our first encounter our search goes on
Its now getting easier to find organic foods the more we researched
the more we found, after a difficult start at our own supermarket
searching it's vegetable counters, well It did have Organic
produce but you had to look very hard to find them
and there was very little of it not enough to make it worth our while
to go organic completely, Other produce in store yes also very hard
to find it meant spending far to long shopping.
It was
difficult looking here there and everywhere all over Dorset, trying as
many of the farm shops advertising Organic produce, well some of there
product were, Some we walked into and, some we walked straight out of.
The
farm shops that we have now found are good,very good indeed. We have
one farm shop close by another within a 40 minutes drive.
We
have found found two super markets one with a large Organic product
range within 6 minute drive from us which we intend to do our first
shopping trip there tomorrow the other is going to be within a 3 minute
drive but is still under construction its due to be finished in
October this one according to its webpages has a huge Organic range, I
think we have all our food ranges covered. What we can not get from one
we will from others.
Wednesday, 3 July 2013
Tuesday, 2 July 2013
visiting chefs
 |
| Louise |
 |
| Ryan |
 |
| Apollonia |
Louise's kitchen
Gluten and Lactose Free recipes
Green fish curry, Prawn and asparagus risotto, Breakfast, Chicken breast cooked in honey,
Chicken with mixed vegetables and rice,
Introduction
Hi, my name is Louise. I'm Martin's daughter, my dad is the author of this blogs, however all the recipes are my own work.
In the last week I've been following a gluten and lactose free diet. I've had ongoing health problems for well over a year now. The main symptom being swollen ankles and fingers, along with a bloated stomach. The fluid retention has been horrible. After countless medical tests and still no solutions I started to keep an eye on what I've been eating and how it relates to my symptoms. Bread was the main cause of the fluid retention. I cut it out for a few weeks and all the fluid retention drastically reduced but never completely went away.
After I'd cut out bread for 4 weeks I then started to notice that dairy products were making me feel ill. Stomach ache after ice cream or cream, feeling sick, sometimes actually being sick, and still some fluid retention.
So, after lots of research on the internet I've decided to try a gluten and lactose free diet. It's still a little trial and error but I'm certain I'm going in the right direction. At first I thought maybe I would have to stick to a bland and boring diet. But really, so far that is not true. I'm pleasantly surprised.
If I have spent so long online looking for recipes then I know others have as well and I want to share some of my recipes with you. I hope they help and I hope you enjoy them.
chicken with mixed vegetables and rice
Please bear in mind that I live in Holland so will list ingredients that I use here, if you need advice on UK versions please let me know and I'll do my best
Ingredients: - feeds 3-4 people
3-4 Chicken Breasts
300g rice (as long as it's gluten free)
300-400g mixed vegetables (can be frozen or fresh, wok mixes are good)
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Black pepper
Salt
Curry powder
Preparation:
Dice the chicken
Add salt, black pepper and curry powder to flavour the chicken
Leave for 10 mins to let the flavour absorb
Cook the rice as per instructions on the packet
Heat the olive oil
Add the vegetables and heat for 10 minutes, stirring often
Add the chicken and cook for a further 10-15 mins
Add the cooked rice to the wok and stir for a further 3-5 minutes.
If required add additional salt and pepper to taste
Serve in bowls
Ingredients: - feeds 3-4 people
3-4 Chicken Breasts
300g rice (as long as it's gluten free)
300-400g mixed vegetables (can be frozen or fresh, wok mixes are good)
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Black pepper
Salt
Curry powder
Preparation:
Dice the chicken
Add salt, black pepper and curry powder to flavour the chicken
Leave for 10 mins to let the flavour absorb
Cook the rice as per instructions on the packet
Heat the olive oil
Add the vegetables and heat for 10 minutes, stirring often
Add the chicken and cook for a further 10-15 mins
Add the cooked rice to the wok and stir for a further 3-5 minutes.
If required add additional salt and pepper to taste
Serve in bowls
chicken breast cooked in honey
Ingredients - feeds 3-4 people
3-4 chicken breasts
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons honey
salt & pepper to test
Preparation
Wash the chicken and leave to dry on kitchen roll
Sprinkle with the lemon juice, pepper, and salt
Leave chicken for 10mins
Mix the olive oil with the honey
Cover the chicken breasts with the honey marinade
Grill the chicken on both sides, apprx 15mins depending on thickness of chicken
Serve with salad or with vegetables of choice
In picture below I chopped the chicken breast up and mixed it with broccoli and tomatoes. Slightly too much brocoli in the mix below but you can mix to your own taste.
