I would like to recommend anyone wanting to go gluten free and back to basics to read Cyndi O’Meara’s book “Changing Habits, Changing Lives” and the related cookbook. Check out the link below.

I am going to follow Cyndi’s 21 day plan to start off the new year.  Tried a recipe from the Cyndi O’Meara Thermomix cook book, Mexican Layered Chilli Dip with Refried Beans and Salsa.   Very delicious with layers of bean dip, avocado dip, sour cream and cheese.

Mexican Layered Chilli Dip

Thank you to my Mum’s friend Sue from the UK for my Lewis & Cooper Hand Made Gluten Free Plum Pudding, check out the website here. Aubrey and I shared it and was very rich and moist with the Hennessy Cognac. I served it with Raspberry sauce and Grand Marnier Chocolate sauce topped with King Island Cream.

We had a second Christmas Day at my Mum’s in Collie and she made a gluten free trifle checking her jelly and custard powder were gluten free. For the sponge I suggested a GF sponge recipe found here and it worked very well and was almost too good to use in a trifle.   I am going to try baking it to just serve with cream and fresh berries next time!

For a Christmas Pudding more suited to the Australian climate, like 40 degrees celsius on Christmas Day, I tried this recipe from my latest Enjo newsletter which also happens to be gluten free. It was delicious served with Raspberry Sauce and Grand Marnier Chocolate Sauce bought when down south in Denmark.

GF Christmas Ice Cream Pudding

1 litre Weiss vanilla bean ice cream
1/2 cup toasted almond slivers
1/2 cup chopped red and green glace cherries
1/2 cup sultanas
1/2 cup chopped dates
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons Baileys Irish Cream
2 tablespoons Cointreau
2/3 cup dark chocolate chips

Allow ice cream to soften slightly, tip into a large bowl and add remaining ingredients.
Mix well and spoon the mixture into separate silicon moulds.
Cover with cling wrap and freeze overnight. Upturn onto serving plate and drizzle with sauces and serve with fresh fruit e.g. raspberries.

Aubrey and I decided to go out for dinner for something different on Christmas Eve. I had been to the Lighthouse Restaurant for work dinner Wednesday night and was very impressed so we went back again!

We shared the salmon and blue swimmer crab parcels for entree and they come with a delicious sauce and caper berries.

Salmon & Crab Parcels

For mains I had fillet of aged beef that was cooked to perfection and served with lovely mash and green beans wrapped in prosciutto.

Aged Beef Fillet

The only GF dessert listed was the pavlova and I had that at the work dinner so asked if there were any other options that could be modified. The coffee creme brulee was GF if took off the shortbread option so I chose that as love the lovely cracking of the toffee on top and the creamy custard this time with a twist with the coffee flavour – delicious!

Coffee Creme Brulee

Had a week holiday down south in the lovely town of Denmark, WA. We stayed at the Denmark River Mouth Caravan Park and had a relaxing time with some kayaking, bike riding and snorkelling. Had lunch a couple of times at the Bibblumun Cafe that does very nice coffee with the Five Senses blend. They also do a range of gluten free offerings including a polenta slice.

Kyle loves GF chocolate mud cake!

We visited The Toffee Factory and lots of the products including range of toffees are gluten free. They also make Elephant Rocks cider which is also gluten free. Called in to Ducketts Mill Wines and discovered Denmark Farmhouse that had great range of cheeses and also some gluten free fudge.

Hot Choc Cuddle Cup!

By far our favourite place, we visited twice, was Denmark Chocolate Company that had a range of gluten free ganache filled dark chocolates and also offered divine real hot chocolates. Kyle loved whisking in and melting his dark chocolate in the frothed milk in the gorgeous red ‘cuddle cup”. Denmark Tavern were able to offer gluten free main meals and I had the Amelia Park lamb which was very tender and tasty.

