Category Archives: Gluten Free

Perfect pavlova

January 23, 2020 12:00 pm / 4 Comments /

Pavlova

The classic pavlova is always a tradition in our house on Australia Day.   There is still the ongoing issue of who actually invented the pavlova?  Whatever and whoever wins on that score between us or the Kiwi’s is irrelevant to us – we just love it any day but particularly on Australia Day!

My tips for the perfect pavlova would be;

Use room temperature egg whites that are as fresh as possible, making sure that there isn’t one skerrick of yolk in it.

Make sure your bowl and the beaters are super clean.  Wash and dry them thoroughly in hot, soapy water first.

Don’t be in a hurry to add the sugar and certainly don’t add it in large quantities.  The trick is to let it dissolve before adding the next bit.

Make sure that it is completely stiff and doesn’t drop from the beaters at all.  You can then shape it on the circle you have drawn on the baking paper and smooth it out beautifully….

Cook it on a Conventional or Static Oven setting.  Not Fan Forced.  You don’t want to blow it around and you do need the elements on the top and bottom for the light browning that happens on a beautiful pavlova.  As the top and bottom elements are on be sure to place it in the centre of the oven.

Let it cool – IN the oven with the door ajar.  You can do this by sticking a wooden spoon into the top edge if your oven doesn’t stop at the appropriate spot.

Finally – it must be served with FRESH fruit, never canned as it just doesn’t stack up.  Remember it’s also gluten free!

Ingredients:  Serves 10

6 egg whites
1½ cups (330g) castor sugar
1 tbsp. cornflour
½ tsp white vinegar

300g cream, whipped
1 tbsp. icing sugar mixture
1 tsp vanilla essence
fresh fruit of your choice to serve but 2 passionfruit a must….

Method:

  1. Preheat oven to a very slow 125°C Conventional.  You shouldn’t use fan forced for a pavlova.
  2. Mark a 23cm circle on baking paper and put onto a flat oven tray.
  3. Beat egg whites with an electric mixer with a tiny pinch of salt until soft peaks form.
  4. Gradually add castor sugar a little at a time, beating well after each addition until it is all incorporated and the meringue is well beaten and glossy.  It should be stiff enough to turn upside down without falling out of the bowl!
  5. With a large spoon gently fold in cornflour and vinegar.  Make sure it is all incorporated but do it gently – you don’t want to flatten the egg whites.
  6. Spread the mixture onto your paper circle and using a palette knife or spatula shape it into a huge, high circle.  Level the top.
  7. Bake in the slow oven for about 1½ hours.  Turn off oven.  You may have a couple of cracks, but that’s ok.
  8. Leave the Pavlova in the oven to cool with the door ajar.  This can be done overnight.  Stick a spoon or something in the door if your oven doesn’t have a stop at that level.  You will get a few more cracks now, as it cools.
  9. You can make it ahead of time and store, covered until required.  Not suitable to freeze.
  10. Before serving whip cream with icing sugar and vanilla.  Top Pavlova with cream and decorate with fresh fruit.
Posted in: Desserts, Gluten free, Party Food

Kale & salmon salad

January 7, 2019 7:30 am / Leave a Comment /

Kale & salmon salad

Time for some healthy eating after Christmas?

Had to join the health food craze and do a kale salad as it is really delicious with a Dijon mustard dressing and a bit of citrus.  A perfect excuse and another reason to have perfectly cooked salmon from the steam oven 🙂

You can alter the ingredients to what you have on hand.  I have used the baby kale leaves that you can buy now but if you use the large leaves, cut out the centre stem, wash well and slice thinly.

Of course, you can also substitute the lentils for cooked brown rice or quinoa.  This is really one of those delicious salads that is perfect for entertaining.