3-4 chicken breasts
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons honey
salt & pepper to test
Preparation
Wash the chicken and leave to dry on kitchen roll
Sprinkle with the lemon juice, pepper, and salt
Leave chicken for 10mins
Mix the olive oil with the honey
Cover the chicken breasts with the honey marinade
Grill the chicken on both sides, apprx 15mins depending on thickness of chicken
Serve with salad or with vegetables of choice
In picture below I chopped the chicken breast up and mixed it with broccoli and tomatoes. Slightly too much brocoli in the mix below but you can mix to your own taste.
breakfast
I'm not really a big breakfast eater (I know, I should).
However, I've recently found that sometimes I am quite hungry in the morning now.
Generally I've been drinking a glass of flavoured soya milk and having a rice cake either with marmite or with honey. Marmite is still my preferred choice (well you either love it or hate it).
However, I've recently found that sometimes I am quite hungry in the morning now.
Generally I've been drinking a glass of flavoured soya milk and having a rice cake either with marmite or with honey. Marmite is still my preferred choice (well you either love it or hate it).
prawn and asparagus risotto
Ingredients - feeds 3-4 people
900ml vegetable stock (if it's gluten free, otherwise water)
350grams green asparagus - in jar (adjust cooking time if fresh)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 onion
1 garlic clove - finely chopped
400grams rice (any kind as long as it's gluten free)
500grams prawns
Basil, salt, and pepper to taste
Preparation:
Heat the vegetable stock (or water) in a pan
Add the asparagus and heat gently for 3-5 mins
Take the asparagus out the pan but save the stock/water
Gently fry the onions in the olive oil for a few mins
Add the chopped garlic and fry for a further half a min
Add the rice and cook with onions and garlic
Stir constantly until the rice has a 'glazed' look (few mins)
Add the stock/water
Let it cook gently for 25 mins, stirring often
Add the prawns and asparagus
Cook for 5 more mins, stirring often
If there is any stock/water left in the pan drain it off
Add basil or any other herbs to taste
Serve in bowls
Pictures to follow
900ml vegetable stock (if it's gluten free, otherwise water)
350grams green asparagus - in jar (adjust cooking time if fresh)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 onion
1 garlic clove - finely chopped
400grams rice (any kind as long as it's gluten free)
500grams prawns
Basil, salt, and pepper to taste
Preparation:
Heat the vegetable stock (or water) in a pan
Add the asparagus and heat gently for 3-5 mins
Take the asparagus out the pan but save the stock/water
Gently fry the onions in the olive oil for a few mins
Add the chopped garlic and fry for a further half a min
Add the rice and cook with onions and garlic
Stir constantly until the rice has a 'glazed' look (few mins)
Add the stock/water
Let it cook gently for 25 mins, stirring often
Add the prawns and asparagus
Cook for 5 more mins, stirring often
If there is any stock/water left in the pan drain it off
Add basil or any other herbs to taste
Serve in bowls
Pictures to follow
green fish curry
Ingredients - feeds 3 people
300g rice (any kind of rice as long as it's gluten free)
500g white fish - cod or similar
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 onion - rougly chopped
2 leeks - sliced in rings
125g green curry paste
200ml coconut milk
Preparation:
Cook the rice as per instructions on pack
Cut the fish in to bite size pieces
Heat the oil in a wok and fry the onion for 1 min
Add the leeks and fry for further 3 mins - stirring constantly
Add the green curry paste and the coconut milk
Bring it to the boil
Lower the heat and add the fish
Stir it all around, and put a lid on the wok
Let it cook for around 10 mins, stirring occasionally
Serve in bowls
It looks a bit like cabbage in the pic below but it's really very tasty.
Felt like we were missing something though, not quite sure what. Will maybe add some runner beans next time. If you try any variations let me know.
