Friday 30 August 2013

Breakfast Challenge: Middle Eastern Style


Our Breakfast challenge is coming to an end- soon the kids will be going back to school and we'll be focusing our efforts on achieving the perfect packed lunch. However today we'rengiving away the secret of our all time favourite gluten free breakfast: Shakshuka.



This breakfast/brunch is full of healthy ingredients yet it tastes wholesome and always looks impressive. If you get the chance go and get the real deal at Nopi where Ottolenghi really shows what Middle Eastern cooking is all about. We think our recipe is almost on par! Dip a slice of Barkat's country loaf into the Shakshuka for the ultimate indulgence!



Serves 6
Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 medium onion, peeled and diced
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 medium green or red bell pepper, chopped
4 cups ripe diced tomatoes, or 2 cans of chopped tomatoes
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp chili powder (mild)
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp paprika
Pinch of cayenne pepper (or more to taste-- spicy!)
Pinch of sugar (optional, to taste)
Salt and pepper to taste
5-6 eggs
1/2 tbsp fresh chopped parsley or coriander (optional, for garnish)

*Heat a large deep frying pan for a couple of minutes then add the oil
*Add the onion and garlic and leave to soften for a couple of minutes. Then add the pepper and leave to sauté for another 5 mins.
*Add the tomatoes and tomato paste and stir. Add spices and sugar and then stir and leave to sauté for another 5 mins
*The mixture will start to thicken. Taste and add salt and pepper to your taste.
*Thw fun bit- crack the eggs and add each one individually to the pan. Spread them out evenly- it's best to start around the edges and then work your way into the centre. Cover for 10-15 mins until the eggs are cooked.
*Bake the Country loaf and serve with the Shakshuka.
*Either eat it out of the pan or serve onto individual plates.

This is a breakfast for champions!

Monday 26 August 2013

Bank Holiday Breakfast Feast




The sun has been shining. The long weekend was a success and the breakfast challenge is still going on.

This weekend I tried to rustle up a gluten free summer inspired breakfast as the sunny days will soon be creeping to an end.

So on the menu was: Maple syrup baked peaches with Greek Yoghurt and a flapjack topping. This is seriously simple to make but it went down a treat.


Serves 6

Ingredients:

6 flat bottomed peaches
A good drizzle of maple syrup
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp muscovado sugar
200 ml Greek Yoghurt


Flapjack topping:
175g butter
175g golden syrup
175g muscovado sugar
350g Barkat Porridge Flakes
½ lemon, finely grated zest
pinch ground ginger

* Set the oven at 150c
* Slice the peaches in half horizontally and place them skin up on a baking tray
* Drizzle the maple syrup, cinnamon and sugar over the peaches
* Bake in the oven for 40 mins



For the flapjacks:
* Line a 20cm square baking tin with baking paper.
* Melt the butter in a medium pan over a low heat (use a small amount of the melted butter to line the baking tin)
* Add the golden syrup and sugar to the butter and heat gently. Once the sugar is dissolved and the butter is melted, remove the pan from the heat and stir in the porridge flakes, lemon zest and ginger.
* Pack the mixture into the baking tin and squash down
* Bake in the oven for 40 minutes.
* Once it is perfectly golden brown, leave to cool for 15 minutes, then turn out on to a chopping board and cut into squares.

Serve the peaches in a bowl, spoon on the greek yoghurt and then top with the delicious flapjacks.

If you aren't a fan of peaches you can opt for seasonal berries or bananas instead.

Make use of our special deal! Get the Porridge Flakes for £2.99 NOW!


The breakfast challenge is almost over- let us know what you've thought of our choices!

Tuesday 20 August 2013

Breakfast challenge: The Great British Bake Off is back!



Finally we can celebrate, The Great British Bake Off is back on our screens and there is even a gluten free chef for us to rave about! Tonight's television inspired us to make a cake that is ideal for breakfast- the much loved banana cake!


It tastes seriously delicious when heated in a pan and topped with a small spread of butter or peanut butter


Ingredients
40g cherries
75g sultanas
110g butter
110g caster sugar
2 large eggs
3 ripe bananas
225g Barkat's gluten free flour
2 tsp Barkat's gluten free baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

*Grease a loaf tin and set the oven to 180c

* Wash and dry the cherries. Cut into quarters and mix with the sultanas

*Cream the butter and sugar together until pale, light and soft

*Add the eggs, one by one, and beat well

* Mash the bananas and add to the creamed mixture

* Sift the gluten free flour and baking powder and salt together and fold carefully into the banana mixture. Very gently, stir in the cherries and sultanas, so that they are evenly distributed through the mixture

*Pour the mixture into the loaf tin and bake in the oven for about 1¼ - 1½ hours for the loaf until golden on top and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean

* Remove the loaf from the tin and cool on a wire rack and slice the loaf into eight pieces to serve.