Ingredients:  Serves 4

2 pieces of salmon, skin and bones removed or 4 small pieces for individual serves
1 bag or bunch of kale, trimmed and sliced
2 blood oranges, rind removed from one and segmented
1 yellow capsicum, thinly sliced
1x 400g can lentils
large handful of green beans
½ cup roughly chopped dill
1/3 cup pumpkin seeds, toasted

Dressing:
3 tbsp. grape seed oil
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp honey
pinch salt and pepper

Method:

  1. Depending on the size of your salmon, steam @ 95°C for 2-5 minutes.  Set aside to cool.
  2. Put the green beans into the solid steamer tray, add the washed lentils and cook @ 100°C for 2 minutes.  Remove beans and drain any water from lentils.  Add the rind of one blood orange and stir through. Although the lentils are cooked they will absorb the flavours more if warmed.
  3. Mix the dressing ingredients in a small jar, taste and set aside.
  4. Toast the pumpkin seeds in a 140°C oven for about 10 minutes, they are so much nicer than straight from the packet.
  5. Mix most of the dressing through the salad, reserving a little for the top.
  6. Combine all the salad ingredients onto a large platter or individual plates depending on how you are serving.
  7. Flake or place the salmon on top, garnish with more dill, sprinkle over the seeds and serve.

Note:  This would be a delicious salad to serve for Christmas with its gorgeous colours!

 

 

Posted in: Christmas cookery, Fish, Gluten free, Healthy eating, Salads, Steam Oven

Roasted carrot & chicken salad

July 8, 2018 9:40 am / Leave a Comment /

This is one of those salads that you could just live on!

A perfect one-dish lunch, dinner or picnic dish that you can effortlessly cook in the combi all in the same pan.  Less mess, washing up and really only three stages.  Another fantastic thing about the combi is that you can be doing other things while these elements are cooking.  You don’t have to be worrying about forgetting what is on the stove, it burning or boiling dry.

Another one of my salads that will become a favourite, remember to use other things in it that you may have on hand or something you need to eat up in the fridge.

Ingredients:  Serves 4-6

3 large carrots, peeled and cut into julienne sticks
1 cup freekah, washed thoroughly
1¼ cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 large chicken breast, trimmed and cut open on thick side
¼ cup currants
bunch of fresh asparagus, cut into thirds
handful of fresh parsley and coriander, chopped
Juice and rind of one lemon
Salt and pepper to taste
Sunflower kernels, nuts or seeds of choice to sprinkle

Method:

  1. Line a sold tray with baking paper, toss carrots in a little olive oil and roast in combi @ 200°C for approximately 20 minutes until soft.
  2. Slide out of tray onto a rack to cool.
  3. Now add the drained grains to the same tray, cover with stock and cook on 100°C steam only for 20 minutes.
  4. In the last two minutes, open the steam oven and add the asparagus.  Close the door to cook.
  5. Remove from steam oven, stir through the lemon zest and juice and scrape into a serving bowl.
  6. Reset the steam oven at a lower temperature to cook the chicken breast here. Slice on the angle when cool and set aside.  Don’t overcook, it is easier to add another minute if need be.
  7. Combine all the ingredients together, toss well and add fresh herbs and currants.
  8. Sprinkle with seeds and serve.
Posted in: Chicken, Combi Steamer, Gluten free, Healthy eating, Salads, Steam Oven

Moroccan lamb shanks with quinces

June 10, 2018 8:39 am / 1 Comment /

This is my favourite Winter dinner party recipe from Lyndey Milan.  I have adapted the recipe slightly and changed it to cook in the combi steam oven so you get the long, slow cooking time as well as the addition of moisture.  Honestly, it makes for the most tender, sticky shanks you would ever have eaten 🙂

If you don’t have a combi oven then cook it long and slow in your regular oven @ 130oC in a covered cast-iron casserole dish or a large shallow pan covered with a few layers of foil.

I usually cook this for 8 or more but be mindful of the size of your lamb shanks.  I managed to get four into a large Le Crueset pot but it was a struggle and they had to be turned about half way through the cooking time.  If you are cooking for eight you will need to split into two pots.  I found the standard steam oven tray not deep enough so two deep ones would work.  Alternatively cook in a bigger pot and get ‘Frenched’ lamb shanks that have the bones cut back from your butcher.

Lamb shanks are either are too big or too small but one is usually enough, even for the most hungry of my guests!

