Mushroom broccolini tart

I had no idea if this recipe would work with so little moisture but was absolutely thrilled with the result. For those able to tolerate dairy, the bocconcini added a texture and taste that lifted the tart into another dimension. 

MUSHROOM BROCCOLINI TART

Crust

80g/2.8oz plain flour

60g/2.1oz very cold butter

20ml cold water

Filling

4 egg yolks

2 tbsp chia seeds

1/4 cup coconut milk (the drinking kind) or other tolerated milk

75g bocconcini (fresh mozzarella balls), diced

4-5 fresh basil leaves, sliced finely

2 stalks broccolini (or around 35g broccoli), cut into small pieces

3 large white button mushrooms, peeled and diced

1. Tip flour into bowl of a stand mixer or into a large bowl if making by hand

2. Add the butter in very thin slices and then mix (or rub between fingers) until it resembles breadcrumbs. Take care not to overmix

3. Add the water and mix until the pastry comes together in large clumps

4. Press into a smaller shape of whatever tart tin you are using (round, rectangular etc). Wrap in cling film and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. This is a small tart and so I used an 18cm/7inch lined, loose bottomed cake tin 

5. Preheat oven to 200°C/390°F 

6. Roll pastry quite thin on a floured bench and press into a loose bottomed tart (or cake) tin

7. Cut a sheet of baking paper/parchment that is bigger than the tin, scrunch it into a ball and then flatten against the pastry

8. Fill paper with baking weights or rice 

9. Bake for 10 minutes

10. Remove weights/rice and baking paper/parchment and bake pastry for a further 5 minutes

11. Remove from oven and reduce oven temperature to 180°C/355°F

12. Whisk yolks, chia seeds & milk together in a bowl and leave 5-10 minutes or until liquid has been absorbed 

13. Combine filling ingredients and tip into baked pastry shell

14. Bake at 180°C/350°F for 25 minutes or until firm in the centre

Enjoy ❤️ 

Ingredient information (based on advice by SIGHI)

- Flour and white button mushrooms are rated 1 

- All other ingredients are rated 0 without caveats

0 - Well tolerated, no symptoms expected at usual intake 

1 - Minor symptoms, occasional consumption of small quantities is often tolerated 

2 - Incompatible, significant symptoms at usual intake 

3 - Very poorly tolerated, severe symptoms

Hot tips!

🔥 Using rice instead of baking weights is a cheaper option and the same rice can be used over and over again for many years

🔥 Remove tart from tin by placing an upside down bowl on the counter and lowering loose bottomed tin onto the bowl. The sides should drop down to the counter and the tart can be lifted off easily. The bowl will need to be taller than the tin. For this recipe I used a cake tin and so needed to use a tall milkshake glass in place of a bowl. 

Pecan pie

More sweets! This pie is crunchy and flaky when warm but comes together beautifully once cold and is another dessert I have been happily eating straight from the freezer. The pie is large enough to share with family or friends - or you could be like me and horde the entire pie for your own enjoyment. Small slices are recommended.

PECAN PIE

Crust

120g/4.2oz plain flour

90g/3.2oz very cold butter

1/8 cup cold water

Filling

130g/4.6oz butter

160g/5.6oz soft brown sugar

1/4 tsp bicarbonate soda/baking soda

220g/7.8oz Pecans, chopped

1. Tip flour into bowl of a stand mixer or into a large bowl if making by hand

2. Add the butter in very thin slices and then mix (or rub between fingers) until it resembles breadcrumbs. Take care not to overmix

3. Add the water and mix until the pastry comes together in large clumps

4. Press into a smaller shape of whatever tart tin you are using (round, rectangular etc). Wrap in cling film and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes 

5. Preheat oven to 200°C/390°F 

6. Roll pastry quite thin on a floured bench and press into a loose bottomed tart tin

7. Cut a sheet of baking paper/parchment that is bigger than the tin, scrunch it into a ball and then flatten against the pastry

8. Fill paper with baking weights or rice 

9. Bake for 10 minutes

10. Remove weights/rice and baking paper/parchment and bake pastry for a further 5 minutes

11. Remove from oven and reduce oven temperature to 180°C/355°F

12. Heat butter and sugar on medium-high heat in a small saucepan, stirring until sugar has dissolved

13. Allow to bubble for a minute then add bicarbonate soda/baking soda and stir through quickly

14. Add pecans to caramel, stir through and then pour into baked pie shell

15. Bake for 25 minutes or until firm

16. Remove pie and allow to cool. Cut into slices and freeze what is not eaten immediately 

Enjoy ❤️ 

Ingredient information (based on advice by SIGHI)

- Flour is rated 1 

- Pecans are not listed on SIGHI but are often well tolerated

- All other ingredients are rated 0 without caveats

0 - Well tolerated, no symptoms expected at usual intake 

1 - Minor symptoms, occasional consumption of small quantities is often tolerated 

2 - Incompatible, significant symptoms at usual intake 

3 - Very poorly tolerated, severe symptoms

Hot tip!

🔥 The pecans can be left whole but chopped pecans enable the pie to be sliced more easily 

🔥 These amounts will suit a 25cm/9.8 inch round tin or 32 x 21cm /12.5 x 8.3 inch rectangular tart tin

🔥 Using rice instead of baking weights is a cheaper option and the same rice can be used over and over again for many years

🔥 Remove pie from tin by placing an upside down bowl on the counter and lowering loose bottomed tin onto the bowl. The sides should drop down to the counter and the pie can be lifted off easily

Rice pudding

Sweet things are my favourite things! This pudding is VERY sweet so feel free to dial down the sweetness if that's the way you roll. 