This is a rather special breakfast which proves that gluten free cakes don't have to be held back to the afternoon. Mary Berry would be proud!

Monday 19 August 2013

Breakfast Challenge: Porridge Flakes not just for winter





We are nearing the end of the Breakfast Challenge and I am still finding new exciting ways to kickstart my day. Having always been a fan of Bircher Muesli, I thought why not make my own using Barkat's Organic porridge flakes? Porridge flakes no longer need to be reserved for winter.

This is such a filling and healthy start to the day, it might even top the breakfast challenge charts!


Serves 6 (perfect for a week's amount giving you a free day to be naughty!)

Ingredients:
500g Barkat's Organic Porridge Oats
250ml apple juice
1 cup of milk/lactose free equivalent (almond milk)
3 tbsp honey
125ml Greek yoghurt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup sultanas
50g flaked almonds
2 tsp cinnamon
A handful of berries/1 grated apple

*Place the porridge flakes and sultanas in a bowl with the juice. Cover and leave to soak overnight.
*Fold in the remaining ingredients except the cinnamon
*Sprinkle with berries and cinnamon

So easy. Seriously effective.

Thursday 15 August 2013

BREAKFAST CHALLENGE: HOMEMADE BREAD AND JAM!





The smell of freshly baked bread is one of my absolute favourites and makes me feel like a real domestic goddess!

Glebe Farm makes baking seriously simple and so now we are able to make gluten free delights without even getting the weighing scales out.

Seeing as the breakfast challenge is well underway, I thought why not make a loaf of almost 'homemade' gluten free bread along with a pot of homemade jam for a delicious start to the day!

Jam is so simple to make and when served in a pot with a ribbon around it, it makes a perfect gift!



For the bread:

All you need is-
1 pack of Glebe Farm Seeded Brown Bread Mix
325ml warm water
1 yeast sachet (included in mix)

*Grease 450g loaf tin.

*In a bowl add the bread mix, 325ml warm water and the contents of the yeast sachet, whisk together until fully combined.

*Leave the mixture for 40 minutes (until doubled in size) in a warm area and cover with a plastic bag.

*Pre-heat oven at 200°C, 400°F, Gas Mark 6 and cook for 25 minutes until cooked.

So the bread is seriously easy!

Now for the jam...


I like to make my jam in large quantities as I always give them away as presents so this recipe will serve 4 jars.

Ingredients:
900g summer berries (you can choose any fruit you want- I love mixing plums and strawberries!)
900g granulated sugar
Knob of butter

*Put the fruit into a large heavy-based saucepan.

* If you want to use blackberries, add 50ml of water and 1½ tbsp of lemon juice, if plums take your fancy make sure you halve and stone them and then add 150ml of water, for strawberries add 3 tbsp of lemon juice (no water needed) and for raspberries, add nothing. Bring to the boil.

*Lower the heat. For blackberries, simmer for 15 minutes; for plums, simmer for 30-40 minutes; for raspberries, simmer for 2 minutes; for strawberries, simmer for 5 minutes. The fruit should be soft.

*Pour in the sugar, stir over a very low heat until the sugar has completely dissolved.

* Raise the heat, bring to the boil, let the blackberries boil for 10-12 minutes, plums for 10 minutes, raspberries for 5 minutes or strawberries for 20-25 minutes- no need to stir!

*Remove from the heat, skim off any excess peel, then stir a knob of butter across the surface.

*Leave for about 15 mins so the fruit can settle.

*Pour into jars and decorate with a ribbon!

This makes for such a lovely gluten free breakfast especially when served with a big cup of tea!


Enjoy!


Tuesday 13 August 2013

Breakfast Challenge: Rice Crunchies SPECIAL OFFER



This morning we went simple and opted for a bowl of Rice Crunchies- sometimes there is nothing better than a bowl of cereal with some cold milk and some chopped up fruit.




Gluten Free Foods loves that we can have gluten free cereals that taste just as good as the real thing! That is why we've decided to give you a special offer! You can buy ONE packet of Rice Crunchies and get another ONE FREE!!!


We are feeling rather generous, so we thought why not throw another offer out there? Buy ONE pack of coffee biscuits and get another ONE for FREE as well!

We got up on the right side of bed today- enjoy!

Let us know what you had for breakfast! @gfbarkat

Monday 12 August 2013

Breakfast Challenge: Pancake Day




If only Pancake Day was every day. This weekend breakfast was all about gluten free pancakes. We made the mix on Saturday morning and finished it up for brunch on Sunday.