Ingredients:  Serves 4

2 small onions, sliced or 1 large
Chunk ginger, grated
3 large cloves garlic, crushed
1-2 tablespoons olive oil

4 French trimmed lamb shanks
2 tbsp plain flour (leave out for Gluten free)
1 tsp turmeric
1½ tsp ground coriander
1½tsp ground cumin
1½ tsp ground cinnamon
salt & ground pepper

1x420g tinned, chopped tomatoes
½ cup good red wine
500ml beef, veal or lamb stock (or enough to cover)
1 quince, scrubbed, cut in quarters & seeds removed

Method:

  1. Heat the olive oil in a large cast iron pot and saute the onion, garlic and ginger slowly until soft.
  2. Meanwhile mix the flour, salt, pepper and spices together and rug all over the lamb shanks.  If there is any mixture left add it to the pot with the onions.
  3. Remove the onion mix from the pot after you have stirred the flour for a minute or two, increase the heat, add a little more oil and brown the shanks a little two by two.  Be careful not to burn the base.
  4. Remove, add the red wine and let it come up to bubble.  Scrape the bottom of the pot and add all the other wet ingredients.
  5. Make sure that the fan cover is on the back of the combi oven.
  6. Return the shanks to the pot with the onion mix, add the quinces and cook on Combination mode 130°C Fan forced plus 75% steam for 3 hours without a lid.
  7. Turn the quinces (or rotate from top of the pot to the bottom) about half way through the cooking time.
  8. Remove quinces & shanks from the pot, cover with foil and keep warm.
  9. Reduce the sauce over a high heat on the stove and remove any excess fat.
  10. Serve with cous cous (or another grain if you are GF) which has been flavoured with rind and juice of one orange, ¼ cup currents, dash of olive oil and chopped fresh parsley.  Fluff up with a fork before serving.  See my perfect cous cous recipe here.
Posted in: Combi Steamer, Dinner parties, Gluten free, Main Courses

Rocket risotto

June 3, 2018 3:34 pm / 4 Comments /

I made this rocket pesto the other day and thought that I would extend its use to a  risotto with all those fabulous green vegetables that you can achieve in the steam oven.  Remember, they not only look better cooked in the steam oven but taste better too as all the nutrients are retained.

Use whatever vegetables you have on hand.  It would also be delicious with a very thinly sliced chicken breast added.  Just add in the last few minutes of cooking so the chicken is melt in the mouth tender, stir it through at the end of cooking, rest for a few minutes and taste for seasoning for best results.

Ingredients:  Serves 4

Rocket pesto:
1 cup tightly packed rocket leaves, washed
2 cloves garlic, crushed
¼ cup toasted, peeled pistachio nuts
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
pinch salt
¼-½ cup Olive oil
pinch salt

Risotto

1 cup arborio rice
2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1 medium onion, diced
1 zucchini, sliced diagonally
1 handful sugar snap or snow peas
½ cup frozen peas
Salt and pepper and shaved parmesan to finish

Method:

  1. For the pesto: blend rocket, nuts & garlic in a food processor until finely chopped.
  2. Add the Olive oil in a thin stream with the motor running until incorporated.
  3. Now add the parmesan cheese and season to taste.  I think it needs a pinch of salt and some black pepper.
  4. Heat a frypan that can go into the steam oven with a dash of olive oil.
  5. Saute the chopped onion and garlic until softened over medium heat.
  6. Add the rice and stir well to coat with the mixture.
  7. Now add the stock, stir well and place into the steam oven.
  8. Cook @ 100°C steam for 17 minutes.
  9. Open the oven, add half the pesto and all the vegetables, stir well and cook for another 2 minutes.  Add the thinly sliced chicken breast if you are using it with the vegetables too, it will also only take 2 minutes if sliced thinly and I think the chicken does need a sprinkle of salt.
  10. Taste and season if necessary.  Some black pepper would work.
  11. Serve with extra grated parmesan and crusty bread.

(Note:  You only use half the pesto in this recipe, keep the remainder in a sealed jar in the fridge for up to two weeks.  Flatten the top in the jar and pour over a little extra olive oil to retain the colour and keep it fresh)

Posted in: Gluten free, Main Courses, Steam Oven, Vegetarian

Teriyaki salmon

July 7, 2017 4:35 pm / 8 Comments /

After our server was recently migrated I lost this last post, so here it is again in case you missed it.

Want perfectly crispy skin salmon without overcooking the salmon in the process?