Lovely GF Denmark Chocolates

It is Thanksgiving in America today and made Aubrey some Turkey Burgers and Pumpkin Pie. Made the pastry using the recipe from the Everyday cookbook for the Thermomix but used hazelnuts instead of almonds and of course used gluten free flour. Found it was best to roll pastry into a sausage shape and chill in freezer before pressing rather than rolling out into springform pan.

Followed Cyndi O’Meara recipe for Mother Earth Pumpkin Pie for filling.

Mother Earth Pumpkin Pie

2 free range egg yolks
1/3 cup raw organic sugar
1 1/2 cup pumpkin cooked and mashed
1/2 milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon agar
1/4 cup filtered water
2 free range egg whites
1/3 cup raw sugar extra

Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius.
Cook cubed pumpkin in the TM and use the butterfly to mash.
In a saucepan beat egg yolks and sugar until creamy.
Mix in pumpkin, milk, salt, ginger and cinnamon and cook until thick stirring frequently.
Combine agar and water in a small saucepan, bring to the boil and simmer for 1 minute. Immediately add to pumpkin mixture and set aside.
Beat egg whites in TM until soft peaks form (3-5 minutes) and gradually add extra sugar.
Fold into pumpkin mixture and pour into pastry case and bake for 30 minutes.

Serve with King Island double cream – yummy!

Thanks to the fantastic WBC I have also been able to try out the bircher muesli. I have been searching for a good oat free bircher muesli since I went gluten free. I did try some uncontaminated oats imported from USA but still found I had a reaction to the so I am oat free these days. The breakfast I miss the most is bircher.

I make up my own muesli mix with nuts, seeds, cranberries, sultanas etc and add grated apple. This is all soaked in apple juice overnight and then I stir in some gluten free greek yoghurt in the morning and top wit fresh fruit like strawberries, blueberries and banana. I am thrilled I can have my own bircher muesli again! Thanks WBC and hope you get a Western Australia distributor soon to make buying the cereal more affordable cause as we all know good quality gluten free food is not cheap.

WBC Bircher

Thank you to Worlds Best Cereal (WBC) for the chance to taste test their cereal. I sampled their gluten free cereal in the black packet. Keen to try the bircher as well in orange packet as well. Check out WBC here

I made myself a bowl of fruit salad with banana, kiwi fruit, blueberries and strawberries and topped with lovely creamy greek yoghurt. Used the WBC as a crunchy topping and added a sprinkle of cinnamon. It was delicious – tasty yet healthy as my other favourite GF muesli is toasted so much higher in saturated fat. Only down side is cost of postage so hope will be able to buy in more places in Western Australia.

WBC - gluten free cereal

Thanks to Brazen for this recipe I tried from her fantastic blog here. Served them up with fresh strawberries and blueberries with organic maple syrup and greek vanilla yoghurt!

Buttermilk Buckwheat Blueberry Pancakes

200g gluten free plain flour (White Wings brand)
100g Buckwheat flour
2 teaspoons gluten free baking powder
1 teaspoon bicarb soda
pinch of sea salt
2 tablespoons (15g) sugar (I used TM vanilla sugar)
2 large eggs
600ml (640g) buttermilk
3-4 tablespoons (20g) unsalted butter, melted in the fry pan you’re going to cook the pancakes
1 punnet blueberries

1. Place all ingredients except the blueberries in the thermomix. Mix on speed 6 for 10 seconds. Scrape down sides and mix on speed 6 for another 10-20 seconds. Leave to rest for 20 minutes.

2. Heat your pan on a medium heat and grease as needed. Pour in around 1/4 cup of batter. If you are having blueberries drop some on top.

3. When the pancake has bubbled and looks slightly set it’s time to flip it over gently. It will only take minutes to brown on the bottom.

4. Serve with fruit, yoghurt and maple syrup. Any leftovers are nice cold with TM butter!

GF Buttermilk & Buckwheat Pancakes with Blueberries

Kyle still enthused with Junior Masterchef! He made a fruit salad today and we had it served with vanilla bean ice cream (Weiss is gluten free) and mango and raspberry sorbet whipped up in the Thermomix.

Kyle (9) my Junior Masterchef in Action!