Eat Like Drew

Yummy stuff we like to eat

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What's Eat Like Drew About

Here's some of the things I like to make for myself and the family. Generally, simple foods that are easy to prepare and suit a busy life with kids. Most foods are gluten aware, FODMAP friendly and have an eye to lactose and fructose intolerance. Enjoy...

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Eat whatever you want, as long as you make it yourself

Drew

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Scones

There’s nothing better than a classic scone as a morning tea treat. Eat plain with jam and whipped cream, or try a savoury scone with butter.

• Self Raising Flour • Pinch of salt • Butter - room temperature • Milk • Icing sugar

Heat oven to 200º and prepare a large baking tray with baking paper.

Sift flour into a large bowl. Add pinch of salt.

Add butter. You will need about 50g butter for every cup of flour.

With very clean hands, massage the butter into the flour until it is fully mixed and has the texture of breadcrumbs.

Slowly add milk and keep mixing with a spoon. Add milk to make a very soft dough until it has the consistency of ice-cream.

If making different flavoured scones, separate the dough into different bowls.

Optional flavours include:

• Chopped dates • Grated cheese and herbs • Grated cheese and fresh chopped chives • On savoury scones add an extra pinch of salt

Dust a cutting board with flour and tip out dough. Dust top of dough with flour and carefully fold over and gently kneed. Fold and kneed 6 to 10 times, sprinkling more flour as you go until a firm dough texture is achieved.

If it sticks to the board, scrape off with a sharp knife and dust with more flour.

Carefully roll dough about 2cm thick. Cut out shapes and carefully lift onto baking tray. Scones can sit just a few mm apart on the tray. 

In a small bowl add around 1/4 cup of milk. With a metal teaspoon, scoop up a small amount of milk. With the back of the spoon, gently dimple the top of a scone and pour the milk into the dimple.

On plain scones, dust the top with icing sugar.

Put tray in a high place in the oven and leave for 10 minutes. Then check to see if the tray needs to be rotated.

Scones are cooked when they have risen nicely and are slightly gold. Do not overcook or they will be very hard.

Remove from oven and rest in the tray for a few minutes before putting in a bowl lined with a clean tea-towel. Serve immediately with jam and whipped cream. Savoury scones are great on their own or with a scrape of butter.

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Breakfast Bites

The perfect snack for breakfast, after a ride or run, or anytime you need a pickup. Make as a larger bar or smaller bite and enjoy with coffee.

• 1/4 cup of chopped walnuts • 1/4 cup of chopped almonds - roasted • 1/4 cup dried cranberries • Pinch of salt • 120g butter • 1/4 cup white sugar • 1/4 cup rice malt syrup • 1/2 cup golden syrup • 1/4 cup desiccated coconut • 1/2 cup rolled oats - quick oats • 3 cups rice bubbles

The tricky part is chopping the almonds. Cut each individually into 2 or 3 pieces and then carefully chop into the pile.

Heat oven to 160º and prepare a large baking tray with baking paper.

Mix nuts, oats, coconut, salt and cranberries. Make sure to break cranberries apart.

Add butter, rice malt syrup, golden syrup and sugar to small saucepan. Heat on low and keep stirring until it bubbles.

Pour butter mix into dry mix and fold together.

Add rice bubbles and fold together thoroughly. If mix is still too wet, sprinkle in more rice bubbles; a few at a time.

Mould into desired shape and place on baking tray.

Bake for 10 minutes or until golden. Do not overcook or they will be crumbly. Be careful, they are still very fragile. Leave in tray for half an hour to cool and firm up. 

Keep in sealed dry container for up to a week.

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Eggplant & Mushroom Lasagna

Easy to freeze lunch that’s perfect with a salad

Gluten Free Lasagna Sheets

1 Eggplant

3 Field Mushrooms

Spinach

Tomato Paste

Passata

Herbs & salt to taste

Grated cheese

Oil

Peel eggplant in stripes and cut into large chunks. Also cut mushrooms into chunks.