300g rice (any kind of rice as long as it's gluten free)
500g white fish - cod or similar
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 onion - rougly chopped
2 leeks - sliced in rings
125g green curry paste
200ml coconut milk
Preparation:
Cook the rice as per instructions on pack
Cut the fish in to bite size pieces
Heat the oil in a wok and fry the onion for 1 min
Add the leeks and fry for further 3 mins - stirring constantly
Add the green curry paste and the coconut milk
Bring it to the boil
Lower the heat and add the fish
Stir it all around, and put a lid on the wok
Let it cook for around 10 mins, stirring occasionally
Serve in bowls
It looks a bit like cabbage in the pic below but it's really very tasty.
Felt like we were missing something though, not quite sure what. Will maybe add some runner beans next time. If you try any variations let me know.
Sunday, 30 June 2013
apollonia
SNERT /EREWTEN SOUP, PEA and HAM. 
The chef herself Plony
Ingredients Serves 4
. 300 grams split peas
. 2 thin leeks
. 500 grams celeric root
. 1 leg of ham/hock (on the bone)
. 250 grams smoked sausage (1)
. Herb sprigs Parsley,celery
. Salt & peppers to taste
Preparation
First soak the split peas in salted water for a few hrs or over night.
Prepare leg of ham/hock add salt to taste, if required
Slice the leeks 1 cm very fine
Peel and dice the celeric root 2cm ,chop some celery leafs and add later to soup.
Cooking Instructions
After soaking split peas wash them under running water and allow them to drain then Cook for 20 Min's when cooked drain ,DO NOT USE . throw away split pea water, wash peas under running water whilst draining and allow to drain all water.
Boil ham/hock in separate pan for about 20 Min's. Remove ONLY the ham/hock remove all boiled skin and fat and and discard remove all meat from bone and chop 2cm.Do Not Throw Away the cooking water from the ham/hock.
Now sieve the water re-use it this removes all bits and pieces from the stock, Now pour it in with split peas, and add the chopped 2cm ham and stir well, bring back to a gentle boil add the celeric 2cm , chopped celery leafs, add celery if you wish (optional), and the finely chopped leeks 1cm, let it all cook for a further 20 Min's. At this stage (if required)lightly mash soup to obtain coarseness of soup you require.
Smoked Sausage. Rook-worst
Bring water to simmer in small saucepan and heat smoked sausage for about 20 minutes remove from water and slice, time this to end when the soup is ready to serve. now add the smoked sausage as seen
serve piping hot with.....
Adjust any ingredients as you feel fit to if you cant get the exact ingredients adjust to your own taste buds for your own pallet.
I know when i get home i will enjoy , hope every body else does as well.hc
The chef herself Plony
Ingredients Serves 4
. 300 grams split peas
. 2 thin leeks
. 500 grams celeric root
. 1 leg of ham/hock (on the bone)
. 250 grams smoked sausage (1)
. Herb sprigs Parsley,celery
. Salt & peppers to taste
Preparation
First soak the split peas in salted water for a few hrs or over night.
Prepare leg of ham/hock add salt to taste, if required
Slice the leeks 1 cm very fine
Peel and dice the celeric root 2cm ,chop some celery leafs and add later to soup.
Cooking Instructions
After soaking split peas wash them under running water and allow them to drain then Cook for 20 Min's when cooked drain ,DO NOT USE . throw away split pea water, wash peas under running water whilst draining and allow to drain all water.
Boil ham/hock in separate pan for about 20 Min's. Remove ONLY the ham/hock remove all boiled skin and fat and and discard remove all meat from bone and chop 2cm.Do Not Throw Away the cooking water from the ham/hock.
Now sieve the water re-use it this removes all bits and pieces from the stock, Now pour it in with split peas, and add the chopped 2cm ham and stir well, bring back to a gentle boil add the celeric 2cm , chopped celery leafs, add celery if you wish (optional), and the finely chopped leeks 1cm, let it all cook for a further 20 Min's. At this stage (if required)lightly mash soup to obtain coarseness of soup you require.
Smoked Sausage. Rook-worst
Bring water to simmer in small saucepan and heat smoked sausage for about 20 minutes remove from water and slice, time this to end when the soup is ready to serve. now add the smoked sausage as seen
serve piping hot with.....
Optional choice's
1. traditionally with pea and ham soup Rye bread and Cooked Cold Bacon
2. English crusty bread with or without butter,
1. traditionally with pea and ham soup Rye bread and Cooked Cold Bacon
2. English crusty bread with or without butter,
Adjust any ingredients as you feel fit to if you cant get the exact ingredients adjust to your own taste buds for your own pallet.
