Foodie Friday - Using Buckwheat As A Grain And A Recipe

As much as I love cooking and eating sometimes it can all get a bit boring. I don't know about you but I tend to eat the same things again and again. Over the last few months though I've made a real effort to try and mix it up a bit and to try something new. I've been trawling through recipe books, magazines and the internet to look for new meals and recipes to try, and of course I've been ordering a few boxes from the Hello Fresh scheme ( read about my Hello Fresh experience here).

I've found quite a few lovely recipes that I'd like to share with you but in today's Foodie Friday post. I'm going to focus on a recipe and an ingredient that came courtesy of a Hello Fresh box - Buckwheat!

As someone with wheat and gluten intolerance's I'm all too familiar with buckwheat. Despite it's name it isn't actually related to wheat, it isn't even strictly a cereal instead it's related to both the sorrel leaf and rhubarb. The grain or seed can be ground into a flour and made into all sorts of things from pancakes, blinis and galettes, to noodles and even chocolate brownies.

I have to say I'm not a fan of buckwheat flour when it's used in sweet things, the flavour for me just dominates and doesn't work but something that I have become a fan of is the buckwheat grain or seed itself

Buckwheat can be used in any way that you would use rice, cous cous or Bulgar wheat. You can use it to make a type of porridge, or you can use it as an accompaniment to stews and vegetable chillis like I have below. The grains have a subtle nutty taste and they take on flavour really well

You can find both buckwheat flour and the grains in most major health food shops and larger supermarkets and the grains in particular are something I would really recommend. A 100g of dry buckwheat grains is just 343 calories, and it is a good source of protein, carbohydrate, fibre, and B vitamins,

Most of the packets that you buy, should have cooking instructions on them but I have to be honest and say after trying a few different methods Hello Fresh's is the one that works for me. I'll talk about it more in the recipe below but it's basically an absorption method that leaves the grain, looking and feeling dry but soft and with a bit of a bite to them.

The recipe below is a very slight adaption of the original Hello Fresh recipe that introduced me to buckwheat as a grain, and I personally think that it's a winner. It sounds a bit strange with the spices and so on but please, please give it a chance and prepare yourself for a taste explosion.

Mexican Bean & Buckwheat Bake With Creme Fraiche

1 x Can Beans - Kidney, Black, or Black Eyed Work Best

1 x Red Pepper

1 x Yellow Pepper

1 x tbsp Olive Oil

2 x Cloves Garlic

1 Medium or 2 Small Red Onions

1 Cup or around 150g Buckwheat Grains

1/2 Vegetable Stock Cube or 1/2 Vegetable Stock Pot

1/2 tsp Cumin

1/2 tsp Paprika

1/2 ts Cinnamon

2 tbsp Creme Fraiche

Red Chilli or Pickled Jalapenos To Taste (I use about a tablespoon)

100g Cheddar Cheese

1 x tbsp Olive Oil Or A Few Sprays Of Low Fat Cooking Spray

Salt And Pepper To Taste

To Serve

Chopped Chives or Green Parts From A Spring Onion

Creme Fraiche

1. Pre heat your oven to around 220°C - Core and deseed your peppers and chop them into bite size chunks, and put them onto a baking tray. Drizzle over 1 tbsp olive oil and roast in the oven for about 15 minutes till they're soft, and just starting to colour.

2. Bring 225ml of water to the boil and add your stock cube or your stock pot

Then add your buckwheat  - bring the pan back to the boil, then cover with a lid and turn the pan down to the lowest heat and leave for about 10 minutes and don't be tempted to take the lid off to have a peek

3. Then peel and finely slice your onion and your garlic and your chilli. I used about half a fresh red chilli here but I like it hot. Add as much or as little as you like - you can also use pickled jalapenos which are a good store cupboard / fridge substitute.