Then try this method of marinading the salmon for a few minutes, steaming it and finishing it off in a pan if you don’t have a combi oven.  A great way to utilise the steam oven away from the traditional thinking that ‘steaming’ is always wet, pale food.  It is an excellent appliance for pre-cooking food that will save time plus retain the nutrients and flavours.

The results were excellent, quicker than cooking in the pan alone and with more accurate results the flesh was slightly pink in the centre which is the way we like to eat our salmon but with crispy skin which was slightly caramalised from the sugar in the sauce.  Exactly what you want with a decent teriyaki sauce.

I have utilised the pan for cooking some eggplant as well.  Apart from having an extra pan to wash up with this recipe it was all delicious!

Ingredients:  Serves 2

Teriyaki Sauce:  (This makes enough to put in a jar for other meals)

1/3 cup Mirin
½ cup soy (remember to use GF option)
2 tsp rice vinegar
½ tsp sesame oil
¼ cup castor sugar
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tbsp grated ginger
2 small pieces salmon, skin on
½ eggplant
dash of peanut oil

Steam oven rice here to serve and steamed green vegetables here.

Method:

  1. For the Teriyaki sauce, mix all ingredients into a screw top jar. Shake then open and stir until sugar dissolves.  Set aside.
  2. Check the salmon for any bones, wipe over with kitchen paper and place into the solid, perforated tray which has been lined with baking paper. Spoon over a little of the Teriyaki sauce to marinade the fish while you are waiting for the rice to cook.
  3. Now, wash your rice and follow the instructions on cooking
  4. Place into steam oven and set timer for 100°C for 17 minutes. Set another timer somewhere else to alert you in the last couple of minutes of this cooking time.
  5. Slice eggplant and salt to remove any bitter juices. Rinse off and pat dry.  Cut slices into quarters.
  6. Heat a non-stick frypan with a dash of peanut oil. Add eggplant and stir fry until golden and almost cooked through.
  7. When you have 1½ minutes remaining on the rice, open the steam oven and add the salmon and green vegetables. They can either be in a separate tray or just placed on top of the rice.  Close the door, depending on your steam oven the appliance hopefully will reheat again to 100°C.
  8. Remove the salmon, add skin side down to medium-hot pan with the eggplant pushed away to the sides. Now add 2 tablespoons of the Teriyaki sauce, let the skin fry a little then turn it over.  Don’t have the pan too hot or it will burn.  Cook for exactly 2 minutes in total.  Cooking times will depend on the size of your fish.

Remove and serve with the rice, steamed vegetables and drizzle over the sauce that has collected in the baking paper from the salmon.  You will have extra Teriyaki sauce if you wish to use that too.

 

Posted in: Fish, Gluten free, Japanese, Main Courses, Steam Oven

Malaysian glutinous rice & pandan dessert

April 30, 2017 2:56 pm / 1 Comment /

After returning from our eating trip to Penang I wanted to try one of my favourite Malaysian desserts in the steam oven.  So much easier than the original recipe I found and it tastes delicious!

I have used fresh pandan leaves in the glutinous rice but only essence in the green top layer.  I had a bad experience once with chopped pandan leaves curdling a panacotta custard so I wasn’t game to put in the water from the pureed leaves into this custard (as in the original recipe).  Have a look at that recipe if you like but the pandan essence (providing it is a good one from the Asian food shops) is fine.  Be mindful though it is very green.

So easy in the steam oven, just pour over the top layer and cook.  It must be served at room temperature and doesn’t keep well.  The glutinous rice becomes hard and chewy but can be warmed a little in the steam oven to rejuvenate.

Ingredients:

For Bottom layer:
300g white glutinous rice, washed well and soaked in plenty of water overnight
100ml coconut milk or cream (I used a 400ml can of Ayam Light coconut cream and just split it)
100ml water
2 pandan leaves, ripped in strips and tied in a knot
1 tsp salt

Top layer:
200ml thick coconut cream
¼ cup water (wash out the coconut cream can with this)
3 x 70g eggs
¾ cup castor sugar
¼-½ tsp pandan essence (or to your liking/colour/taste)
2 heaped tablespoons cornflour

Method:
Bottom layer:
Drain the rice.
Mix together with all the ingredients for the bottom layer.
Pour into small, solid steam oven tray.
Cook @ 100°C steam for 30 minutes.  It should be sticky but cooked.  Remove pandan leaves.
Line a square 23cm cake tin with baking paper and transfer cooked rice into pan.
Press down firmly to make a solid, dense layer.
Set aside.

