Gluten-free Banana Choc Muffins

It’s taken me quite some time to decide to blog this recipe. I developed it months ago and have made it many times since then. The texture of these muffins is moist and springy and they hold together really well, as if they’d been made with gluten. But just as I thought about blogging the recipe, I noticed a few other recipes with the same flavour combination had started to appear. There’s this recipe by The Hungry Australian – muffins, also gluten-free and made with chocolate chips. Have a look at the photography. In Christina’s true trademark style, it’s simply stunning.

Then more recently, She Cooks She Gardens posted this recipe for Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies. They look fantastic and I think they could easily be adapted to gluten-free. I might try it!

Anyway, after seeing these variations of such a great flavour combination, I decided I should throw my hat into the ring with my own recipe. My kids love these for a recess-time refuel.

Enjoy!

Ingredients

2 eggs

50 g tapioca flour

70 g sorghum flour

60 g brown rice flour

20 g cacao powder

20 g baking powder

5 g psyllium husk

350 g ripe bananas (approximately 2), peeled and mashed

110 g brown sugar

125 ml oil

125 ml milk

1 tsp vanilla essence

Gluten-free chocolate buttons, to decorate

Method

Preheat the oven to 180° Celsius (conventional oven) or 160° Celsius (fan-forced oven). Grease and line 12 cavities in a 125 ml (half-cup) capacity muffin tray.

Beat eggs for 5 minutes in large bowl of an electric mixer. Sift in tapioca flour, sorghum flour, brown rice flour, cacao powder, baking powder and psyllium husk.

Add mashed banana, sugar, oil, milk and vanilla essence.

Mix until combined.

Spoon mixture into muffin tray, until each cavity is approximately three-quarters full.

Bake for 25 minutes. Remove tray from oven and arrange chocolate buttons on the top of each muffin. Bake for a further 5 minutes.

Remove from oven and leave in tray to cool.

Makes 12.

Gluten-free Pumpkin and Chickpea Curry Cups

I don’t know about your kids, but mine have always protested loudly at being served curries. I’ve long considered it an inconvenience. I love Indian curries. They’re just fantastic at home, in a restaurant, or for a sneaky takeaway meal. And because they’re so often gluten-free, they would be the perfect solution to the challenges of eating out. You know, after giving the wait staff the third degree about what’s in the food and how it’s prepared, you then sit and wait to see if there’s any nasty reaction from the food that you were assured was gluten-free. It’s a bit of an emotional rollercoaster, to be honest.

So it was frustrating that my kids wouldn’t touch anything with even a hint of spice. But recently, they discovered the pure joy of butter chicken and now will happily eat mild curry. I’m not sure what changed – it may have been a bit of perseverance on my part, or they worked out that butter chicken doesn’t contain any vegetables (apart from onion). I’d love to give myself a pat on the back and declare that perseverance is key, but I’m sure they out foxed me on the veggie front.

Anyway, I liked the idea of a pumpkin and chickpea curry as it’s so nice to have a meat-free family meal every now and again. I used coconut oil and butter chicken curry paste in this recipe, but any oil and a good-quality gluten-free paste of your choice will do.

There’s nothing like a quick conversion of meal leftovers to lunchbox fare, and that’s what I’ve done here. Serve the curry with rice for the main meal and then add an egg to the curry leftovers. Spoon the leftovers into the bread cases, which can be quickly and easily fashioned. Even if the cases crack or have holes in them, it doesn’t matter. The curry mix will fill the holes and set during the cooking process. You end up with an easy to manage, tasty lunch that can be prepared in minutes.

Enjoy!

Pumpkin and Chickpea Curry Cups

Ingredients

6 slices gluten-free bread

2 cups pumpkin and chickpea curry (see recipe below)

1 egg, lightly beaten

Method

Preheat oven to 180° Celsius (conventional oven) or 160° Celsius (fan-forced oven). Grease and line 6 cavities in a half-cup capacity muffin tray.