Then  in a large frying pan either heat up either a tablespoon olive oil or if your saving calories a few sprays of Fry Light, and add your onions, chilli and garlic, and cook for around 5 minutes till soft.

4. Then add your spices - the cumin, the paprika and cinnamon - The amounts I've given work but again you can add what you like - my mum isn't that keen on cinnamon so I tend to add a little bit less. Stir in the spices and cook for about a minute.

Then drain and rinse your beans - the original recipe uses black beans but none of the supermarkets near me seem to stock them so I've experimented with a few different types of canned pulses and I think it works best with either a black eyed bean or a kidney beans so I'm using kidney beans here x Add your beans and a touch of salt and pepper to taste. Cook or a minute or two until the beans are warmed through and remove from the heat.

5. By this time your buckwheat should be done so take off the lid and have a look. All of the water should have been absorbed by now and the buckwheat should be softened and dry and appearance. If it's still a bit wet cook it over a low heat for a little bit longer.

Like rice or cous cous, try not stir it, just fluff it up with a fork, then gently stir it into the vegetable and bean mix

Then remove your roasted peppers from the oven but leave the oven switched on x

and then stir your peppers into your bean and buckwheat mix

and then stir in 2 tbsp creme fraiche.

6. Then pour your mixture into a oven proof baking dish, and top with your grated cheese

Then bake  for around 15 - 20 minutes until the cheese is melted, golden and bubbly

Then spoon onto plates, sprinkle with chopped chives or the green parts of a spring onion, and serve with creme fraiche. This would easily serve four people with the addition of a bit of green salad.

This recipe really surprised me apart from the unusual ingredient - the buckwheat grain - this dish really is an explosion of different tastes and textures in your mouth. You get the nuttiness of the grain, the creaminess of the creme fraiche, the sweetness of the vegetables, the heat of the chili, and the depth and exotic tastes of the spices. It sounds odd I know but this is a really quick, tasty and substantial dish that always leaves me wanting more. I'm definitely going to be continuing my experimentation with buckwheat so if you have any recipe suggestions (Slimming World fans in particular) let me know x 

Foodie Friday On A Saturday - Gluten Free Banana Nut Bread

I think I've said it before but I hate throwing food away.Did you know that around 20% of the waste that goes into our bins is food waste? It's a pretty high percentage but I am actually surprised that it's not more. Like a lot of families we try to buy just the fresh food that we need and we know that we'll use. I know it's not always practical but it does make a huge difference with the amount of food that ends up in the bin. Even with the best will in the world though I still end up with some withered apples or some yellowing broccoli in the fruit bowl or in the bottom fridge but I always try to use it up. Juicing is a brilliant way of using fruit and veg that are past their best and most of the soups that I make are inspired by leftovers, the reduced section of the supermarket or the dregs of the vegetable drawer. 

Last week the contents of our fruit bowl looked a little bit sad. Well I say fruit bowl but I mean banana stand, try and you might bananas are one of those fruits that just seem to ripen at a ridiculous rate if they don't get eaten. I know the brown, blotchy skins aren't that appealing to look at, get past that, and look inside, usually the bananas inside are fine if a little squishy and even if their a bit brown you can still use them. Overripe bananas are sweeter making them ideal for little people. Just pop them in the freezer in their skins and they make great banana ice lollies. You can also use them in smoothies, milkshakes and in baking.

Inspired by a recent Yankee Candle that my mum picked up, last weekends sad, and overripe bananas were transformed into a loaf of Gluten Free Banana Nut Bread. The name is a bit misleading it's not a bread at all it more of a sweet, moist fruit loaf / cake.

Gluten Free Banana Nut Bread

2 x Ripe Bananas

8oz Gluten Free Self Raising Flour

1 Level Teaspoon Baking Powder

3oz Soft Butter Or Margarine 

3oz Caster Sugar
1 Egg
2oz Chopped Nuts 
1 dsp Apricot Jam or Marmalade

1.Preheat your oven to 180° C or the equivalent, and then using a pop your bananas into a small bowl and mash them with a fork

2. Put your butter or margarine and sugar into a large mixing bowl

and cream together either by hand or with an electric mixer

3. Sieve your flour and baking powder together into another bowl and add your chopped nuts. I'm using roughly chopped pecans here but you can use chopped walnuts, or mixed nuts what ever you have.

