Great Granola

For months we have been trying to get Sous Chef J to eat more ... and breakfast has been a particular challenge.  So, it was lovely to be contacted and asked if we'd be interested in trying a couple of new Gluten Free Granola products by Nature's Path.




First off we tried the Nice and Nobbly Granola with blueberries, raspberries and strawberries with yogurt chunks... and Sous Chef J chose to have this with some fresh strawberries, nectarines and double cream. 

He said it was 'crunchy and tasty' and particularly like the 'fruity bits'. 

The pumpkin seed, almonds, raisins and cinnamon version of the granola is also dairy free and Sous Chef J likes it as an 'anytime snack'... by the handful.

Although it doesn't mention it on the front, my detective Sous Chef noticed, when weighing out a 30g 'portion', that there was "another something" in the mix... reading the ingredients list, it was found to be dried cranberries, and discovered there's also coconut.  It smells divine and tastes good too!

Having had the granola to try, Sous Chef J has been on the look out when we've been shopping and he's now spotted them in Waitrose and Tesco but we're told it's also available in Sainsbury's and online at Ocado. 

The granola is packaged in a re-sealable pouch and retails at £3.49 for 312g.

DISCLOSURE - we were sent two packets of granola to try but have not been paid for this post.  These opinions are our own.

Fruit Juice Lollies

Trying to keep cool in 'heatwave' weather here in the UK, we were pleased to have bought some silicone ice lolly moulds from Sainsbury's.

We decided to make fruit juice lollies.  Sous Chef J decided he'd like orange (but you could make whatever flavour you like and perhaps add bits of fruit too?) So, having placed the moulds in a plastic pot to hold them sort-of-upright, we carefully filled the moulds to the line on the inside.  

Once the moulds were filled, we carefully put the lids on the moulds then placed the lollies in the freezer overnight.

The next day, it was time to try out the lollies and, as you can see from the picture at the top of this blog, they were very successful indeed.  A really simple, cooling treat. The moulds are washable and re-useable which is just as well in this weather!

Kedgeree

 

Cooked breakfast is something we like from time to time and, seeing as Sous Chef J likes all things yellow, we decided we'd try out kedgeree to see if he liked the dish.

We tracked down a recipe from the BBC website - by the Hairy Bikers - and decided to give it a go. 

Sainsbury's had the undyed smoked haddock the recipe required at their instore fishmonger.

The other ingredients were collected - sliced onion, curry powder, frozen peas and the juice of half a lemon.  Slightly varying the ingredients used by the Hairy Bikers, we used two bags of wholegrain boil-in-the-bag rice and some frozen parsley as they were what we had to hand.  We also used a small dash of single cream at the end of the cooking.


First the fish was placed in our skillet together with 2 bay leaves then covered with 500ml water and brought to the boil before being simmered for just under 10 minutes.  It was then lifted from the water and placed to one side to be flaked.


Once the fish had cooled, it was flaked using two forks.

The water used for the fish was then transferred to a smaller pan and bags of wholegrain rice were cooked, according to directions.  The frozen peas were boiled for a couple of minutes, drained and put to one side.

The eggs were boiled, for 8 minutes, then placed in a jug of cold water... this was repeated until the eggs were cool.  Then they were peeled and quartered.

 
Whilst the rice was cooking, the onion was softened in butter and oil (you can just use oil if you want a dairy free recipe) before the curry powder was added.  This was mixed through well and then left on a low heat for a few minutes.

Once the onion and curry powder had been cooked, the rice and peas were added to the pan and combined well.  Finally, the flaked fish was stirred through with the lemon juice, a good twist of freshly ground black pepper and a generous handful of frozen parsley.  Finally, a dash of single cream was mixed through.

Sous Chef J has an aversion to eggs... so we prepared his own, eggless, dish of kedgeree and HE ATE THE LOT!!

This is a dish that's sure to be made again - whether for breakfast, lunch or tea - as Sous Chef J really enjoyed it and so did we.

To spice it up a bit, you can always add a dash of Tabasco sauce to your plate... but, as Sous Chef J says "less is more" so until you've checked the spiciness, don't overdo it!

Tuna, Walnut and Grape Salad

As the title suggests, this is a tuna salad with grapes and walnuts.  Added to the 'mix' is some mayonnaise to bind things together but, apart from a generous twist of freshly ground black pepper, it's a simple dish to make.

Ingredients gathered as follows - one 185g tin tuna (drained), a good handful of walnut bits (about 75g), a small bunch of seedless grapes (about 125g) and a large dollop of mayonnaise (we used 3 heaped dessert spoonsful)














The walnuts were roughly chopped and the grapes were halved (this not only makes them go further - a thrifty tip - but also makes Sous Chef J able to eat them more easily)


Having drained the tuna, the mayonnaise was mixed through and then the other ingredients were added and combined. 

Finally, seasoning with some freshly ground pepper and the salad was then ready to eat.  We served it with crisps and a green salad. 

It's a great dish for a packed lunch, goes well at a bbq and you can adjust the amounts/ratios of ingredients according to your taste or availability of ingredients.