I have made buckwheat pancakes before which are of course naturally gluten free (will post recipe soon) but seeing as we were wanting a no-fuss easy method, we opted for the Barkat Pancake Mix.

It is seriously simple, you just add 2 tablespoons of oil and 300ml of milk and whisk the mixture together.

Then just add one ladle of the mixture to a heated saucepan and cook for one minute! We tried flipping the pancake over but unfortunately that requires a bit of skill and so we ended up with a slight pancake disaster!

These gluten free pancakes taste pretty delicious with the simple yet reliable topping of sugar and lemon however just like with waffle toppings the choices are limitless.


Other favourite gluten free toppings are:

SWEET:
Melted chocolate buttons and strawberries
Berry compote and a spoonful of greek yoghurt
Nutella and banana
Marmalade and a spoonful of yoghurt
Maple syrup and cinnamon
Honey and raisins

SAVOURY:
Grated cheese and tomatoes
Fried egg and bacon
Ricotta and roasted vegetables
Spinach and Brie
Ham and cheese


Who cares if pancake day comes round once a year? We want to celebrate the fact that we can still eat pancakes and be gluten free!

Let us know your topping suggestions @gfbarkat


Friday 9 August 2013

Breakfast Challenge: Muffin Time!



You know how much we like our gluten free muffins here at Gluten Free Foods. In fact our recipe of the month is Blueberry Muffins which we make from scratch using Barkat's Gluten Free Flour Mix.

Today we were craving a sweet fix but just had no time to start baking and so instead we opted for the far easier option of using one of the Glebe Farm Mixes.

We went for the Cranberry and Blueberry Muffin Mix which is a close favourite to our homemade blueberry muffins.

For those of you who are think gluten free baking is a nightmare or who just don't have the time to rustle up a cake for your children's cake sales- Glebe Farm is exactly what you need.


It's seriously simple. All you need to do is add margarine, eggs and either yoghurt or a banana, mix it together and bake them!

And there's no need to tell anyone that Glebe Farm did the hard work for you! So take all the credit and make a batch of muffins for breakfast over the weekend- you will feel very popular indeed!

Thursday 8 August 2013

Gluten Free Chef of the Year- Are you the next Phil Vickery?


Gluten free cooking is very in vogue. Gwyneth Paltrow is making quite a name for herself as a gluten free chef. Her sweet potato muffins went down a treat here at Gluten Free Foods. But would she be able to rustle up a 3 course meal using gluten free ingredients and seasonal produce in a bid to impress the famous gluten free chef Phil Vickery?

In fact forget Gwyneth! Do you think you could make a gluten free meal certain to impress the tastebuds of 'This Morning' chef, Phil Vickery?


If you have a gluten free pasta dish, a flourless chocolate fondant recipe or a 'to die for' gluten free victoria sponge- send in an application for the Gluten Free Chef of the year!

Apply now to Coeliac UK's Gluten Free Chef of the Year Competition

Wednesday 7 August 2013

Day 4: Breakfast Challenge- French Toast



French Toast is the posh phrase for eggy bread. This dish is the top breakfast choice for everyone here at Gluten Free Foods. And we stand in good company- Gwyneth Paltrow and Rachel Weisz who also follow gluten free diets both state it's the one dish they miss the most!

Well you don't have to miss out at all! Just find a wholesome gluten free bread and it will taste equally as good!


Serves 2

Ingredients:

4 slices of Barkat's Country Loaf
4 eggs (Duck eggs are the best)
A glug of milk (or dairy free equivalent)
1 pinch of ground Cinnamon
Golden Syrup
A knob of butter

* Heat the oven to 180c and bake Barkat's Country Loaf for 15 mins
* Heat the frying pan for about 1 minute and then add the butter
* Swivel the butter around the pan
* Beat the eggs in a mixing bowl which is big enough to hold the slices of bread
* Add a glug of milk and beat again
* Once the bread is baked, dunk a slice at a time into the bowl and then turn it over so that it absorbs the eggy mixture
* Place on the frying pan
* Turn over after about 1 minute (until it gets golden brown)
* Once golden on both sides place on the plate and add a pinch of cinnamon and as much golden syrup as you want!
* I like to eat it with a sprinkling of berries

Seriously delicious!!


SPECIAL OFFER FOR BREAKFAST CHALLENGE




SPECIAL OFFER TO CELEBRATE THE BREAKFAST CHALLENGE


Get 50p off EVERY box of cereal! Just type GFcereal3Xz into the voucher code when you check out and you can JOIN IN our Breakfast celebration.

Pick from Chocolate Pillows, Cornflakes, Muesli, Porridge Flakes, Chocolate Cornflakes, Rice Crunchies,Breakfast Pops and many more....

Pick from these cereals on offer!




Enjoy!

Tuesday 6 August 2013

Day 3: Breakfast Offer


Today was not the day for a relaxed breakfast. It was a day for a quick bowl of cereal and a rush to get out the door.

Thankfully Barkat's range of cereals left me with plenty to choose from. I am a self-confessed chocoholic and their Chocolate Pillows top even my snobby chocolatey standards.


So I opted for a bowl of Chocolate Pillows which I then scattered with a handful of Frosted Cornflakes (I felt like a child again) and then filled the bowl with sweetened almond milk.

When in a rush or on the school run, a bowl of cereal is the ideal start to the day and luckily the range of gluten free cereals from Barkat means that a gluten free diet no longer needs to be restricting!



SPECIAL OFFER TO CELEBRATE THE BREAKFAST CHALLENGE


To celebrate our love for cereal we are offering 50p off EVERY box of cereal! Just type GFcereal3Xz into the voucher code when you check out and you can JOIN IN our Breakfast celebration.

Enjoy!

Monday 5 August 2013

Breakfast Challenge Day 3 - Weekend Pleasures



** WAFFLEMANIA **



Weekends are all about indulging. More sleep, more tv and most definitely more gluten free treats.



This weekend I made brunch my top priority seeing as the Breakfast Challenge is in full swing. It was the perfect opportunity to savour Barkat's gluten free waffles which I am sure taste better than a gluten equivalent.

I lightly toasted them and served them with lashings of maple syrup, peanut butter, strawberries and raspberries- it was seriously divine!

Unfortunately I ate the waffles up in such haste that the opportunity for a picture was of the cards. Instead, here is a list of serving suggestions to enjoy with your gluten free waffles...






*vanilla and chocolate syrup (naughty but so worth it!)

*orange marmalade and maple syrup

*peanut butter and sliced banana

*go savoury and add a fried egg and streaky bacon

*cinnamon, berries and Chantilly cream

*raspberry jam, whipped cream and chopped walnuts



There are endless suggestions- please let us know yours- the more unusual the better!

Friday 2 August 2013

Breakfast Challenge: Day 2




I wanted to try something a little bit unusual for Breakfast this morning. I usually crave something sweet however today I decided to have a try at a more savoury option. I went for the wholesome choice of: Wilted Spinach with poached eggs and goat's cheese which I soaked up with some Barkat Gluten Free Crackers


It sounds complicated however it took me under 5 mins to prepare and surprisingly it tasted delicious and kept me totally satisfied until lunch! It seems that poaching eggs is a common domestic anxiety. However it really is simple- it's just about remembering that the water needs to be bubbling hot before the egg is added- give it a go!


Recipe
Serves 1

Ingredients

2 cups spinach
1 tsp of butter
2 eggs
50g goat's cheese
a pinch of salt and pepper
2 Barkat Gluten Free Crackers


*Steam the spinach for 2 minutes until just wilted and season with salt and pepper.

*Boil some water in the saucepan until it is bubbling. With a fork create a spiral in the water and then quickly pour the egg into the saucepan. Leave to cook for 3 - 4 mins.

*Spoon the spinach onto the plate and add the butter. Then place the egg on top of the spinach and crumble the goat's cheese on top.

*Dip the crackers into the egg yolk and enjoy!



So simple yet filled with energising vitamins and proteins!

The perfect gluten free breakfast to fire you up.

Thursday 1 August 2013

BREAKFAST CHALLENGE HAS BEGUN



This month we are focused on Breakfast. We want to give ourselves the best start to the day by experimenting with our breakfast choices. Whether it is a light bowl of seasonal fruit with greek yoghurt and a sprinkling of rosy's granola, fried eggs on our crunchy country loaf or (my personal favourite) lightly toasted waffles soaked in maple syrup and a sprinkling of berries, we are becoming early birds in ode to Breakfast!


DAY 1

The sun is shining once more. On days like these, I want my breakfast to have a Mediterranean feel to it. I like to sit alfresco with the daily papers and spend time preparing myself for the day ahead.

I always start the day with a cup of hot water and lemon- as this quickly hydrates your body in preparation for the meal ahead!



I wanted something light yet tasty this morning so I opted for a small bowl of our organic muesli with some almond milk (can use dairy milk however I prefer the sweet taste of the almonds). I then add a big dollop of greek yoghurt, a sprinkling of strawberry slices and cinnamon and my secret ingredient is a teaspoon of almond butter (be careful with investing in this butter as it is not uncommon for pots to be eaten in one go!).


This breakfast is an extremely healthy gluten free option and it tastes fresh, crunchy and surprisingly filling. Just the right choice for a day spent in the sun!

Have a try and let me know what you think.

Now I need to get my thinking cap on for breakfast time tomorrow.....