Top layer:
Prepare this while the bottom layer is cooking.
Whisk the eggs, sugar and cornflour in a medium size mixing bowl until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture has lightened in colour a little.
Add the coconut cream, water and essence to colour.  It should be a mid-green if you are using essence.  Be careful it is very bright.  I only use a dash.
Pour over glutinous rice layer, cover the dish with foil.
Cook @ 100°C steam for 30 minutes.
Remove from oven and set aside with the foil over to cool.
Cut into squares or diamonds to serve, see my note above  🙂

 

This is a recipe I adapted for the steam oven & made it gluten free, from rasamalaysia.com

 

 

Posted in: Desserts, Gluten free, Malaysian, Party Food, Rice

Buckwheat salad with horseradish dressing

November 13, 2016 10:59 am / 1 Comment /

Buckwheat salad with horseradish dressing

Need to lose those extra kilograms that have ‘sneaked’ up on you over Winter?  Then the steam oven is fantastic for this.  Honestly, I use it everyday for all sorts of grains and ingredients to create delicious, light and healthy salads and basically, fat free cooking.  Yes, healthy because you are not adding fat or salt to most things but most importantly because the nutrients are retained, giving everything natural flavours and tastes.

I really appreciate and use my steam oven even more in the Spring and Summer.  It is great to be able to cook multiple levels all at once without heating up the kitchen and without being bogged down with heaps of saucepans to wash!  Look at my ‘Salad’ catagory on the right hand side of the home page and you will see why I love the steam oven so much 🙂

In this recipe you can substitute other vegetables you may have on hand.  The dressing really lifts the overall flavour which is needed for buckwheat.  For a more substantial meal try it with some steamed fish on top, another drizzle of dressing and some crunchy bread.

Ingredients:  Serves 4

1 cup buckwheat, washed
1¼ cups vegetable stock
1 bunch baby broccoli, stems cut into thirds and halved lenghwise
½ pomegranate, seeds removed
½ bulb fennel, thinly sliced
large handful of parsley, roughly chopped
Grated rind 1 lemon plus 1-2 tbsp lemon juice (extra)

Dressing:  3 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
heaped tbsp horseradish cream or freshly grated to taste
pinch sea salt & pepper

Method:

  1. Place washed buckwheat and stock into the solid steam oven tray.
  2. Cook @ 100°C steam for 20 minutes.
    While the buckwheat is cooking open the steam oven and add the baby broccoli in the small perforated tray and cook for 1-2 minutes depending on the size.  There is no need to adjust the cooking time of the buckwheat, just add the vegetables in the last couple of minutes.
  3. Remove baby broccoli and plunge into iced water.
  4. Stir the lemon rind and extra juice into the buckwheat and set aside to cool.
  5. Finely slice fennel on a mandolin into a large serving bowl & tap over pomegranate to remove seeds.  Remove any pith that may fall out.
  6. Mix together all other ingredients into the salad and add dressing before serving.
  7. For dressing:  Mix all ingredients into a small jar and shake well.

 

 

 

 

Posted in: Gluten free, Healthy eating, Salads, Steam Oven

Healthy stuffed mushrooms & buckwheat

October 27, 2016 10:56 am / Leave a Comment /

Healthy stuffed mushrooms

After over indulging in France I now find myself desperately trying to lose not only the extra weight I have gained from our recent trip but the weight that I didn’t lose from last year!

Bring on the Sirtfood diet.  Now in the middle of week three it is going well.  It is basically a Mediterranean diet which highlights a group of ‘sirt foods’ which have added health benefits.

The steam oven has been fabulous.  Such a great appliance for healthy cooking as it really does highlight the flavours of the food by retaining all the nutrients.  I have been adapting some of the recipes from the book to the steam oven which I may post later but in the meantime this is a quick and healthy mushroom dish I have cooked in the combi oven.  If you only have a conventional oven you could try cooking them with a little water in the base of the pan under the mushrooms.

