Cold Cross Rice Buns

Hot Cross Buns are an Eastertime must for me. Slightly unconventional, this recipe takes the essential flavours of the hot cross bun, and transfers them to rice - like a sweet onigiri (Japanese rice ball).

Gluten and dairy free, they are easy on the digestion and really substantial - you'll feel very satisfied after one and won't be tempted to keep eating. They make a great, sustaining snack and there's no temptation for loads of butter.

Ingredients:

1 c sushi rice

1 1/2 c rice milk

1 1/2 c cold water

2 Tbs rice syrup

50g raisins

30g mixed peel

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

Cinnamon for the crosses

To make:

1) Rinse the rice and place in a bowl. Cover with water and leave to soak for 30 minutes.

2) Drain the rice, put it in a small pot and add the water and milk. Bring to the boil, then cover and simmer for about 10 minutes. Add the rice syrup, raisins and peel, cover again and leave to simmer for another 10 minutes until all of the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender.

3) Mix well with a fork and add the cinnamon and nutmeg. Leave to cool completely.

4) Wet your hands to stop the rice sticking to them and shape into rounded patties. Create the cross on top by sprinkling 2 lines of cinnamon on each.

Makes 10.

Ottelenghi's Multi-vegetable Paella

Straight from the pages of my treasured Ottolenghi recipe book 'Plenty', this was my second ever attempt at paella and by far the best of the two. The trick with paella is to leave it well alone while the rice cooks. A hard task, but it just won't work properly if you insist on stirring.

You could substitute the veggies for what is in season, I had a delicious paella the other day with big chunks of butternut squash and eggplant. Delicious.

Also note - while saffron is expensive, a little goes a long way and it makes all the difference to both the look and taste of the dish.

Ingredients:

A drizzle of olive oil

2 small shallots, sliced

1 small red and 1 small yellow capsicum, cut into strips

1/2 fennel bulb, cut into very thin strips

2 cloves of garlic, crushed

2 bay leaves

1/4 tsp smoked paprika

1/2 tsp ground turmeric

1/4 tsp chilli powder

150g paella rice

100ml sweet or medium sherry

A good pinch of saffron threads

450ml boiling veg stock

A pinch of salt

200g shelled broad beans (frozen are fine)

10 mini plum (or cheery) tomatoes, halved

5 small grilled artichokes in oil (from a jar) drained and quartered

12 pitted Kalamata olives, roughly crushed

2 Tbs roughly chopped parsley

To serve...

Lemon wedges and salt

To make:

1) Heat the olive in a large, shallow frying pan and gently fry the onions for about 5 minutes, stirring. Add the capsicums and fennel, continue to fry for about 6 minutes until the veges arte soft and the onions golden. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.

2) Add the bay leaves, paprika, turmeric and chilli powder and stir well. Then add the rice and stir well for 2 minutes (you really want to get all the rice coated in the flavours) then pour in the sherry and sprinkle the saffron in.

3) Boil down for a minute, then pour in the stock and pinch of salt. Turn the heat down to the minimum and let it gently simmer for about 20 minutes, or until most of the liquid has been absorbed. DO NOT cover or stir during this time.

4) While you leave the rice to cook, keep yourself busy by pouring plenty of boiling water over the broad beans in a bowl and leave them for a minute or two. Drain and leave to cool, then when cool enough to handle, squeeze each bean until it pops out of the skin. Discard the skins.

5) Take the paella off the heat and taste - add more salt if needed, but try not to stir the mix. Scatter the tomatoes, artichokes and broad beans over the rice and cover with a lid or foil. Leave to rest for 10 minutes.

6) Remove the covering, scatter over the olives and sprinkle with parsley. Serve with the lemon wedges.

Serves 2 very well.

Zingy Wild Rice and Roast Veg Salad

My very first foray into cooking wild rice.

Not only does it look amazing, but the taste and texture add another dimension to your standard image of rice. The flavour is somewhat nutty and the texture is slightly crunchy/chewy on the outside, yet soft in the middle. Very different from you standard rice and this is probably because wild rice is actually an aquatic grass. It is packed full of nutrients and contains folic acid, B vitamins and protein.

Wild rice freezes well once cooked, so cook up the whole packet and freeze in single portions for easy lunches.

This recipe was a bit of an experiment and I took the flavour ideas from the many grain salads that I have cooked over the years. Black rice would also work exceptionally well with seafood and oriental flavours.

Ingredients:

125g wild rice

low fat cooking spray

1/4 butternut, peeled and chopped

1 large carrot, peeled and cut into batons

1 red onion, cut into wedges

1 red capsicum, sliced

1 courgette, sliced

Salt and pepper

1/2 bunch of corriander, roughly chopped

1 satsuma, chopped into small pieces

1 Tbs each of pumpkin and sesame seeds

For the dressing...