4. Beat your egg in a small bowl

Slowly beat the egg into the fat and sugar mix

5. Then add about 1/3 of the flour, baking powder and nuts, and mix together

6. Then add the bananas and half of the remaining flour and mix together 

7. Then add the apricot jam or marmalade, I'm using marmalade here but don't worry if you don't like it, I don't, as you can't taste it. It's not essential but it just adds a bit more moisture and touch of stickiness to the loaf. Add the rest of the flour and give it a final mix till all the ingredients are combined. 

You can add a touch of milk if it's too dry but your mixture should ultimately be of a soft dropping consistency.

8. Spoon your mix into a well greased loaf tin, I'm using my trusty silicone here but any well greased tin would do. 

Put it in the oven and bake for around 30 - 35 minutes or until it's golden and a skewer comes out clean.

Voila - Leave it to cool and then slice x You can eat it warm or cold, plain or spread with butter or margarine, or even topped with a butter cream or icing.

The bananas make this a really moist cake that lasts really well for a few days, just make sure you wrap it in foil or clingfilm.

The recipe could be adapted quite easily to make a bigger cake or even to make muffins. You could also add some dried for example sultanas or raisins or even chopped dried apricots to make a bit more substantial. It would also work equally well using defrosted frozen bananas and of course by using "normal flour". This is just one example of how you can use fruit or vegetables that are past their best so think before you bin x Thanks for reading and let me know if you make this, I'd love to know how you get on x 

Foodie Friday On A Saturday - Gluten Free Gower Cottage Chocolate Brownies

This post, like a lot of my Foodie Friday posts doesn't exactly fit in with my "I'm trying to lose weight" philosophy, but as you know I'm not a fan of denial, if you deny yourself something weight loss seems much more of a challenge, rather than the lifestyle change that it should be. I have three real little treats and food things that I need in my life, and cutting them out entirely would be nigh on impossible, so I go with the flow and have the occasional treat. The three things are cheese, cake and chocolate, and this post really combines the last two.

Since I was diagnosed with gluten and wheat intolerance, I've had to change my attitude entirely to cake. The majority of bought gluten and wheat free cakes and dry, mealy and pretty uninspiring. Thankfully after a lot of experimentation and dare I say it disasters, me and Mummy Lou can make various cakes that we're proud of. 

One of my biggest disappointments with commercially  available gluten free food, is the humble chocolate brownie. You buy a gluten free chocolate brownie in any supermarket or coffee shop and I can pretty much guarantee that it will be dry, and cloying with only the smallest hint of the dense fudginess that a good brownie should have. So the obvious solution when I get that brownie craving is to make my own, and I do, I've just about perfected my own blondie and brownie recipes, which I'll show you soon, but sometimes I just want to be able to buy something yummy and as good or if not better than what I can make at home, thankfully fellow blogger Kellie from BigFashionista and QVC came to my rescue, and introduced me to Gower Cottage Brownies.

Founded in 2007 Gower Cottage Brownies, is the epitome of a cottage industry. The owner Kate Jenkins started supplying a local shop with her chocolate brownies, made fresh everyday in her cottage kitchen on the beautiful Gower Peninsula in South Wales. The huge popularity of her brownies with both locals and tourists meant that an expansion was inevitable. Kate now supplies a number of retailers and establishments throughout the UK, and she also sells direct to the public via her own website and also via QVC UK.

In reality though nothing really has changed, the brownies are all still handmade,and made fresh for every order using only the finest ingredients available including local free range eggs.

