Cheese and Chives

These rolls have been a favourite in my family for many years. With the tanginess of cranberry and the sweetness of the raisins, they are wonderful with cheese or just on their own.

Please try to find the Psyllium Husk. You will not regret it. The most important ingredient in gluten free baking!

For a Sunday menu, why not serve an appetizer of Stuffed Mushrooms, followed by a Roasted Balsamic Tomato Soup together with the Oat and Raisin Rolls and with a sweet ending of Raspberry Pie with Crème Anglais.

gluten free raisin buns DSC_065110 buns

500 ml milk heated to 37C (if fresh yeast is used. If using dry yeast, pls follow manufacturers instructions)
50 grams fresh yeast (equivalent to 2 x 7 g dry yeast packages)
2 tbsp oil
2 tbsp psyllium husk (or try Xanthamgum)
100 ml greek yoghurt (plain)
1 tbsp mix of ground seeds of anis and caraway (or any other spice you like)
0,5 tsp salt
100 ml cranberry sauce
200 ml rolled oats (gluten free)
100 ml raisins
700 ml gluten free flour mix (not the self rising kind)
Egg wash and some oats to garnish

  1. Mix milk, yeast, oil and psyllium husk – let sit 10 minutes to form a gel
  2. Add all remaining ingredients and work with a dough mixer for 10 minutes.
  3. The dough should be quite stickygluten free raisin bunsDSC_0641
  4. Proof around 30 min (cover with a towel and set in warm place)
  5. With 2 spoons, form “buns” and place on baking sheet.
  6. Proof 30-40 min
  7. Egg wash (brush with a whisked egg )
  8. Sprinkle the buns with oats (for decoration)
  9. In oven 225 C 10-12 min.
  10. Let cool under a kitchen towel.

Cream Cheese and Chives

  1. Slice the chives finely
  2. Mix with Cream Cheese
  3. Add a few drops of lemon
  4. Salt and pepper

Potatoe Dinner Rolls

“These rolls surely cannot be gluten free “ – people tell me all the time.

Why not make them and see for yourself? You can make them as a loaf (in a tin) or as rolls.

Serve with Cod Casserole with Thyme.

The secret to this recipe is the Psyllium Husk (read more about this here). You may use Xantham Gum instead but some people find it hard to digest.

Makes around 12 rolls.

IMG_0796

175 g cooked, mashed potatoe
5 dl water warmed to 37C
50 g fresh yeast (or 2×7 g dry yeast but then you need to heat the liquid to around 40 C – see instructions on the package)
1,5 tbsp ground Psyllium Husk (or 0,5 tbsp Xantham Gum)
300 g (or about 600 ml) gluten free flour (not self rising).
½ tbsp ground anise
½ tbsp ground caraway seeds
½ tbsp ground fennel
(or, some other spices you may prefer)
80 g (or about 150 ml) buckwheat flour (contrary to its name, this does not contain any wheat and is totally gluten free)
200 ml gluten free oats
salt
75 ml maple syrup
2 tbsp cooking oil (rape seed or sunflower)
optional: 100 g of chopped walnuts

  1. Boil the potatoe, mash and let cool
  2. Combine the water, yeast (if you are using fresh yeast, stir with care to completely dissolve) and Psyllium Husk and let stand for 10 minutes.
  3. Add all other ingredients and knead the dough in a large bowl for 10 minutes. The dough should be quite loose and sticky.
  4. Cover with a towel and let proof in warm place for 30 minutes. The dough will double in size.
  5. Push the dough down into the bowl to let some air out.
  6. Oil your hands well and shape 12 rolls, which you then place on baking paper on an oven tray (you will need to add oil to your hands around every third roll, otherwise too sticky). Make 2 parallel shallow cuts on each roll (helps the bread to rise evenly) and sprinkle some flour on top (for decoration).
  7. Cover with a towel and let proof for another 30 minutes.
  8. Heat the oven to 225C.
  9. Bake in the oven for 18 minutes. During the first few minutes of baking, throw in 5-6 ice cubes at the bottom of the oven (I usually place a small tray for this purpose at the bottom of the oven). This will creates some steam, enabling the bread to rise a bit extra and forms a nice crust. When they are done, the rolls should feel light and sound hollow when tapping on the bottom of the roll.

Let cool completely on a rack before eating. Keeps well for another day!

Gluten Free Crisp Bread with Dips

For a festive Sunday Brunch. To be served with Zucchini Blinis.

These crackers will take about 1 hour 15 minutes to make.

crisp bread Makes one large oven tray.

150 grams mixed seeds (when in a hurry, I simply use Waitrose Love Life mixed seeds) plus a handful for the decoration.

100 grams gluten free flour (I prefer a mix of 70 grams quinoa flour and 30 grams of buckwheat flour but any gluten free mix will work as long as it’s not self-rising)

1 tablespoon of ground spices (I like to mix fennel, caraway and anise)
2 teaspoons of course sea salt
2 tablespoons of rapeseed oil
200 millilitres boiling water

  1. Heat oven to 150 degrees Celsius
  2. Mix all dry ingredients together
  3. Add the water and the oil
  4. Mix well together
  5. Place the sticky dough on greaseproof baking paper covering an oven tray. Put another sheet of baking paper on top and press on the dough to form a thin layer covering the whole tray.
  6. Sprinkle some more coarse sea salt on top (optional) and a handful of seeds.
  7. Pre cut in squares and place in oven for about 50-60 minutes.
  8. Cool on rack and break apart in squares.

Tuna dip:

1 can tuna fish in water, 120 grams
5 small gherkins, finely chopped
1 teaspoon French mustard
2 tablespoons Greek yoghurt
Mix.

Tomato dip:

3 tomatoes, medium sized, finely chopped
½ red onion, finely chopped
½ avocado, chopped
A few drops of lemon juice.
Mix.

Salmon dip:

100 grams smoked salmon, in pieces
3-4 tablespoons of Greek yoghurt
1 tablespoon creamed horseradish
Mix.