Drizzle Le some oil into a large frying pan and put on a medium heat

Line a baking tray with baking paper. Putting Aluminium foil under it will help a5 cleanup.

Fry the eggplant and mushroom. Flip a few times to evenly coat in oil.

Cover and let them get soft. Add a drop of boiling water if you need to.

Coat the baking paper with tomato paste. Line the bottom with Lasagna sheets. Then coat the sheets with paste.

Add Passata and herbs and salt. Oregano, basil, marjoram, coriander, white pepper all work. When heated toss in the spinach and gently stir in.

Put half the mixture into the tray. Line with a second layer of lasagna sheets. Coat them with tomato paste and add the remaining mixture.

Cover in aluminium foil and put in oven for one hour at 180 degrees.

Take off foil and cover in grated cheese. Put back in oven until cheese melts and browns.

If freezing, let cool completely and even put in fridge for a while. This will make cutting much easier.

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Banana-Berry Protein Smoothie

An after work-out breakfast that’s big on flavour and energy with a protein boost.

Banana - Half (Frozen)

Frozen Berries - Coles Mixed Berries

Pomegranate Juice - 1/2 Cup

Plain Greek Yogurt - Chobani Non-Fat

Vanilla Extract

Walnuts

Protein Powder - 1 Scoop Isowhey Vanilla Gluten Free

In a smoothy blender add the 1/2 banana. (I use a Ninja).

Add the berries (This mix has raspberries, blackberries and blueberries).

Pour in the Pomegranate Juice.

Add the yogurt and Vanilla Extract.

Add a small handful or 1/4 cup of Walnuts

Tip a scoop of protein powder on top and then blend thoroughly. Serve straight away.

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Chicken Curry

This is a family favourite that’s a perfect dinner for winter and summer.

Chicken Pieces - Breast, thigh and drumsticks

Vegetable oil

Potatoes - diced

Curry powder

Sweet paprika

Ground ginger

Cumin

Turmeric

Chicken stock - 1 Cup (I use home made onion-free stock)

Passata - I use Mutti 700g bottle

Basmati Rice

Saffron - for the rice

Pappdums

Dice breasts and thighs. Heat a little oil in a frying pan and brown the chicken.

The drumsticks will require a little longer. Leave them covered on a low heat.

Boil potatoes until just soft. Drain and leave aside.

In a small bowl add the spices in equal portion, except less turmeric.

Add a good dash of vegetable oil to the spice mix and stir.

In a large saucepan add the spice mix and heat gently.

Add the chicken stock, heat and stir.

Add the passata and stir in. Heat until just bubbling.

Add the chicken drumsticks. Ensure they are cooked through

Add the rest of the chicken and stir in.

Add the potatoes and gently stir in. Simmer covered or mostly covered on a very low heat for at least half an hour to an hour. The mix will not be very wet, so stir regularly and make sure it does not burn at the bottom.

In a large saucepan, boil water and add saffron and rice. When cooked, drain rice and leave on strainer to dry thoroughly.

In a small frying pan, heat a centimetre of oil. Break off a piece of pappadum to check the oil is hot enough. It should expand immediately on contact with the oil.

Using tongs, slide a pappadum under the oil. When it expands, catch and flip then cook the other side quickly.

You may need to keep raising and lowering the temperature of the oil to stay at the optimum temperature.

Drain in a bowl lined with kitchen paper.

Serve the curry with the saffron rice and pappadums.

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Bacon Butty

A quick and delicious lunch treat.

Bacon - streaky bacon

Bread - For a low gluten sandwich I use Baker’s Delight Low FODMAP

Butter - spreadable

Cheese - sliced

Chop bacon and fry on a medium heat. Don’t make too crispy. Drain on kitchen paper.

Toast the bread. Place a slice of cheese on the bottom toast.

Add the bacon.