Separate slices of bread and spread out on a plate. Microwave for approximately 10-20 seconds, or until bread is warm and fairly flexible. Using a rolling-pin, gently roll over each slice of bread until it is approximately 3 or 4 mm thick. Press each slice of bread into a cavity in the muffin tray. Press overlapping edges into one another, but don’t worry too much about holes or cracking in the bread. Just press together so they line the cavity.

Bake for 5 minutes.

In the meantime, roughly mash the curry so that there are no large lumps of pumpkin. Add egg and mix well.

Remove bread cases from oven and spoon in curry mix until cases are filled.

Bake for a further 20 minutes.

Makes 6.

Pumpkin and Chickpea Curry

Ingredients

800 g peeled and seeded butternut pumpkin, cut into 2 cm chunks

1 large onion, peeled and trimmed

1 tbs coconut oil

2 x 400 g cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained

2 tbs gluten-free mild curry paste

670 ml coconut milk

Cooked rice, to serve

Method

Put pumpkin into large microwave-safe bowl and cover with plastic film. Microwave on high for 5 minutes.

Halve onion and then thinly slice lengthways.

Heat oil over high heat in wok or large pot. Add the onion and cook for approximately 2 minutes or until translucent. Add cooked pumpkin and cook, stirring regularly, for a further 2 minutes.

Add chickpeas and curry paste. Stir until combined and curry paste is distributed throughout. Add the coconut milk and stir to combine. Bring to the boil and then reduce heat.

Simmer for 20 minutes.

Serve immediately with cooked rice, reserving 2 cups of the curry to make the curry cups.

Serves 4 or 5 people, with enough left over to make the curry cups.

 

 

 

 

Gluten-free Berry Bombs

The whole world’s gone crazy for bliss balls. You know, clean little treats that are delightful combinations of dates, cacao powder, coconut in its various forms, cashew nuts, or whatever else tickles our fancy. And for good reason. They’re portable, easy to make, no baking required, and a great place to hide lots of healthy stuff that’s great for growing bodies and hungry tummies.

I love bliss balls because I can make up to four times the recipe’s quantity and then freeze them – they’re just fantastic for lunchboxes.

This recipe is another variation of the bliss ball. I came across a packet of mixed dried berries recently (and I know that berries are getting bad press at the moment, so if you’re worried about the recent health scares from frozen berries that are imported to Australia, please check your packaging carefully). Then for the first time ever, I came across a packet of coconut milk powder, THEN in my latest issue of Australian Gluten Free Life Magazine, I spotted a bliss ball recipe using the coconut milk powder.

Then the idea of these berry bombs gelled.

They’re gluten-free, egg free, dairy free, refined sugar free and nut free. That makes them safe to send to school and fantastic for a recess-time recharge.

The balls in this picture look more orange than red, but I think that’s due to the combination of the blueberries and goji berries when mixed. But don’t worry about the colour – judge them by the taste.

Enjoy!

Ingredients

250 g mixed dried berries (for example goji berries, blueberries and cranberries)

100 g dried apple rings

100 g coconut milk powder

170 g desiccated coconut

20 g coconut oil, melted

60 g desiccated coconut, extra, for rolling

Method

Put berries and apple in a large microwave-safe bowl. Cover fruit with cold water and then cover bowl with plastic film. Microwave on high for 3 minutes. Drain thoroughly and then put fruit into the bowl of a food processor. Process for approximately one minute or until fruit is roughly chopped.

Into the food processor bowl, add coconut milk, 170 g desiccated coconut and coconut oil. Process again for 1 or 2 minutes, until mixture is smooth and well-combined.

Put extra 60 g desiccated coconut into a small bowl.

Roll dessert-spoonfuls of the mixture into balls and then roll balls in the desiccated coconut. Continue until all the mixture has been used.

Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Makes approximately 32.

 

Gluten-free Sushi Squares

It has to be said, as much as I love my kids and even though I’d do just about anything for them, I draw the line at rolling sushi for their lunchboxes.

Don’t get me wrong – I used to roll sushi, BC (“before children”). But almost a decade has passed since I was BC and along with it those carefree childless days of having buckets of time to spend perfecting foodie techniques.

It’s a shame, really, because sushi is such a great gluten-free lunchbox food.

