Category: Dairy-Free

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Lamb and Sweet Potato Curry

This is a nice, simple and quick curry that we have started to make a bit – it’s a variation on a coconut cream-and tomato based curry – that has neither ingredient!

This one can also be made vegetarian, just add carrot, Kumara, potato and/or parsnips instead of meat. It’s also good with other stew-type vegetables – like tomatoes, or green, canellini, or kidney beans. Though it’s best not to try it with broccoli or zucchini. Shudder. This can be made quite hot, but we tend to keep it mild for the kids. This recipe has had some success on the children-will-eat front.
It should take about 1/2- 3/4 of an hour to put together. Don’t forget to have with rice or thick fresh bread.
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Gluten and Dairy-Free Train Wheel-Piston Cake

I was going to write more about our NZ trip, and I will next week, but today is recipe day, so I’m going to run through how I made C’s 7th Birthday cake. Seven? How did that happen? And after convincing him that I couldn’t design a cake with the cake-wheels on edge with an axle in between that would move, I worked through some sketches of train wheels till I had executive approval for this design.

It’s two train wheels, with a piston sitting on a train track in a coal yard. And as far as cakes go, this one wasn’t the hardest I have ever made. Working with fondant is like working with playdoh. Though it does taste rather commercial – next time I will be experimenting with different flavours but I ran out of time this year. I also think the cakes would be improved with the add‭itions of a jam layer – something tart, like apricot, so I will be experimenting with that too at a later date.

Anyway, enjoy the chaos!
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Gluten-Free Doughnuts

Gluten-Free Doghnuts, yellowreadis.com, Image: Hand made doughnuts in awhite bowl on wooden bench

There are an awful lot of great-looking gluten-free doughnut recipes out there. And Pinterest is a dangerous pastime. From this, to this…ooh and this, and maybe this one too.

But when I actually got down to looking at how they were made – most of them required yeast and buttermilk, which I prefer to avoid in large quantities. And that doesn’t really go with over-the-top doughnut indulgence.

But then, I found this great recipe, from Alicia Baker at examiner.com, Easy gluten free and dairy free glazed doughnuts.
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Spice Biscuits

These yummy biscuits are lovely with a cup of tea, and have an aroma that easily wins me over to the ‘must-eat-biscuits’ cookie-monster dark-side. These biscuits are one of C’s favourites – but then again, he loves most cakes and biscuits. J rather loves crumbling them – and some even gets eaten. They’re also excellent as presents. It’s the freshly ground cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves that really does the trick – yes you can use pre-ground spices, but nothing beats that freshly ground smell. Continue reading “Spice Biscuits”

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Basic Gluten-Free Vanilla Cake

This is the cake I make all the time. I don’t need to look at a recipe anymore, it’s so automatic. I use this cake-base as a start for pretty much all my cakes and cup-cakes – just add other flavours – banana, dates, cinnamon, raspberry, apples or blueberries.  It works beautifully.

This cake is lovely just as it is, but is also lovely iced, or turned into a cinnamon tea cake. Continue reading “Basic Gluten-Free Vanilla Cake”