I know when i get home i will enjoy , hope every body else does as well.hc
ryan
A Taste from France.
PROVENCAL CHARD OMELETTE
The Chef Himself Aged 9.
Ingredients. serves 6.
650g or 1/1/2lb Chard leaves without stalks
4 large tbsp olive oil
1 onion
6 eggs, salt & black pepper sprig fresh parsley to garnish
This traditional flat Omelette can also be made with fresh spinach, but chard leaves are typical in Provence. Its delicious served with small black olives.
Preparations
Wash the spinach in running water several time then drain and pat dry place to one side . Peel and slice onion .
Heat half the oil in a frying pan add the onions and cook over a medium - lowish heat for about ten minutes until soft constantly stirring, now add spinach and cook for about another 4-5 Min's until leaves are wilted and tender. In a large bowl beat the eggs, season with salt & pepper, now stir in the onion and spinach mix and bind together .
Heat the remaining 2 tbsp of olive oil in a large clean frying pan heat medium - high heat, now you can pour in the egg mixture reduce to medium-low cover frying pan & cook for a further 5-7 Min's until egg mixture is set around the eggs and almost set on top, just till it starts to smell like it might start to burn as the bottom as the Omelette begins to brown,remove from heat & now place under grill till Omelette begins to rise, remove & sprinkle with grated cheese of your choice, place back under the grill and melt cheese in to mixture & brown to your own taste.
Can be served hot with chips beans etc, or allowed to chill placed in the fridge sliced and served cold with garnish, salad and a well chilled glass of wine. enjoy
PROVENCAL CHARD OMELETTE
The Chef Himself Aged 9.Ingredients. serves 6.
650g or 1/1/2lb Chard leaves without stalks
4 large tbsp olive oil
1 onion
6 eggs, salt & black pepper sprig fresh parsley to garnish
This traditional flat Omelette can also be made with fresh spinach, but chard leaves are typical in Provence. Its delicious served with small black olives.
Preparations
Wash the spinach in running water several time then drain and pat dry place to one side . Peel and slice onion .
Heat half the oil in a frying pan add the onions and cook over a medium - lowish heat for about ten minutes until soft constantly stirring, now add spinach and cook for about another 4-5 Min's until leaves are wilted and tender. In a large bowl beat the eggs, season with salt & pepper, now stir in the onion and spinach mix and bind together .
Heat the remaining 2 tbsp of olive oil in a large clean frying pan heat medium - high heat, now you can pour in the egg mixture reduce to medium-low cover frying pan & cook for a further 5-7 Min's until egg mixture is set around the eggs and almost set on top, just till it starts to smell like it might start to burn as the bottom as the Omelette begins to brown,remove from heat & now place under grill till Omelette begins to rise, remove & sprinkle with grated cheese of your choice, place back under the grill and melt cheese in to mixture & brown to your own taste.
Can be served hot with chips beans etc, or allowed to chill placed in the fridge sliced and served cold with garnish, salad and a well chilled glass of wine. enjoy
Friday, 28 June 2013
Our search goes on.
Simply Organic
Well here we are now nearing the end of June how is our organic journey going.
Its slow, but its good. When we first started out we sort of thought as it's the healthy option of living and as its popularity is gaining ground it's becoming away of life for many, we thought it would be easy to find any Organic produce, but not so.
I know a lot of produce is easily available on the internet which we could easily purchase but don't want to be tied into the house waiting for parcels to arrive all the time, besides we like to see and choose what we are about to buy.
We are now beginning to find some produce locally for our every day lives, but we still have a long way to go, because we are now finding things reasonably locally it has helped us decide to go totally Organic.
When we started this we had full stock cupboards these have to be run down first, you just can't throw it all out and start again from fresh to costly and very wasteful. We are sort of in limbo between two worlds at this moment it time.
While doing even more research popping here and there and looking we began to relies just how big the lifestyle changes were going to be, this brought us to our next decision, (We have to do it in stages).
These stages, I will post as separate threads here as we struggle along day to day.
Hope you enjoy them.
Well here we are now nearing the end of June how is our organic journey going.