Butter the top of the top toast. To cut the sandwich, first slice the top toast on its own. Then put it on the top and cut the whole sandwich. This stop the sandwich being squashed.

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Chocolate Cupcakes

These cupcakes are so nice they have become an everyday treat. There’s no better way to get through a tough school day than a cupcake break. Also makes a great birthday cake too. Based on addapinch.com

Self Raising Flour - 1 Cup

Sugar - 1 Cup

Cacao - 1/3 Cup

Salt

Baking Powder

Egg

Milk - Liddell’s Lactose Free

Vegetable Oil

Vanilla Extract

Shot of espresso coffee

Boiling water

For Icing

Icing Sugar

Butter

Colouring

Boiling Water

In a large mixing bowl sift flour, baking powder, sugar and cacao.

In a jug mix 1/2 cup of milk, 1/4 cup vegetable oil, egg and vanilla extract. Use an electric mixer on low for about 20 seconds.

Add the mix to the flour and stir with the mixer turned off until combined.

Then mix on a medium speed for a minute. 

In a clean jug add a shot of espresso. I use a Nespresso shot. Top up with boiling water until it is 1/2 cup.

Gently add the coffee, slowly mixing it in as you go.

Once all the ingredients are in, mix on a medium speed for 30 seconds, scraping the sides and bottom to ensure there are no hidden dry bits. The mixture will be quite sloppy for a cake batter. That’s ok.

Pour into 12 cake cupcake pans. If I’m making these for school lunches I will spread over 18 pans for a smaller cake. Cook at 180°C for about 20 to 25 minutes. Cake will spring back when touched. Don’t over cook or it will be dry. Let them cool on a rack.

For a lazy butter icing add icing mixture, a wad of soft butter and food colouring.

Boil water and pour directly onto the butter. Angle the bowl so it doesn’t spread and gently stir the melting butter, combining a little more icing mixture as you go. This pool should be quite runny until all the icing mixture is incorporated. Add more boiling water or icing as required to get the right consistency. It should be firm but soft.

Spread a generous length of Glad Wrap and plop the icing in the middle. Roll into a sausage, tying one end of the wrap and snipping the other end short.

Put into a piping bag and decorate. This icing will dry hard which is great for school. Cakes can then be frozen for easy snacks.

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Easy Omelettes

An ultra quick lunch or dinner. Quicker and easier than ordering in.

Eggs - 4 to 6

Bacon - Ham can substitute

Cheese - grated

Other filling options - mushrooms, spinach etc

Passata - Tomato paste can substitute

Gently fry up some chopped bacon. Don’t let it get too crispy. If it gets too fatty, drain onto some kitchen paper and return bacon to the pan.

Add the rest of your fillings and the passata. Sprinkle some salt, pepper, oregano and herbs to taste. Stir the mix up and reduce for a few minutes on a very low heat.

Put the fillings in a bowl to the side and clean the pan.

Into a large mixing bowl add the eggs and some cold water. Use about 1/4 cup of water to 4 eggs but less is better than more.

Whisk eggs lightly. Don’t use an electric mixer. If it gets too fluffy it won’t cook properly.

Heat the frying pan and pour some egg mix to line the base. Don’t make it too deep. The egg should sizzle a little.

When the bottom is hardened, add the filling and the cheese. Spinach leaves etc can be added now too.

Let the omelette keep cooking on a gentle heat until the egg has firmed. It does not need to be cooked all the way through.

Using a spatula, carefully lift a corner, then run the spatula underneath and flip the omelette in half. A silicone icing scraper can help start the flip, with a bigger egg-flip spatula finishing the task. A good looking omelette is all about the flip.

If any filling spills out during the flip don’t worry. Use the spatula to push it back in. Leave in the pan for a little longer, then gently lift onto a plate.

Serve as is, or cut in half to let the inside ooze out. Goes well with a light salad or toast.

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Gluten Free Lemon Cloud-cakes

A lovely light treat to have with a coffee or when you need something sweet. Based on simplyrecipes.com.