RICE PUDDING

2 tbsp arborio rice

1 cup coconut milk (the drinking kind) or any other tolerated milk

1 tsp pure Maple syrup

1 tsp raw sugar

1 tsp slivered almonds (or other tolerated nut)

Freshly grated nutmeg

1. Combine rice and milk in a small saucepan and bring to boiling point on high heat

2. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring for around 20 minutes or until rice is tender

3. Add Maple syrup and sugar and cook, stirring for a few more minutes until pudding is lovely and thick

4. Transfer to a bowl, sprinkle with almonds and top with grated nutmeg

Enjoy ❤️ 

Ingredient information (based on advice by SIGHI)

- Almonds are rated 1 

- All other ingredients are rated 0 without caveats

0 - Well tolerated, no symptoms expected at usual intake 

1 - Minor symptoms, occasional consumption of small quantities is often tolerated 

2 - Incompatible, significant symptoms at usual intake 

3 - Very poorly tolerated, severe symptoms

Hot tips!

🔥 Change the toppings as you like or leave them out altogether if you prefer

🔥 Freeze any leftovers in a resealable bag

Sweet potato & pumpkin soup

This soup is seriously tasty and is also completely spice free! Thankfully, my family loved this as much as I did, so I have added it to my list of meals I can make for the four of us. Making two different meals every night can be exhausting and is particularly difficult when energy stores are already at a premium. 

SWEET POTATO & PUMPKIN SOUP (SERVES 5)

1 large golden sweet potato, peeled

1/2 large butternut pumpkin, seeded and peeled

1 large white onion, peeled & quartered

4 cloves garlic (unpeeled)

Olive oil (or other tolerated oil)

20 small Brussels sprouts, woody ends removed

5 C water

1. Preheat oven to 200°C/390°F

2. Cut sweet potato and pumpkin into a 1cm/half inch dice

3. Spread all vegetables except Brussels sprouts in two large roasting dishes

4. Tip a glug of oil (apologies, I didn't measure!) into each dish and rub vegetables all over with your hands

5. Roast in the oven for 7 minutes

6. Rub Brussels sprouts with oil and add to one of the roasting dishes. Cook all vegetables for a further 23 minutes

7. Peel roasted garlic by cutting the skin and and squeezing flesh out

8. Blend roasted vegetables in batches, adding some water to each batch. I used 5 cups of water in total but the amount can be adjusted as preferred

9. Tip soup into a large saucepan to heat

Enjoy ❤️ 

Ingredient information (based on advice by SIGHI)

- Garlic and Brussels sprouts are rated 1 

- All other ingredients are rated 0 without caveats

0 - Well tolerated, no symptoms expected at usual intake 

1 - Minor symptoms, occasional consumption of small quantities is often tolerated 

2 - Incompatible, significant symptoms at usual intake 

3 - Very poorly tolerated, severe symptoms

Hot tips!

🔥 Keep the pumpkin seeds if you are keen to make Roasted pumpkin seeds (fabulous as a snack or can be ground and used as seasoning)

🔥 I use the final cup of water to "clean" the blender, collecting bits of vegetables caught in the blades etc. Be sure to add this to your soup! 

🔥 Freeze leftovers in a resealable bag

Cinnamon pistachio cookies

Crunch or bite in a recipe can greatly enhance the eating experience. I have been craving a sweet treat with bite for the longest time and these cookies absolutely delivered. Eating leftovers can be a problem histamine-wise and so, wherever possible, I store food in the freezer soon after it has been cooked. It was no different with these cookies. As soon as they were cool, they went straight into the freezer in resealable bags - after I had stolen one or two! Amazingly, they taste fantastic straight from the freezer, with the pistachios providing slight relief from the crunchy texture. I will be playing around with flavours and will definitely post different versions of this fabulous treat as I make them.

CINNAMON PISTACHIO COOKIES (MAKES 25)

1/2 C pure butter (I use unsalted)

1/4 C raw sugar

1/2 C soft brown sugar

1 1/2 C plain flour

1 tsp bicarbonate soda/baking soda

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

3 tbsp pure Maple syrup

2 tbsp olive oil (or other tolerated oil)

1/2 C shelled pistachios

1. Beat butter and sugars together in a stand mixer (or with a wooden spoon) until well combined

2. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda/bicarbonate soda and cinnamon

3. Add flour mix to mixing bowl and beat until combined 

4. Add Maple syrup and oil and beat well to combine

5. Add pistachios and gently mix to combine

6. Prepare two large baking trays/sheets, lined with baking paper/parchment paper

7. Roll tablespoon sized amounts into balls and place on trays, leaving room for the cookies to spread 

8. Bake in a moderate oven (180°C/350°F) for 15 minutes

9. Cool cookies on trays for 5 minutes, then move to a rack to cool completely

Enjoy ❤️ 

Ingredient information (based on advice by SIGHI)

- Butter and flour are rated 1

- All other ingredients are rated 0 without caveats

0 - Well tolerated, no symptoms expected at usual intake 

1 - Minor symptoms, occasional consumption of small quantities is often tolerated 

2 - Incompatible, significant symptoms at usual intake 

3 - Very poorly tolerated, severe symptoms

Hot tips!

🔥 The cookies will harden as they cool so don't worry if they are still a little soft coming out of the oven

🔥 Store cookies in the freezer in resealable bags and enjoy straight from the freezer!