Its slow, but its good. When we first started out we sort of thought as it's the healthy option of living and as its popularity is gaining ground it's becoming away of life for many, we thought it would be easy to find any Organic produce, but not so.
I know a lot of produce is easily available on the internet which we could easily purchase but don't want to be tied into the house waiting for parcels to arrive all the time, besides we like to see and choose what we are about to buy.
We are now beginning to find some produce locally for our every day lives, but we still have a long way to go, because we are now finding things reasonably locally it has helped us decide to go totally Organic.
When we started this we had full stock cupboards these have to be run down first, you just can't throw it all out and start again from fresh to costly and very wasteful. We are sort of in limbo between two worlds at this moment it time.
While doing even more research popping here and there and looking we began to relies just how big the lifestyle changes were going to be, this brought us to our next decision, (We have to do it in stages).
These stages, I will post as separate threads here as we struggle along day to day.
Hope you enjoy them.
Thursday, 27 June 2013
Our first encounter
Simply Organic
It was early April 2013 we changed our living style to Organic foods and drinks from here on in, so we thought. ha ha what a joke.
Prior to this date I had done some reading and researching the internet looking at everything and anything to do with farm shops and organics thinking we will go shopping and buy our all our usual shopping but this time it will be all organic. ha ha.
OUR FIRST VISITS TO A FARM SHOP AND BUTCHERS.
Well, a so called organic farm shop, and an organic butchers these were the first two visited. These two were a real eye opener, when we arrived at the butchers advertising for the past 20 yrs as an organic butchers.
When we arrived we were the only two in the shop, I explained we were brand new to the organic life style and had found his shop on the internet as being organic and asked him can I assume all your product here in the shop are organic, his reply, well it made me take a giant step backward, no sir it's free range so I asked for his version of organic and free range, well free range is the next best thing to being Organic all the animals are all grass fed but, I cant guarantee what chemical the grass may or may not have been fed, huh.
A butchers advertising organic produce and can not guarantee his produce as being raised on an organic farm.
No thank you very much.
On our way home we decided to visit the Organic farm we had found, that was even worse, oh my goodness when we walked into the so called grocery section it contained five wicker basket nothing else lettuces in three of the five baskets, to empty to so badly shriveled up looked like they had been there for weeks one basket had two lovely looking lettuce in, we were determined the day was not going to a complete loss and we were not going home empty handed we bought one lettuce yippee.
We were so glad we did, it was absolutely superb in taste far far better that any other lettuce we had ever tasted.
What did we learn.
Ask the questions first, This was our first encounter with our new life style, because its says there Organic don't take them at there face value.
Needless to say its to establishment we wont be visiting again.
It was early April 2013 we changed our living style to Organic foods and drinks from here on in, so we thought. ha ha what a joke.
Prior to this date I had done some reading and researching the internet looking at everything and anything to do with farm shops and organics thinking we will go shopping and buy our all our usual shopping but this time it will be all organic. ha ha.
OUR FIRST VISITS TO A FARM SHOP AND BUTCHERS.
Well, a so called organic farm shop, and an organic butchers these were the first two visited. These two were a real eye opener, when we arrived at the butchers advertising for the past 20 yrs as an organic butchers.
When we arrived we were the only two in the shop, I explained we were brand new to the organic life style and had found his shop on the internet as being organic and asked him can I assume all your product here in the shop are organic, his reply, well it made me take a giant step backward, no sir it's free range so I asked for his version of organic and free range, well free range is the next best thing to being Organic all the animals are all grass fed but, I cant guarantee what chemical the grass may or may not have been fed, huh.
A butchers advertising organic produce and can not guarantee his produce as being raised on an organic farm.
No thank you very much.
On our way home we decided to visit the Organic farm we had found, that was even worse, oh my goodness when we walked into the so called grocery section it contained five wicker basket nothing else lettuces in three of the five baskets, to empty to so badly shriveled up looked like they had been there for weeks one basket had two lovely looking lettuce in, we were determined the day was not going to a complete loss and we were not going home empty handed we bought one lettuce yippee.
We were so glad we did, it was absolutely superb in taste far far better that any other lettuce we had ever tasted.
What did we learn.
Ask the questions first, This was our first encounter with our new life style, because its says there Organic don't take them at there face value.
Needless to say its to establishment we wont be visiting again.
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