White Chocolate and Ginger Tart

If you aren’t into sweet treats, stop reading now!

My youngest came up with this recipe and has grudgingly shared small slices with the rest of us.

You could use a pastry shell but, as we are gluten free, the biscuit base is a nice quick alternative.

This tart fits a 25cm round tin or we use a rectangular tin and make two individual tarts for another night.

Ingredients

475g gluten free ginger nuts

150g butter

400g white chocolate

100g butter

400mls creme fraiche

Dark chocolate to grate over

Method

Melt the butter in the microwave or in a pan, add the crushed biscuits and mix well.

Press the biscuit mix into a loose bottomed tin or individual tins, packing tightly into the base and sides.

Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Gently heat the chocolate and butter in the microwave, stirring frequently until melted.

Whisk in the creme fraiche until lump free.

Pour into the prepared tins and smooth the top.

Refrigerate for 2 hours.

Baked Ricotta With Oregano

This is a great gluten free alternative to quiche and savoury tarts.

If you don’t have Pecorino Romano, a sheeps milk hard cheese, Parmesan works brilliantly too and the oregano can be swapped with fresh thyme.

Serves 4-6.

Ingredients

750g smooth soft ricotta

4 eggs, beaten

150g Pecorino Romano, finely grated

12 oregano sprigs, leaves picked and roughly chopped

Freshly ground pepper

Method

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Centigrade.

Grease a 21cm side sprung loose bottomed cake tin. Line the base and sides with baking parchment, make sure that you have an overlap on the base to ensure nothing can leak out.

In a large bowl whisk all of the ingredients reserving a little cheese and oregano to top the ricotta.

Spoon the ricotta mixture into the prepared tin, smooth out the top and then sprinkle over the reserved cheese and oregano.

Place the cake tin on a baking sheet and slide into the oven. Bake for 30 minutes and then turn the oven down to 160 degrees Centigrade and bake for a further 15-20minutes until the ricotta is golden and set. 

Allow to cool a little in the tin before gently loosening the sides and pulling off the baking parchment.

Salmon and Dill Quiche

This is a super creamy quiche that is lovely warm or cold with a salad.

Gluten free pastry is a pain to work with, you need to forget all that you have learnt handling regular pastry and just accept it for what it is, sticky and tricky so go for more of a rustic look rather than perfection!

I like to make this when I have some leftover poached salmon or alternatively, season  uncooked salmon and wrap in a foil parcel, bake at 200 degrees Centigrade for 15 mins, allow to cool in the parcel.

Serves 8.

Ingredients

Pastry

80g rice flour

80g buckwheat flour

80g polenta

30g ground almonds

Pinch of salt

160g butter, diced

1 egg

2 tablespoons water

Filling

5 eggs

220mls sour cream

220mls cream

350g cooked salmon

4 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

salt and pepper

15g Parmesan, finely grated

Method

In a food processor, combine the flours, polenta, ground almonds and butter until they form breadcrumbs.

Whisk the egg and water together and with the motor running add them to the flours, process until the dough comes together.

Remove the dough, wrap in plastic wrap and pop into the fridge for two hours.

Take a 23cm wide, 3cm deep quiche tin.

Break small pieces off the dough and gently squish them into the tin until you have covered the base and sides, rising 5mm higher than the edge height.

Pop the tin into the fridge for 1-2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Centigrade.

Remove the tin from the fridge, line with a piece of baking parchment and fill with baking beads or beans.

Place the tin on a baking sheet and bake blind for 15-20 mins.

Remove from the oven, still on the tray.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, add the sour cream and cream and whisk again.

Stir in the dill, salt and pepper.

Spread the salmon chunks over the base of the pastry case.

Pour the egg mix over the salmon and sprinkle the Parmesan over.

Bake in the oven for 25-30mins until the quiche is golden and the egg has only a slight wobble!

Allow to settle for 10mins before cutting.

Spinach and Cherry Tomato Pie

We all need a cheat in the kitchen!

Sometimes time is not on my side so pastry cases and spinach in the freezer save me with this pie, the chooks help out with the eggs.

Dare I say, it also gets a good dose of greens into the boys with no complaints! It also transports well so large slices are ideal for lunch boxes.

Serves 4-6. I tend to make two at a time to give me the lunch box leftovers.

Ingredients

1 frozen savoury pie case

225g frozen chopped spinach

5 eggs

150mls cream

8-10 cherry tomatoes, halved

freshly grated nutmeg

salt and pepper

10g Parmesan, finely grated

Method

Blind bake the pastry case as per instructions.

Defrost the spinach and squeeze out all of the excess water, set aside.

In a bowl, whisk the eggs and cream, grate in a little nutmeg and season well.

Add the spinach to the egg mix and stir well.

Once the case has pre baked, remove from the oven and fill with the egg and spinach.

Top with the halved tomatoes, cut side up and sprinkle with cheese.

Return to the oven and bake until the centre of the pie has only just set, it can still have a bit of a wobble!

Allow to sit for 10mins before cutting.