Lemon

4 Eggs

Almond meal

Baking Powder

Salt

White Sugar

Ginger Powder

Cinnamon

Icing Sugar

First step is to separate the eggs and leave to reach room temperature.

Grate one whole lemon for zest. Juice the lemon and set aside.

You need a good amount of zest, so top up with another lemon if necessary.

In a big mixing bowl, add yolks, zest and 1/4 cup of sugar. Stir together with a wooden spoon.

Add 1 1/2 cups of almond meal, baking powder and a sprinkle of ginger and cinnamon. These cakes are quite delicate and too much flavour will dominate, so go easy.

Mix with wooden spoon until it is a paste.

Beat the egg whites. I start them on low and add a drop of the lemon juice. Just a drop. Then add a tiny pinch of salt.

Slowly speed the mixer and when stiff peaks form add 1/4 cup of white sugar, a bit at a time.

Mix on high until stiff again.

Now we need to add the egg white to the almond meal paste.

Important - Start with a blob of egg white and mix in with a wooden spoon.

Do this three or four times. Add a scoop of egg white and mix in until the paste is easy to stir.

Finally, add the remainder of the egg white and fold in using the wooden spoon.

In this recipe I like to use what I call “Cafe Muffins” but you can use normal cupcakes.

Cut baking paper into squares and push into a cupcake pan with a cup. It will spring out again but don’t worry, when filled with batter it will sit in place.

Separate the mix into 12 cupcakes. Use 6 holes in two trays.

Cook for about 20 minutes, turning at least once. If the 2 trays are on different shelves, you may want to swap them once too.

Don’t overcook. They will still be soft to the touch, so you really have to go by the light golden colour on the top.

While they’re cooling, make an icing mix with some of the lemon juice and icing sugar.

Gently spoon a 10 cent coin sized blob onto each cake while still warm. The icing will melt a little before turning hard.

Freeze for when you deserve a treat.

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Pancakes

Golden fluffy pancakes make a delicious Sunday treat.

Flour - Self Raising

Baking Powder

Salt

Butter

White Vinegar

Milk

Splash a little white vinegar into a jug.

Add some milk and stir.

In a mixing bowl, sift flour, baking powder and add a tiny sprinkle of salt.

Melt butter and mix into the flour.

Crack an egg into the milk and beat.

Slowly add the milk mix to the flour and gently beat.

Keep adding more milk until it drips off the beaters like cream.

Let the mix sit for a little and it will thicken up.

Melt some butter in a frying pan.

With a big spoon or ladle, scoop some mix into the pan. Don’t pour. Turn the heat to low to medium.

When one side is golden, gently flip with a spatula. The pancake will generally slide around when it’s ready to be flipped, if the pan is gently shaken.

These pancakes are quite high, so make sure they cook through.

Between pancakes, I like to take the pan off the heat and wipe out with a paper towel. I then melt more butter and add the next batter before putting back onto the heat.

Serve warm with whipped cream and jam, or maple syrup.

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Pancakes - Gluten Free

It’s possible to have delicious, fluffy pancakes that are gluten free. Have on their own, or drizzle with Maple Syrup, while they’re hot.

Flour - Self Raising Gluten Free

Almond Meal

Baking Powder

Butter

Egg

Milk - Lactose Free

White Vinegar

Salt

Splash a small amount of white vinegar into a jug.

Add milk and stir.

In a mixing bowl add flour and almond meal in equal portions. Add baking powder and a tiny sprinkle of salt.

Melt butter and stir into flour mix.

Crack the egg into the milk mix and beat.

Pour milk mix into the flour mix and beat. It can be a bit lumpy.

Heat a frying pan and melt a blob of butter.

With a large spoon or ladle scoop some batter carefully into the frying pan. Set the pan now onto a medium to low temperature.

