BEETROOT CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES
PREP TIME: 10 MINUTES
COOK TIME: 15 MINUTES
MAKES: 10 CUPCAKES
INGREDIENTS:
• 120g butter
• 200g cooked beetroot
• 100g dates
• 4 tbsp honey (or maple syrup for under ones)
• 3 eggs
• 120g gluten-free self-raising flour (if you want to use self-raising wheat flour, the recipe works the same. Just omit the xanthan gum and use 20g more of the self- raising wheat flour)
• 20g cacao powder
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
• buttercream icing or whipped cream, for decorating
• blueberries and choc chips, chopped up a bit, for decoration
METHOD:
I originally made these for Rudy at Halloween, but they seem to have come out as a regular bake in our house. They also can be turned into a cake; just add about 10 minutes onto the bake time for a 2Ocm round cake.
1.
Preheat the oven to 18O°C Fan. Melt the butter in a saucepan on a low heat.
2.
Put the beetroot, dates and honey into a food processor and blend until smooth. Add in the butter and blend again.
3.
Add the eggs, flour, cacao powder, baking powder, salt and xanthan gum and blend again until fully combined.
4.
Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the mixture into each of ten cupcake cases so the mixture is just underneath the top of the case.
5.
Bake in the oven for l5 minutes. Take out and cool.
6.
Decorate the cupcakes with some buttercream or whipped cream and sprinkle with the blueberries and chocolate chips.
LENTIL LASAGNE
PREP TIME: 15 MINUTES
COOK TIME: 1 HOUR
SERVES: 2 ADULTS AND 2 KIDS
INGREDIENTS:
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, diced
• 2 small white onions, diced
• 2 tbsp ground cumin
• 4 medium carrots, diced
• 300g red split lentils
• 2 x 400g tins tomatoes
• 200g mushrooms, diced
• 1 litre (4 cups) boiling water mixed with 1 tbsp vegetable stock powder
• 8–10 lasagne sheets (you can get spelt, which is what I use)
WHITE SAUCE
• 2 heaped tbsp butter or olive oil
• 4 heaped tbsp plain flour (gluten-free, spelt or wheat)
• 500ml (2 cups) milk (if you are using plant milk, use a creamy one like cashew, soya, oat or coconut)
• 100g hard goat’s cheese or Cheddar
METHOD:
I love a good hearty lasagne – it reminds me of home. This is perfect for freezing. You just need to layer it in an ovenproof storage container (you can get Pyrex glass ones or use the foil ones you get from takeaways) and this way you can take it out of the freezer and pop it straight into the oven. If you are freezing it, layer as normal but don’t cook it in the oven – pop straight into the freezer.
1.
To a medium pan, add the olive oil, garlic, onion and cumin and sauté for 2 minutes over a medium heat. Add the carrots and cook for a further 2–3 minutes.
2.
Mix in the lentils, tinned tomatoes and chopped mushrooms and combine over a medium heat. Add half the stock and leave to simmer away for 15–20 minutes, stirring occasionally so the lentils don’t stick to the bottom. Add the remaining stock in intervals as the liquid is absorbed, so the lentils can cook slowly.
3.
While the sauce is cooking, make the white sauce. In a small pan add the butter and melt over a medium heat. Once it starts to bubble (don’t let it burn), add the flour and whisk fast. Once it is a paste, turn the heat down a little and slowly add the milk while whisking continuously so that no lumps appear. Once it’s at a nice, thick sauce stage, add the cheese to melt. Leave a little cheese behind to add to the top of the lasagne.
4.
Preheat the oven to 180°C Fan.
5.
Get a 30cm ovenproof dish and add a layer of lentil sauce to the bottom, then add a thin layer of white sauce followed by a sheet of raw lasagne. Add another layer of lentils, then another thin layer of white sauce. Repeat until you get to the top of the dish, with the last layer being the white sauce over the top of the lasagne sheets. Sprinkle with a little cheese and put into the oven for 30–40 minutes or until the top is golden and bubbling away.
6.
To reheat, put the frozen lasagne into a preheated 180°C Fan oven for 45–55 minutes or until warm and cooked through.