After watching a QVC presentation and reading a post from Kellie I eventually took the plunge and placed an order. There are several varieties to chose from including the Original, With Walnut and With Hazelnuts, but I went for Kate's Gluten Free Chocolate Brownies.

I ordered mine via QVC but they came directly from Gower Cottage. They are  boxed, and the brownies themselves come beautifully wrapped and then wrapped in waxed paper with a tag and tied with a ribbon. I loved the fact that was no plastic packaging. Everything has been thought of perfectly your not just opening a cake box it's almost like your opening a present, all be it a beautiful chocolate, vanilla scented present!

At this point I really should be showing you a picture of the unwrapped brownies but my mum dived into them too quickly, sniffing and portioning them out!- you get 12 small sized brownies in each box x We decided to be good and only leave a couple out. They freeze really well, just wrap them up well, and either defrost at room temperature or pop them into the microwave for 20 seconds or so to defrost and serve them warm. Each box though comes with storage and freezing instructions x

Okay, I'm sorry I'm leaving you in suspense aren't I? You wanna know what they taste like, well I don't think I have words! The smell when you open the box is exactly what they taste like, rich, rich buttery chocolate, squidgy yumminess! You can really taste the quality of the ingredients that Kate uses, these gluten free ones, have only 5 ingredients, sugar, eggs, butter, chocolate and gluten free flour, and that is what you can taste. The chocolate taste is smooth and velvety and when you heat them up you can almost smell the butter.

Yes they aren't the biggest brownies I've ever seen, but they don't need to be, they are rich, dense, and squidgy but without being sickly, they hit the spot perfectly and 1 really is enough, especially if your trying to show restraint!

Unlike a lot of gluten free brownies you don't need to drench them in cream or ice cream, the slightly crisp outside melds perfectly with the soft centre, meaning they're a treat in their own right. That said a scoop of vanilla Ice cream turns them into a decadent pud, and a bit of fresh fruit add to your 5 a day. If I didn't know that these were gluten free then I wouldn't be able to tell they really are that good.

These aren't the cheapest brownie out there by any means but what your getting is quality, unlike a lot of commercial  products, they are still made with care, and you know exactly whats gone in them. Kate has won praise for her brownies from food writers, local and national media, and to be honest I'm really not surprised. I still think I make a pretty decent brownie but I'm not sure that they are a good as this. I have to say I'm now a Gower Cottage covert x You got me Kate ;)

They maybe aren't for everyday munching but for a special treat they're perfect. You can also get a box delivered to someone else, so I think they would make a great and unusual gift for any occasion.

Gower Cottage Brownies are available from their website and also from QVC UK. 12 Gluten Free Chocolate Brownies retail at around £17.99, but prices vary depending on the variety you choose. I'd also recommend that you follow Kate on twitter, she's really sweet  and so passionate about what she does and pleasing her customers, she's also a serious enabler :) If you have any questions please leave me a comment - We have 4 brownies left so I'm away to raid the freezer  :)

Foodie Friday - A Review Of The South Causey Inn, Stanley, Co Durham

Your probably already sick of hearing this, but last week I celebrated my birthday :) Over the course of the week I had a number of different celebrations with friends and different members of my family. Last Tuesday though I went out for a meal with one of my besties Dawn. She is one of the most considerate people ever when it comes to finding somewhere for us to eat, she always checks out menus, to make sure that there is something that little old veggie and gluten free me can eat.

Thankfully it's getting easier and restaurants both independent and chain seem to be more aware and more willing to cater for people with differing dietary requirements. We've found some decent places in the past but for my birthday meal this year, we decided to return to the place we went to last year - The South Causey Inn, which isn't too far away from me.

Purchased by the current owners in 1976 South Causey Farm as it was then known, was purchased as exactly that a farm but over the years it's expanded into an equestrian centre, an outdoor activity centre, a riding school, bars, a hotel, restaurant,and function rooms all set on 100 acres of land in the County Durham countryside. The inn won the Great British Pub Award Best Family Pub Award in 2013.