When the first side is golden, flip over very carefully with a spatula. A good test of when it’s ready to flip is when you can gently shake the pan and the pancake will start to slip around.

When the other side is cooked you’re ready to eat.

Between pancakes, I like to take the pan off the heat and wipe out with some kitchen paper. I then melt the next blob of butter and pour the next batter in, before returning to the heat.

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Mustard Mushrooms

Mushrooms make everything better. These go well with red meat.

Mushrooms - Button

Butter

Salt

Black Pepper - ground

Mustard Powder

Boiling Water

Slice butter and put in a small saucepan

Add ground pepper, salt and mustard powder

Melt on a low heat and stir.

Slice mushrooms and toss in. Add a splash of boiling water and quickly shut the lid to keep the steam. Turn the heat very low.

Occasionally stir and make sure it’s not drying out.

I like to cook them until they are just soft. Then take off heat and leave covered until the meat is ready.

When serving, gently pick up the solid mushrooms with a spoon and lay on the meat. At the end, pour the liquid over the mushrooms and the meat.

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Roast Potatoes

These are a small roast spud, perfect to accompany any meat.

Potatoes - peeled and rinsed

Olive oil

Salt

Rosemary

Peel, rinse and chop up potatoes of your choice. These are about the size of your thumb from the first joint (or 3cm).

Par boil until the surface is soft. As they are small, you need to make sure they don’t get too mushy.

Drain and let the steam dry them a bit. Put the lid on and gently toss to break up the outside. This makes them fluffy.

Add Olive oil

Add a generous sprinkle of salt and rosemary. If you have fresh Rosemary, still put some dry in with the fresh.

Toss gently and lay in a baking tray lined with baking paper.

Cook on 180-200ºC for over 40 minutes. The longer you cook, the crunchier they get. At the start, give them the top shelf in the oven. If you need to you can drop them down later.

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Rump Steak

What’s better than tender rump with roast potatoes and veg?

Rump steak - room temperature

Heat a frying pan and gently lay down the meat. It should sizzle.

Cook for a few minutes and turn.

Cook the other size until both sides are seared.

Lay in a baking dish lined with baking paper.

Put in an oven at 180ºC for about 15 minutes. The fat will start to melt out of it.

Less is better than more.

If you like it red, that’s it. Let it rest for a while in aluminium foil while you get other things done, then serve.

Kids tend not to like the red colour, so I slice it into thin strips and throw back into the hot pan for a minute and toss it. Not too much, or it loses the lovely soft melt in your mouth texture.

This meat is cooked with no herbs or other flavour. In the example I have topped with Mustard Mushrooms. You can also lightly season with salt and pepper if necessary.

See Roast Potatoes and Mushroom ideas shown here.

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Banana Muffins

A great energy hit after a ride. Perfect with a coffee.

2 ripe medium to small bananas

2/3 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup white sugar

1 egg

Cinnamon

Vanilla extract

1/3 cup milk (I use Liddells lactose free)

Gluten free self raising flour

Baking Powder

Walnuts - crushed

White choc bits

Icing sugar

Put bananas, both sugars, egg, vanilla extract and cinnamon into a food processor. Blend until smooth.

Add milk while blending.

Add flour and baking powder in small amounts and blend until a “tacky” consistency. Start with about 1/2 cup and then smaller amounts. I like to get it to the point where it hangs off the spoon or scraper a little. It should not be a dough.

Smash the walnuts in a paper bag. I like to fold the edges so the bag doesn’t split. Try not to have any big chunks.

Add walnuts and white choc bits to the mixture. Stir in with a spoon.

Separate evenly into 12 cupcake pans. Cook at 180ºC for 25-30 minutes. Don’t overcook!

Prepare a cinnamon and icing sugar mix.

While the muffins are warm sift the sugar mix on the top.

Cool and freeze until needed. It’s handy to wrap individually in cling wrap prior to freezing. Make sure they are cooled thoroughly so the icing does not get wet with condensation and go soggy.