Change of Diet ~ Entering the World of Wheat Free and Limited Dairy....

*Image courtesy of logo-kid.com

Yes you read the title right!! For various personal reasons our Dr. has suggested that we try a Wheat Free Diet with limited dairy. Now if you know me (or have looked at the amount of recipes I  have under the pasta section!) you'll know that giving up wheat (albeit temporarily) is a b-i-g thing for me. Without doubt one of my favourite things in the world is a big bowl of Spicy Tomato Pasta and as for French Bread.... don't even get me started! However I am more than willing to give this a go so I thought if I'm going to do it I would share my experiences with you.

Now I know going Wheat Free isn't exactly a new thing and for many different reasons millions of people have jumped on the Gluten Free Band Wagon, I just didn't think I would ever be one but here I am! I'm not going to lie, when I initially started doing some research and looked for delicious wheat free recipes that were also limited in dairy it was overwhelming. My moods have been up and down over the past 5 days but I finally think I am getting there.... well to grips with it anyway. I still have a long road ahead and know I will have my cravings but today I am definitely feeling positive about things.

So what have I done? Well for starters, I haven't thrown out every item that has wheat in it. For now it's just been put to one side and instead today I replaced it with some gluten free alternatives. After doing some research I decided to try Corn Pasta rather than the Rice Pasta (which I have had in the past and really didn't like). I have also stocked up in Gluten Free Crackers (which I have yet to try) and lots of super crunchy Rice Crackers which I absolutely love anyway so no issues there. Since toast features heavily in my breakfast routine I've had to come up with some new ideas so today I made a giant batch of Granola* for us as well as some Granola Energy Bars courtesy of Dorie Greenspan's wonderful book Baking Chez Moi. I also have plenty of eggs in the fridge and this morning I had a delicious breakfast of Scrambled Eggs with Spring(Green) Onion, Tomatoes, Chilli and Coriander (Cilantro) with some Avocado on the side. It was delicious and I certainly didn't feel like I was missing out! A lot of Smoothies and Juices are going to be appearing so today I also stocked up with plenty of fruit (including frozen fruit for things that aren't quite in season yet), spinach and kale as well as Pomegranate Juice, Coconut Water and Almond Milk. I also bought some Coconut Yogurt which is another new item for me and yet to be tried (I'll let you know how I find all the new things!).

Pomegranate & Granola Yogurt Crunch

I seriously debated on what to call this…. Parfait, Pots and Crunch were all up there and to be honest I’m not sure if ‘Crunch’ is the right choice, however what I can assure you is that this is absolutely delicious and the perfect way to start your day!

I love eating this for breakfast and so I decided it was only fair to share it with you, especially since not only does it taste fantastic and is healthy but it looks so pretty that you could easily serve it to friends or family coming over for brunch. I use my own homemade Granola (click for the recipe) but you could easily use your favourite Granola instead – be it homemade or bought! It is so easy to make and the fruit can be changed throughout the year to whatever is in season, but I’ll be honest Pomegranate is my favourite!

Serves 1 generous portion – or enough for Wee One & I to share! (Easily doubled)

175g/ ¾ cup Fat Free Plain Greek Yogurt

1 tbsp honey (or to taste)

3 tbsp Granola

½ fresh pomegranate

Mix together the yogurt and honey and stir well before spooning half of it into the bottom of a glass bowl (or alternatively you could use glasses – either pretty tumblers or wine glasses). Sprinkle over 1 tablespoon of Granola and ½ of the pomegranate then repeat with the layering, finishing with the pomegranate.

(Approximately 340 calories per portion however, that will depend on the Granola and Yogurt that you use.)

The Best of 2013

Where did 2013 go?!! I have to admit that for the last 2 months my blogging has taken a serious nose dive! With lots of things going on I unfortunately just haven't had the time to take photos and post new recipes, or even review some cookbooks. I'm hoping however after a break in January I'll be back at it with a renewed sense of inspiration and a little bit of extra time on my hands allowing me to keep posting delicious new delights and updated reviews!

In the meantime here are the Top 5 recipes of 2013 as viewed by you, which I have to say are some of my all time favourite recipes that I cook over and over again - I hope you do too!

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Coming in at number 5 is my Homemade Granola.

To be honest my husband would probably put this at number 1 as he loves it and eats it every day but it wasn't your favourite recipe of 2013 (maybe you just missed it!!)......

Ultimate Granola

I've had this recipe tucked away for a long time. Stashing it away for another project or at the least a 'reserve' when I hadn't managed to photograph a new recipe. But then it occurred to me that I really should post it (and not just because I have nothing else to post this week!!) because it is incredibly popular in our house and I feel like I am always making up a fresh batch!

When my husband is in town during the week this is his favourite breakfast to have. He can either have a bowl with milk at home before heading to work, or if in a rush he grabs some and takes it with some yogurt to enjoy as soon as he has some time!

The recipe was adapted from one I read in The Meat Free Monday Cookbook but after doing quite a bit of research on Granola recipes, I found that honestly they are all pretty similar, and really it's just about finding a combination that you like then if need be, adapting things slightly. I'm not going to lie, this isn't a cheap version of Granola but in my opinion it is worth every penny! This version really has a little bit of everything in it so it's a big hit in our family and the touch of cinnamon adds a delicious warmth to it. It makes a lot which I like as it lasts a little longer but if you prefer you can easily half the recipe.

Enjoy it with milk, to snack on by itself, or my favourite way – sprinkled over yogurt.

{I like to use cups for this recipe rather than measuring everything out as I find it a lot easier. If you don't have specific measuring cups just find a small mug or coffee cup and use that – the main thing is just to keep the quantities the same once you find your cup of choice!}

Makes approx. 12 cups of Granola

½ cup almonds, roughly chopped

½ cup pecans, roughly chopped

½ cup brazil nuts or other nuts of your choice, roughly chopped

4 cups porridge oats

½ cup sunflower seeds

½ cup pumpkin seeds

½ cup flax seeds

½ cup flaked coconut

1 ½ tsp cinnamon

½ cup grape seed or sunflower oil

½ cup honey or agave syrup

1 cup dried fruit of your choice – I like a combination of sour cherries, goji berries and sweet cranberries but you could add raisins, dried blueberries or dried apricots, chopped up

Preheat the oven to 350F/ 180C and line a large baking sheet (or 2 smaller ones) with baking parchment - trust me, this will help with clean up!

In a large bowl mix together the almonds, pecans, brazil buts, oats, all of the seeds, coconut and the cinnamon. Mix well then add the oil and honey. Stir well so that everything is evenly coated with the oil and honey, mix then transfer to the baking tray (or trays). Spread the granola out evenly over the tray and press down slightly with the back of a large spoon or spatula, then bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes, turning half way through cooking so that it gets evenly browned.

Once the granola is golden and crisp, remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes then add the dried fruit. Transfer to an airtight container and enjoy however you like.