This is the first time I have cooked buckwheat grains in the steam oven.  A vast improvement I have to say!  Delicious cooked in vegetable stock but you will need to add a pinch of sea salt if you are using your own, home made stock.

Ingredients:  Serves 2

6 large Field or Portabello mushrooms, wiped, stalks removed and chopped
1 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
2 large cloves garlic, crushed
1 red birds eye chilli, seeded & chopped finely
3 spring onions, finely sliced
2 large handfuls of green kale, thinly sliced
Chopped walnuts
Grated good quality Parmesan cheese
Buckwheat to serve:
½ cup buckwheat, washed
¾ cup vegetable stock
pinch salt if using home made stock

Method:

  1. Place the buckwheat and stock into the solid tray and steam @ 100°C for 20 minutes.
  2. Remove from steam oven, wipe out cavity to prepare to turn to combi mode and set aside.
  3. Line the solid tray with baking paper.  Remove the stems of the mushrooms and lay the whole mushrooms on the paper.  Chop the mushroom stalks finely.
  4. Heat the oil in a heavy based pan and saute the spring onions, garlic, mushroom stalks and chilli.  Reduce the heat and cook for 5 minutes until soft.
  5. Increase the heat a little, add the kale and stir well.  Cover pan and cook for another few minutes until just cooked but still a great colour with a little bite.
  6. Brush the base of the mushrooms with a little olive oil.
  7. Spoon the filling into the mushroom cavities pressing down the kale.  Sprinkle with chopped walnuts and the finely grated parmesan cheese.
  8. Bake in the combi oven on Combination mode @ 180°C + 30% steam for 15-20 minutes depending on the size of your mushrooms.

Serve with the buckwheat on the side for a delicious sirt dinner 🙂

Posted in: Combi Steamer, Gluten free, Healthy eating, Steam Oven, Vegetarian / Tagged: , , ,

Beetroot & white bean soup

July 29, 2016 10:06 am / 5 Comments /

Beetroot & white bean soup

Except for a stock here I haven’t done any soups in the steam oven yet.  I had this idea to cook a roast beetroot soup, thinking that roasting the beetroot in their skins gives a more intense flavour until I realised that it would be a waste of time as steaming retains all the nutrients and flavour anyway.

So why is it that I haven’t cooked soups in here before?  I guess I didn’t have a deep enough solid steam oven tray until I purchased one and also I was concerned about the difficulty of moving a deep pan of liquid in and out.  In fact I shouldn’t have worried about either of these things.  Yes, I did buy a deeper pan but to be honest you could use any oven proof container you own that will fit into your steam oven and secondly, although you have to be careful of not tilting the dish full of soup it isn’t that difficult to maneuver you just have to be careful to keep it level.  It certainly was great not having to worry about the soup reducing or catching on the bottom of a pot and washing up one shallow container was a breeze.

I also liked that the finished soup was exactly as I made it, no need to add any water as the extra liquid generated by the steam oven was enough.  Perfect in fact, the soup was delicious, quick, with no extra salt (except what was in the packaged stock) and easy to make.  A delicious, well balanced soup that everyone will enjoy.  Serve with a dollop of Greek yoghurt and chopped fresh dill to garnish.

Ingredients:  Serves 6-8

600g fresh beetroot, peeled and thinly sliced (I used 2 large)
1 large leek, thinly sliced up to the top leaves
2-3 carrots, sliced
2-4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 large knob ginger, grated
1 tsp ground cumin
1 litre good vegetable stock
1 x 400g tin white butter beans, drained
Greek yoghurt and fresh dill to serve

Method:

  1. Place all ingredients, except butter beans in a deep, solid steamer tray or pot that will hold 3.5 Litres of liquid and place on the bottom shelf of the steam oven.
  2. Cook at 100°C steam only for 35 minutes.
  3. Open the door and stir half-way through the cooking time.
  4. Add drained butter beans and cook another 15 minutes.
  5. Cool slightly and process in a blender or food processor until smooth.
  6. Taste for seasoning.  If you used packaged stock you won’t need to season it at all.
  7. Serve with a dollop of Greek yoghurt and a sprinkle of freshly chopped dill.
Posted in: Gluten free, Soups, Steam Oven, Vegetarian