So I got to thinking about sushi and how I might be able to make it in a flash. And so the sushi square was born. It would be easy to double the quantities of the rice and serve some for the evening meal, then use the rest for the squares. To simplify things even more, I dispensed with the traditional rice vinegar dressing and just stirred through some gluten-free soy sauce.

It works – the kids love it, it’s quick and easy, and it tastes a-okay. Because it’s really just rice and nori, I recommend sending these squares in the lunchbox with some cooked and sliced chicken breast and vegetable sticks. And voilà! You’ve just created a nutritious and balanced lunch.

Enjoy!

Ingredients

1 cup sushi (short grain) rice

1 tbs gluten-free soy sauce or tamari

2 sheets yaki nori

Method

Put rice into a large bowl with 2 cups boiling water. Cover with plastic film and microwave on high for 8 minutes, or until liquid is completely absorbed and rice is cooked.

Remove film and allow rice to cool a little. Add soy sauce (or tamari) and stir until well-combined.

Place one nori sheet, shiny side down, on a chopping board. Cover nori sheet with rice to a thickness of 1.5 to 2 cm, ensuring that it is evenly spread, especially along edges of the nori. Using the back of a spoon, press down on rice so that it is firmly in place.

Put second nori sheet, shiny side up, on top of rice and gently press down so that it is firmly in contact with the rice. Using a very sharp knife, cut into 4 cm squares, wiping the knife regularly to ensure that it won’t stick to the sushi and that it will cut cleanly.

Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour or until needed.

Makes approximately 20-25 squares

 

Gluten-free Celery Boats

There’s been much change around here of late. Not only does my blog now have a new home, but there’s also my new eCookbook. They both launched a bit over a week ago, the same week that my eldest two kids started at a new school and my littlest started kindergarten. It was a huge week, that’s for sure, and the whole family has been in need of a little down time.

This past weekend, we found ourselves with no commitments so decided to book in to a nearby caravan (tourist) park for a little family holiday. The accommodation was beautiful and the kids had a blast in the water park and swimming pools. All was going brilliantly until my eldest slipped and then broke a front tooth – it just pretty much snapped in half. And yes, it was an adult tooth. Horror!

Amongst the chaos of trying to find an emergency dentist to look at it on a Saturday night, and the cries of shock and pain (from both parents and child), my middle daughter quietly retraced steps to the scene of the incident and found the missing bit of tooth. I have no idea how she did it, but for quite some time she has been known as the one person in the family who can locate any missing item at any time. She excelled last night.

So off to the dentist we went, eventually. The tooth was bonded back into place, nerve damage may have been avoided, and my daughter’s sparkling smile has been restored. We even managed to enjoy ourselves for the rest of our little holiday, and are planning the next visit.

All that suffered, in the end, was this post. It was meant to be up last night, but instead I spent the evening in a dental practice trying not to appear too squeamish at the sight of the half-tooth and the sound of all those scary dental tools whirring away.

So here’s my belated recipe – simple celery boats. I’d been thinking about the humble gherkin and how it’s regarded as being a bit daggy these days, but oh boy, when you mix it with cream cheese, it really is heaven on a celery stick! You get the sweet and sour tastes, the crunch of the celery against the softness of the cheese, and a little smattering of flax seeds for an added bit of pop.

And then there’s the spiced bean mix – so easy to prepare with a great hit of protein and fibre. I’m pretty fond of these little boats.

They’re quick and easy to prepare – I recommend making the fillings the night before, and then simply spreading over celery sticks the next morning before putting into the lunchbox. Serve with some sliced chicken breast and cold gluten-free pasta for lunch.

A word of warning, though – at first blush, the bean mix may look like a nut paste. If your school or kindergarten has a nut free policy, you may need to warn your child’s teacher that the celery boats are a bean spread and not a nut paste.

Enjoy!

Ingredients

2 celery stalks, washed, trimmed and cut into 7 cm lengths.

Bean Spread

100 g tinned cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

½ tsp gluten-free barbeque seasoning

½ tsp olive oil

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Mash with a fork.

Cream Cheese and Gherkin Spread

15 g gherkin, finely diced (approximately ½ a gherkin)

35 g cream cheese

¼ tsp flax seeds

Combine all ingredients in bowl.

Method

Spread a generous amount of each spread into celery sticks. Serve.

Makes approximately 3 sticks of each spread.

Brand new Gluten-free eCookbook Available Now!

Why hello! The big news, in case you missed it, is this: the Gluten-free Lunchboxes Cookbook is now available for purchase on this site and it’s only $12.95! That’s right – a cookbook dedicated to gluten-free lunchbox fare. Yahoo!

It’s a collection of recipes that have appeared on my blog over the past few years. The book’s been professionally designed and it really does look fantastic. I reshot almost every recipe, which is why it took a year to get this book ready. With more than 60 recipes, that was a big job.

There’s loads of different recipes. To give you an idea, here’s a breakdown of the chapters:

Rev it Up – Recess Time

Whether your kids need refuelling at recess time or an after school snack, these recipes will energise their bodies and rev up their brains.

Change it Up – Lunch Time

Add some variation to your kids’ lunchboxes with these lunchtime recipes

Serve it Up – Tabletop to Lunchbox

Repurposing the leftovers from the evening meal for the next day’s lunch will take you from tabletop to lunchbox in a few quick steps

Live it Up – Special Occasion

Spoil your loved ones and indulge your sweet tooth with some special occasion recipes

There’s also information about:

• selecting gluten-free flours
• stocking your gluten-free pantry
• must-have kitchen equipment
• tips for packing a gluten-free lunchbox

I hope you enjoy this book – it’s been a pleasure to present it to you!

We’re live with a brand new eBook!

Hello and welcome to my new site! Isn’t it lovely? It’s all so clean and colourful. It’s been a process getting here, but my designer Selena from Squint Media has done a ripper of a job. So nice to have an expert at the helm.

And here’s the huge news – my new eBook is now available on this site! Just click on the image of the book on the right, or on the “Shop” button above. You can access a couple of preview pages there as well.

There are more than 60 gluten-free and nut-free recipes. Most are for the school lunchbox, with a few Special Occasion recipes thrown in. There are recipes for lunch-time, recess-time, and some family meal recipes that can be repurposed for the lunchbox. There’s also pages on Gluten-free flours, pantry staples, essential equipment and some tips for packing a gluten-free lunchbox.

The book has been beautifully designed by Kylie Mulquin and I couldn’t be more delighted and proud of the end result. I hope you enjoy it too!

Gluten-free for Lunchboxes gets a Makeover

Hi folks! Well, this is it. My blog has a new look, a new name and a new website.

Today, my blog changed its name to Gluten-free Lunchboxes and moved to its own website, www.glutenfreelunchboxes.com .

The logo, pictured above, has been up and running on my social media sites for the past few weeks. I love it! And the rainbow is so appropriate as my Coeliac daughter is a rainbow kid – she draws them at every opportunity.

As subscribers to this blog, you will automatically be moved to the new site, unless you’d rather not. You can opt out by unsubscribing now, which will prevent your details from being transferred.

But I really hope you stick around. I’m excited about the future of this little blog!

Sneak Peek: Gluten-free Lunchboxes Cookbook

 

Hello there! Happy New Year to everyone – I hope you had a wonderful holiday period. I sure did – enjoying some down time after working hard on a project that I’m now excited to share with you.

This picture is the front cover of my brand spanking new eBook, which will launch very soon. It’s full of gluten-free lunchbox recipes – both sweet and savoury – with some special occasion recipes thrown in. It’s taken months and months of hard yakka and I’ve worked with a great team of people. We’re now very, very close to having it all up and running. As soon as a few technical issues are ironed out, the eBook will be live on my new site.

You might notice a few other changes – this blog will shortly have the new name Gluten-free Lunchboxes, with a fabulous new logo. Isn’t it great? I’ve also joined the Twitter community. You can follow me @gflunchboxes .

I’ve had an extended break from blogging. To be honest, I’ve needed it after finishing the book late last year. But I’ve got a number of new recipes in the works and will start posting regular new recipes again very soon. It’s an exciting time of change for my blog and I hope you’ll tag along and maybe even tell your friends about it.

Stay tuned!