1 clove garlic, crushed

2 Tbs tahini

2 Tbs lemon juice

Zest of 1 lemon

1/2 tsp crushed hot chilli

Juice and zest of 1 satsuma

Some water to thin the dressing as you go

Salt

1) Cook the rice according to the packet instructions - it will generally take 50-60 minutes.

2) Turn the oven to 200°c, or gas mark 6. Spray the cooking spray into a foil lined tin and add all the vegetables, sprinkling with salt and pepper. Roast them in the oven for about 45-50 minutes until tender, stirring around a couple of times.

3) To make the dressing, mix the garlic, tahini and lemon juice together with a fork. Add the chilli and a good pinch of salt and then add a little warm water (about a Tbs at a time) until you get a dressing like consistency. Don't add to much at a time because it quickly goes from too thick to too thin. Stir in the zests and set aside.

4) In a small, oil free pan, toast the seeds over a low heat and stir every few minutes. Keep a close eye on them as they'll burn easily. They'll take about 15 minutes and the pumpkin seeds will start to burst their little green skins when done. Again, set these aside.

5) When cooked, drain the rice and allow it to cool a little. Take the orast veggies out of the oven. Put the cooled rice in a large bowl with the corriander and satsuma flesh and pour half the dressing in, mixing well. Add the roast vegetables, mix well together and then pour over the rest of the dressing and mix everything again.

6) Serve scattered with the toasted seeds.

Serves 2-3.

Indulgent Banana-Chocolate Crumbles

I don't think banana is used enough in desserts. Yes, cakes and breads, but not so much in the actual dessert category. Mixing the banana with dark chocolate makes a really smooth filling that sets well. I think it would be delicious used to sandwich layer cakes together.

The base crumble isn't overly sweet - you could add sugar if you like, but the banana contributes such a lovely sweetness (very important to use a really ripe one) that I really don't think sugar is necessary.

For how naughty these taste, they are actually rather healthy.

Ingredients:

75g wholemeal flour

75g rolled oats

40g dairy free margarine

1/4 c barley malt

1 large banana, mashed

60g dairy free dark chocolate, melted

To make:

1) Turn the oven to 180°c, gas mark 4 and prepare 5 silicone muffin moulds or small ramekins.

2) Combine the flour and oats in a bowl and rub the margarine in so it is evenly distributed. Spoon in the barley malt and mix initially with a spoon, but then with your hands to ensure it's well mixed in.

3) Use 2/3 of the mix to press into the bottom of each mould as the base.

4) Melt the chocolate in a bowl in the microwave on medium low (keep an eye on it, but about 2-3 minutes) and while it's melting, mash the banana. When the chocolate is smooth, add the banana to it and mix well with a fork. Spoon an even amount of this mix over each base and level it gently with the spoon. Sprinkle some of the remaining oat mix over each one.

5) Bake for 15 minutes then remove from the oven and leave to cool completely. Serve with dairy free vanilla yoghurt or ice cream.

Note: Kept in the fridge, these make a delicious cereal bar substitute. Just make sure you keep them cool until eating or the chocolate and banana will melt everwhere...mmmm

Mixed Mushroom Penne

I love mushrooms. Shitake, oyster, button, portabello, chestnut; you name it, I love it. They are so versatile and while I know it's the texture that puts so many off, I just think it adds to their deliciousness.

A creamy mushroom sauce on pasta is a flavour match made in heaven, so here I've made a lighter, healthier, vegan version which is still rich and really flavoursome and with a little hint of heat. Perfect for a spring evening with a nice green salad.

Ingredients:

10g dried porcini mushrooms, rehydrated and finely chopped

A drizzle of olive oil

3 small Spanish onions, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, crushed

200g fresh mushrooms (I used standard white mushrooms, but portobellos, chestnuts or buttons would also work)

Salt and black pepper

1/2 tsp dried marjoram

1 tsp dried Italian herbs

1/2 tsp crushed hot chilli

1/2 c sweet sherry

1 tsp cornflour, mixed with hot water to remove any lumps

2 Tbs nutritional yeast

200g penne pasta

1/2 tin of cannelini beans

Juice of 1/2 a lemon

1 packet of rocket

Fresh parsley or chives

1) Start by rehydrating the porcinis in a bowl of warm water. Cover them and put to the side - they'll take about 15 minutes.

2) Heat some oil in a large pan over a medium-low heat and add the shallots. Cook until they turn translucent. Add the garlic and stir for another 2 minutes.