We started our visit with a little walk in the landscaped grounds. It's great for kids as there are loads of animals to meet and greet including, sheep, geese, donkeys, alpacas and obviously horses - notice Dawn's artistic photo of a goose :)

The grounds are just made for summer and there loads of gazebos and picnic tables outside, perfect for summer drinks.

The weather wasn't that great though so we headed inside - last year we were seated in the Restaurant area which is bright and airy but alas this year it was full so despite booking we ended up in an area known as the snug. Alas it was just too dark to take a picture but it was quite different to the main restaurant. It was very rustic with equestrian and farming equipment and memorabilia on the walls. It was furnished with several rustic wooden tables and chairs, as well as comfy chairs and sofas, and the traditional stools at the bar. The room was dominated by a huge roaring log fire. This room would be perfect for a hot toddy or mulled wine on a cold winters night but for me it wasn't the best setting for a meal between too friends on a spring evening. It was a little bit too dark and it felt almost squashed, plus I stunk of bonfire - open fire look great but they don't half make your clothes stink.

So onto the food, the South Causey menu is pretty substantial and throughout the day you can order breakfasts, lunches and afternoon tea, as ours was an evening visit we ordered from the main menu, which includes a separate vegetarian and coeliac menu. The choice is first class, and they have a real emphasis on local produce. Since the meals were so large last year we skipped starters and went straight for mains - Dawn isn't a vegetarian but she went for the Chefs Homemade Roasted Vegetable Lasagne with roasted vegetables and topped with a white béchamel sauce, slow baked in the oven and topped with goats cheese & feta cheese, which came with a side salad a choice and chips, or potatoes. Whilst nothing can beat last years meal in her eyes, she described this as one of the nicest vegetable lasagne she'd ever had.

Me bad ! I didn't take a picture of he main and I didn't think to take a picture of mine till I'd eaten some of it eek! I went for the Roasted Goats Cheese & Braised Fig Salad. It was huge! I got a massive plate, filled with salad and topped with a mound of goats cheese and a few braised figs, as well as small dishes of coleslaw, olives and something which I think was roasted pepper mayonnaise. It was also served with a huge slice of toasted rustic bread, and a huge pat of butter. I didn't ask for it to be coeliac but they do usually provide gluten free bread on request.

The meals themselves were first class, you got plenty and the quality was really good. We struggled towards the end a bit but we still fancied a pudding. Again their dessert menu is really substantial and everything sounded amazing so it was hard to choose - In the end I went for the Lemon Curd Creme Brulee which came with a chocolate dipped strawberry and a brandy snap basket filled with chocolate cream. It was soooo good x I only wish that the Creme Brulee had been a little bit bigger.

Dawn had the Duo Chocolate Slab Filled Parfait - One with Malteser and One with Tia Maria and Raspberry, which was served with raspberry, mint, vanilla cream and a raspberry coulis. We weren't quite sure what to expect but she got two huge, solid chocolatey slabs that tasted like a combination of maltesers and raspberries. It was amazing but it was so rich and huge that she couldn't finish it, and despite having a few amazing spoonfuls neither could I, so the waitress wrapped it up for her to take home.

The bill came to around £37 for both of us which included 3 glasses of Diet Coke, I personally think that it was pretty good value for money, the portion sizes were excellent and the food quality was first class.

That said our experience this time probably wasn't as positive as last years, the room wasn't really what we wanted and because they seemed to be busy with a full restaurant and a private party, the service did seem to be a bit slower and a bit more lax than we would have liked.

That said I will be back and it's somewhere I would definitely recommend if your in the area or visiting any of the local attractions such as the Tanfield Railway or Beamish Museum. If you are booking though make sure you ask for a table in the restaurant unless you fancy a more, intimate cosy setting. You can find out more about The South Causey Inn here x