3) Tip in the fresh mushrooms and cook for about 3-4 minutes until the mushrooms are softening. Add the porcinis, seasoning and herbs. Mix well so everything is combined cook for another minute before pouring in the sherry. Again, mix to combine, turn down low and leave to cook while you put the penne, according to the packet instructions.

4) Add the cornflour mix and nutritional yeast to the mushrooms and stir. You may like to add a bit more water at any stage if it's looking too thick. However this recipe is very 'saucy' as such, it just has enough liquid that should be thick enough to coat the pasta.

5) Tip in the cannelini beans and leave it all to cook until the pasta is done. Then, while the penne drains, take the mushrooms off the heat and tip in the rocket and add the lemon juice. Stir well and add the drained pasta to the pan. Mix thoroughly so each piece of pasta is coated in the mushroomy sauce. Serve with fresh parsley or chives.

Serves 2-3.

Cheesy Vegan Pizza

Who doesn't love pizza? Although I didn't eat it a lot, when I gave up dairy, I was sad to say goodbye to pizza. Now I know that you don't HAVE to have cheese to make a good pizza, but to me, it really makes it. So I set about looking for something that would add the same deliciousness. And I think I've become pretty darn close with this spreadable tofu based alternative. It stops the base from drying out and adds a cheesy richness - all with the low fat content of tofu.

This pizza base recipe is a brilliant one because it's so easy - all the proving is done in the microwave so there's no waiting around while the dough sits in the hot water cupboard for hours. It's from a fabulous little book called Destitute Gourmet by Sophie Gray. Originally for calzone, it makes enough dough for 2 large, thin crust pizzas.

Ingredients:

For the base...

1 cup warm water

1 tsp sugar

1 Tbs dried yeast

1 cup plain flour

1 cup wholemeal flour (or another of plain instead if you prefer)

1/2 tsp salt

1 Tbs oil

For the 'cheese'...

400g carton of silken tofu

3 Tbs nutritional yeast

Salt and pepper to taste

Toppings...

Tomato paste

Crushed garlic

Mushrooms, sliced

Capsicum, sliced

Red onion, finely sliced

Olives

Mixed Italian herbs

Salt and Pepper

To make:

1) Start by turning the oven to 200°c.

2) In a small bowl, mix the water and sugar, then sprinkle the yeast evenly over the top and leave somewhere warm for 10 minutes, until it goes frothy.

3) Warm the flours in a large bowl for 1 minute in the microwave on 70%. Stir in the salt and oil, then add the frothy yeast and water mix.

4) Stir together and kneed on a well floured surface (you may have to add a little more flour as you go) for about 5 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic.

5) Put it back in the bowl and microwave for 1 minute on low, stand for 10 minutes. Repeat this until the dough has doubled in size, normally 2 cycles is enough.

6) While you are letting the dough stand, prepare the 'cheese' spread by pouring any excess water off the tofu and tipping it into a bowl. Add the nutritional yeast and salt & pepper and blend with a stick blender for a smooth consistency. Season to taste.

7) When the dough has doubled, divide it into 2 even portions and roll out on a floured surface. Transfer this to a greased pizza tray.

8) Spread each with tomato paste and crushed garlic, followed by the 'cheese'. Then arrange the toppings and bake for 25 minutes until the edges are risen and golden.

Pear and Banana Breakfast Loaf

This makes a delicious, nutritious and satisfying weekend brunch. Lovely on its own, or served with jam or honey and some plain soy (or dairy) yogurt. It's best served warm and fresh out of the oven, but we discovered it's still really tasty cold - if you're lucky to have some left over for afternoon tea!

Adapted from a recipe in the trusty ol' NZ cooking bible, the Edmonds Cookery Book, it uses barley malt extract to sweeten which provides slow release energy.

Ingredients:

1 3/4 c self raising flour

1/4 tsp baking soda

pinch salt

2 tsp egg replacer, mixed with water (or I used apple juice) according to the packet

1/4 c rice milk

70g vegetable margarine, melted

1/3c barley malt extract

1 large banana, mashed

1 medium pear, peeled and finely chopped

rice milk to brush

sunflower seeds to scatter

To make:

1) Turn the oven to 180°c and grease a loaf tin.

2) Sift the flour, baking soda and salt into a large bowl and mix.

3) In another bowl, whisk the egg replacer mix, milk, barley malt extract and melted marge until well combined. Mix in the mashed banana and pear.

4) Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients. Fold together until just combined.

5) Spoon the mix into the loaf tin (it'll be quite a sticky mix) and brush with rice milk. Scatter sunflower seeds over the top and bake in the oven for 50 minutes, until it comes away from the edges and is slightly golden.

6) Let it sit in its tin for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack.