Nutribox & A Special Offer

Being coeliac can mean that finding healthy yet tasty snacks can be a bit of a challenge. If I’m out and about or off site for a work meeting then it can be tricky to find anything, let along tasty and exciting things to eat while everyone else pops in to a shop for a choc bar or passes round a plate of custard creams.

There are a few companies around now that offer to post you little boxes of snacks for you to have on hand. These are a great idea, but sadly are often not guaranteed gluten free or don’t have a great variety of suitable gluten free snacks, meaning and you end up with the same variation on peanuts and raisins week and week (I’m talking from past experience here)

Enter Nutribox! This is a Sheffield based company that source snacks from gluten free suppliers, all within the UK, that they then put together into a selection box and post out to delighted gluten free munchers. I must admit I didn’t know much about them until they got in contact and offered me one of their boxes to review. All the products they provide are gluten free – naturally gluten free – meaning they don’t try and supply gluten free alternatives to e.g. muffins, but rather provide healthy, naturally gluten free foods perfect for snacking on – fruit crisps, nuts bars etc.

 

They offer two sizes of box, mini Nutribox – 8-10 products per box or Nutribox – 18-20 products per box. Both of which can be delivered anywhere in the UK on a monthly basis. The boxes are designed to fit through the letter box, so you won’t have to keep traipsing off to the post office to collect your box of goodies. The range of things on offer and the companies they sources the snacks from differs from month to month, so each box is an exciting surprise as to what you will receive.

On receiving my box I eagerly opened it to find a selection of exciting treats inside, including:

3 raw fruit/choc/nut bars.

Bounce – Cashew & Pecan Vitality Life – A mix of nuts, GF oats, seeds and fruit juices

Braw – Apple & Pear fruit bar – dried apple, pear, dates, almonds and flax

Energy Bomb – Raw Coco Crisp – A high fibre, fruit, nut and cocoa bar

3 little packets of dried fruit and nut mixes by a company called The Ludlow Nut Company.

No Choc Fruit & Nut – Almonds, hazelnuts, sultanas & raisins

Tropical Mix – Banana chips, almonds & coconut

Hot Cross Bun – Cranberries, hazelnuts and sultanas

There were also two small raw chocolate bars. Raw chocolate is something I’ve heard a lot about but never tasted it in bar form before, so I was excited about this.

Ombar – Dark 72% Bio Live Chocolate – Raw, organic, vegan chocolate bar enriched with bio ‘good’ bacteria

Ombar – Cranberry & Mandarin Chocolate – Raw, organic, vegan chocolate bar infused with cranberries and mandarin

A finally an interesting packet of 2 disc shaped raw superfood ‘cookies’

Energise – Raw Fruit ‘Cookies’ – A mix of sprouted almonds, coconut, hemp, flax, agave syrup, cocoa nibs, goji berries, maca and vanilla.

How delicious and exciting do they all sound! I'd normally be thrilled to find even one of these on offer in a shop, so to be presented with a whole box full of new and interesting snacks made me ridiculously happy. I wanted to save some of the treats to take with me to the office or when I’m out and about, but I couldn’t resist trying three of them at home for review purposes.

Energise – Raw Fruit ‘Cookies’

Being raw there is nothing baked about these ‘cookies’ They are simply a mix of delicious, nutritious ingredients squished together to resemble a cookie. There are two raw cookies per 50g pack.

They felt a little soft and ever so slightly sticky to the touch, almost like a flapjack. They smelt strongly of coconut and when bitten into they had a nice chew and slightly sweet flavour. The flavour and texture of the coconut comes through on chewing along with a slight sweetness from the agave and then tartness from the goji berries. The texture was similar to other dried fruit and nut bars I’ve tried, very nice and very moorish. I could quite happily munch on these any time. All very nutritious natural ingredients, so far better than a muffin or chocolate bar.

Energy Bomb – Raw Coco Crisp

On removing the wrapper, this bar felt very dry, dense and firm. There was no softness or give it the texture. It had a strong cocoa aroma, quite bitter and not very sweet. On biting into it, it had a coarse, slightly crumbly feeling in the mouth. It wasn’t unpleasant but I wouldn’t hurry to have another one. It would certainly fill you up and provide you with a long supply of energy, probably ideal if out on a hike. I felt it would be more something I would eat for its benefits, rather than because I enjoyed it. It was perfectly pleasant, but not treat-worthy enough to make me crave another one. I found it too chalky and bitter, and this is coming from a girl who likes to eat 90% dark chocolate.

Ombar – Raw Dark 72% Bio Live Chocolate

The idea behind raw chocolate is that it has not been heat treated so all the powerful enzymes and antioxidant are still at their peak. It’s also had live bio cultures added to it to aid digestion – the same thing they do with some probiotic yoghurt drinks. So health benefits aside, how did it taste?

The aroma is what struck me first on unwrapping the bar. A deep, rich and intensely dark chocolate aroma wafted up to greet me. The bar had been divided into segments which broke apart with a very pleasing and loud, clear ‘snap’ the mark of a good chocolate. No dull thunk of poor chocolate here! On eating, the bar dissolved and broke apart in a very nice yet slightly unexpected way. I was expecting something very solid, but it had a very light texture, almost that of a very superior Aero. Light, but also intensely rich and cocoa flavoured. Even after only one piece I found the chocolate flavour lingered for several minutes. A delicious bar and one I would happily eat again. I was pleased to see that it had been lightly sweetened with coconut sugar, so a very natural and healthy bar all round.

I was really impressed with the quality and variety of the treats I received. I love that everything Nutribox send out is always gluten free, how they support local UK food producers and provide such a variety and exciting assortment of snacks and treats, rather than just putting together a few peanuts and raisins. Each snack is the perfect size to pop in your bag, meaning you never have to miss out on the afternoon munchies again. The snacks are unusual, tasty, nutritious and many of them are not readily available in local shops, meaning you get to sample some really innovative and artisan products. Much better than a plate of custard creams!

Special Offer

Nutribox have been generous enough to offer the first 10 Apple & Spice readers an amazing 50% off their first box! Simply put the following code (APPLE&SPICE50) – without the brackets – into the discount code box on the Join page.

Offer applies to the first 10 customers only, and must have a UK delivery address. So you better be quick!

Spinach & Sweet Corn Tamales

I have been longing to make my own tamales since tasting them for the first time on my visit to LA last Febraury. I ate a dish of green spinach tamales in a fabulous restaurant called Hugo’s and it remains the best meal I have ever eaten in my life. The textures and flavours just blew me away and were unlike anything I have ever tasted. Imagine my delight when I discovered that the restaurant had created a video, showing exactly how to make the dish. Once I discovered this I knew I had to try and recreate them.

 

Before I could get cooking, I had to buy some Masa Harina, a special type of fresh, dried and ground corn/maize flour used for making tamales and also traditional tortillas. Thankfully a quick hunt online produced two online Mexican stores that sold it. Spying they also sold corn husks – the dried outer leaves of corn in which tamales are traditionally rolled and steamed, I got some of those too. I was now ready to get tamale making!

 

My spinach mixture refused to puree smooth as I only had a small food processor rather than a powerful blender, but this didn’t seem to affect the recipe. It made my tamales speckled green in appearance, rather than being completely green, but I think this was actually rather attractive. Another thing I liked about this recipe compared to others I’ve seen is that is uses roughly blitzed fresh sweet corn for extra texture rather than relying purely on the corn flour. It’s also a gluten free, dairy free, vegetarian and vegan recipe as it uses no fat (lard is traditional) in making the tamale dough. (I did add cheese and sour cream as finishing accompiments, but this is optional.)

 

I was actually surprised how quick and easy the tamales were to make. From start to unwrapping the cooked tamale was just under an hours work. I had fun wrapping and rolling my tamales, and experimented with using both the traditional corn husks and squares of parchment paper as wrappers. I must confess I found the parchment paper squares a lot easier to work with.

 

In LA my tamales were served on a pool of green tomatillo salsa, another thing not readily available in the UK (boo). Instead I used a jar of good quality tomato sauce which I spiced up with some chipotle chili paste. It turned out to be rather fiery, as I hadn’t realised the tomato sauce was actually a fresh chili and tomato sauce, so the addition of a blob of sour cream was quite welcome to cool my tongue.

 

The texture of the tamales was just as I remembered them. Quite thick and stodgy, but also soft and flavoursome as tamales are steamed rather than baked or fried. The texture may not appeal to everyone, but I love it! The spinach gave it great fresh flavour and speckled appearance while the little chunks of fresh sweet corn added a subtle sweetness and a pleasing texture against the spicy tomato sauce. So satisfying. I can’t wait to experiment with other flavours or maybe even attempting a few stuffed tamales.

I know many people in the UK may not have even heard of tamales before, let alone tasted one, but I urge you to give them a go. I have given some links of where to get the Masa Harina flour below. Click here to see the video recipe of Hugo’s Green Tamales.

Spinach & Sweet Corn Tamales

Ingredients

200g spinach

100ml water

400g sweet corn

30g caster sugar

¾ tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

130g fine cornmeal (not cornflour)

120g Masa Harina corn/maize flour *(see below)

Corn husks or baking parchment for wrapping

* Masa Harina is made from fresh sweet corn that has been dried and ground into flour. You can buy it and the corn husks from online Mexican grocers or some specialist shops. Mex Grocer and Cool Chili Co are two such places.

Method

Cut out 6-7 inch squares of baking parchment or soak some corn husks ready for filling.

Place the spinach and water into a food processor. Process until a green thin puree has formed. Mine remaining quite chunky, giving it a mottled appearance but this is fine.

Place the spinach into a large bowl.

Place the sweet corn into the processor and blitz until broken down, but still quite chunky (if using fresh corn, cook it first, but canned or frozen are already pre-cooked) Add the sweet corn to the spinach.

Sprinkle over the remaining ingredients and fold everything together using a spatula.

Place 2-3 tablespoons of the mixture in the centre, about 1inch up from the base of the corn husk or baking parchment square. Fold over the bottom edge, to cover the tamales mixture, and then fold in each of the two sides to prevent the mixture from escaping out the sides, then roll up. Repeat until you have used all your tamale mixture.

Heat a pan of water until simmering. Place a steamer or sieve over the top of the water and arrange your wrapped tamales inside. The water should not touch the sieve/steamer. You don’t have to cook them all at once.

Place the lid on the saucepan and allow the tamales to steam for 30 minutes. They should feel firm when cooked.

Remove the tamales from the steamer. Carefully unroll them from the parchment or corn husks and place two per person on a pool of spicy tomato sauce/salsa. (Green tomatillo salsa is traditional but very hard to find in this country) Put a blob of sour cream or crème fraîche on top of the tamales and finish with a fine grating of cheese.

Eat and enjoy.

Makes around 8 small tamales (enough for 4 people)

Note: I've just realised this is my 500th post - whoop!

Prune & Beetroot Brownies

Yes I know another beetroot recipe, but this is the last one I promise, at least for a few weeks! I decided to have another go at making beetroot brownies. I made some about 5 years ago and remember them being very tasty. Recently there seems to have been a surge of beetroot brownies and chocolate beetroot cakes around, which got me craving one again.

Back in my uni days I actually did my dissertation about the acceptability on taste of replacing the butter in brownies with fruit and vegetable purees. Beetroot was one of the veg I used and worked very well, producing a moist and tender brownie with no added butter. Another variety I tried was using pureed prunes. This too worked well, although it gave a denser and very sweet tasting brownie.

 

I hit upon the idea of using pureed beetroot to replace the butter in my brownies and combining it with pureed prunes, this time to replace the sugar in my brownies, as both prunes and beetroot are naturally very sweet. I had a quick internet search for prune and beetroot brownies and was actually quite chuffed when I couldn’t find a single one. There were plenty of prune OR beetroot brownies, but no prune AND beetroot brownies – a new brownie innovation hurrah! Feeling very excited I set to work.

The brownie batter turned out quite thick and a little coarse from the blitzed prunes and beetroot, but smelt very rich and inviting. I did use chocolate in the recipe, but as it was dark chocolate this would have contributed very little sugar or fat to the recipe. The lick of the spatula also tasted lovely.

 

After baking the brownies had puffed up slightly and yet set into quite a heavy feeling brownie. On slicing I was pleasantly surprised it was actually very light, moist and fudgy in texture, similar to a flourless chocolate cake. It had a fabulous deep chocolate colour with a dark ruby hue to it.

 

The top surface was slightly crackled and nicely sticky. The flavour was of a strong earthy chocolate, largely down to the beetroot, with a fabulous springy bite and nice chew from the pureed prunes. It was perfectly sweet and almost treacly in flavour which I think was contributed by the prunes. It was really rather addictive and I didn’t feel at all guilty eating 1 or 2…ok 4 squares in one afternoon as they must be relatively healthy brownies. Not that you’d know it!

 

The following day the brownies had become more compact and a little dense, but stayed wonderfully fudgy with a slight chew. So if you are looking for a chocolaty Easter treat that won’t pile on the pounds, maybe give these prune and beetroot brownies a go! Gluten, wheat, dairy (if non dairy choc), added fat and added sugar free! Probably higher in fibre, lower GI with added vitamins and minerals too. Now you can have your chocolate brownie and eat it too!

Happy Easter Everyone

Prune & Beetroot Brownies

An Apple & Spice original recipe

Ingredients

200g cooked beetroot

100g soft prunes

150g dark chocolate 60-70%

15g cocoa powder

60g brown rice flour

2 eggs

¼ tsp gluten free baking powder

2 tsp vanilla extract

Method

Preheat the oven to 175C. Line the base of an 8inch tin with baking paper.

Place the prunes into a food processor and blitz until a thick sticky paste is formed. You may need to scrape down the sides of the mixer every so often.

Remove the prunes, and add the beetroot. Puree until very finely chopped and almost pureed.

In a medium sized pan melt the chocolate until smooth and glossy, then remove from the heat.

Lightly beat the eggs and then quickly mix them into the warm chocolate mixture, followed by the vanilla.

Add the prune and beetroot purees and fold together.

Scatter over the flour, baking powder and cocoa and fold in well to create a thick, slightly coarse mixture.

Spread the mix into the prepared tin and bake for 25 minutes.

It should be evenly risen, firm yet slightly squishy to the touch. Leave to cool for 20 minutes in the tin before removing to a rack to cool.

Slice and enjoy

Heinz Gluten Free Pasta & Pasta Sauces – A Hit & Miss Review

I’m always on the lookout for new gluten free foods, so when Heinz got in contact to say they were about to launch a range of certified gluten free pasta and would I like a sample, I was more than happy to accept.

The new pastas are (to my knowledge) Heinz’s first contributions to the gluten free market, by which I mean specially designed gluten free products rather than their ketchup which is naturally gluten free. They have produced a range of 3 pasta varieties and 3 tomato based pasta sauces. The pastas include penne, spaghetti and macaroni and are apparently made in Italy. I received the macaroni pasta which I was delighted about. I love macaroni and until now there has not been a gluten free equivalent available in the supermarkets.

The 3 pasta sauces come in individual little tetra pack cartons, which I thought was a great idea. They are sturdy enough to take on holiday or carry around with you without being heavy or at risk of shattering like glass would be. The 3 flavours are Tomato Frito, Tomato & Oregano and Tomato & Basil and are produced in Spain to an “authentic recipe.” In my sample box I got the oregano and basil varieties.

The first thing that struck me about the pasta was its use of an unusual ingredient. Along with potato and cornflour it also contained lupin flour. I have heard of lupin, but never seen or eaten it in a product before and was curious to see what it tasted like. Apparently the pastas have been “crafted to ensure ultimate taste and a perfect bite.”

I know from experience that gluten free pasta tends to go from firm to soft and mushy very quickly. I tasted a piece of pasta after only 6 of the 8-9 minutes specified cooking time and found it already very soft, so removed it from the heat immediately. If I had left it cooking for the required time I am fairly sure it would have disintegrated. Given their “perfect bite” statement and the fact it’s been produced in Italy where they are known for their love of al-dente pasta, this surprised me.

I decided to taste some of the pasta plain, to see what the flavour was like. I’m afraid I wasn’t overly impressed. It tasted a little bitter and almost musty, which I can only attribute to the lupin flour. Not a good start. I decided not to judge too harshly at first as not many people would eat completely plain pasta and so I heated up the tomato & oregano pasta sauce and stirred it through.

The sauce smelt lovely and very fresh. I was impressed at its ingredient list too which was simple and free from any strange preservatives. It was perhaps a little smoother than I would normally choose as I like a chunkier tomato sauce, but no different to most shop bought tomato pasta sauces.

Eating both the sauce and pasta together helped mask the strange flavour from the lupin flour, but I did find the pasta sauce itself to be quite sweet. Although, there was no denying its strong tomato and oregano flavour. The herb flavour really shone through and tasted lovely and fresh. However, I’m still not entirely sure I liked the pasta, as the slightly strange flavour still lingered in the background.

I didn’t use the whole pack of my sauce when I made my pasta and used the rest of as the tomato base for a homemade pizza, which worked really well. Later on I tried the tomato and basil sauce and was again impressed with its fresh flavours.

I would certainly recommend and buy the pasta sauces again and at only £0.89 each they are very affordable. The pasta I’m afraid to say probably won’t be making another appearance in my shopping basket. This is a shame as I would have loved to have an easier source of macaroni pasta, rather than having to buy it online as I do now. At £1.80 for a 500g bag it’s also very competitively priced for a gluten free product. For me though, the lupin flour (I assume it’s this as there was nothing else unusual in the ingredient list) just didn’t work for me. Who knows, some people may love it, and maybe covered in a thick cheesy sauce you wouldn’t detect the bitter musty note, or maybe I just got a dud batch, but I’m afraid it wasn’t for me. The pasta sauces get a definite thumbs up though.

Note: This review is purely my own perspective of the product and has not been influenced by anyone else. I received no payment for this review, excluding the free samples mentioned above.

Beetroot & Bean Houmous

I think my brain was away on holiday when I went food shopping last weekend. It’s not been long since I finally finished munching my way through a large bunch of fresh beetroot, and getting a bit fed up with it by the end. You might think this would mean I wouldn’t want any more for at least a few weeks. Well, this is what I thought too, but when I saw beetroot on offer over the weekend I somehow ended up coming back with two more packs of the stuff – yes two!

It was on offer, one of those 89p for one or £1 for two offers. My brain thought “oh I have some goat’s cheese in the fridge that beetroot would be really tasty with, I’ll get some.” Then when I spotted the offer, well it was too good to pass up. Thankfully this time the beetroot was the cooked, vacuum packed kind (not vinegary), so it will keep for a few weeks, but honestly! What am I like? I’m not normally taken in by offers, but somehow I can never pass up a fruit and veg offer.

Once home I was determined to use up a good portion of it in a different style to just salads and sandwiches. I decided on beetroot houmous. Perfect fodder for taking to work for lunch. Rather than use chickpeas, I decided to use a tin of black eyed beans. I really like the texture of these beans, they seem softer and creamier than chickpeas, which can sometimes be a bit chalky.

I adore the colour of the houmous once finished, a real vibrant pinky purple. It made me smile just to look at it. It retained a slightly coarse texture which was nice, with little flecks of bean or beetroot scattered throughout. The earthy woodsy flavour of the beetroot was livened up by a generous squirt of lemon juice and zest. Along with its almost psychedelic colour it made the perfect sunny lunch time food, adding a bit of brightness and freshness to what has otherwise been a very cold and dreary week. I’ve been taking little pots of it into work and slathering it onto hot toast at lunchtime, delicious.

So although I may have got carried away buying two packs of beetroot for a single person, long live beetroot I say!

Beetroot & Bean Houmous

Ingredients

200g cooked, peeled beetroot

400g tin black eyed beans

Zest & juice of ½ lemon

2 tsp Henderson’s relish (or balsamic vinegar)

2 tsp olive oil

½ tsp dried oregano

Salt, pinch

Method

Place the beetroot into a food blender and blitz until finely minced, you don’t want puree, a few chunky flakes are fine.

Drain the beans and add to the beetroot. Blitz again until a thick chunky puree is achieved, scraping down the sides when necessary.

Add the oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, oregano, Henderson’s relish and a pinch of salt. Blitz again until a coarse houmous-like texture is achieved. A few little chunks or flecks of bean or beetroot are fine and actually add a nice texture.

Transfer to a lidable container, and store in the fridge for up to one week.

Enjoy with crackers, toast, veg crudités, salads, sandwiches or jacket potatoes…basically anything you fancy!

Simnel Cake & Mothers Day

Simnel cake is often associated with Easter, but it is traditionally a cake baked for Mothering Sunday. Young girls who lived and worked away from home in service were given half a day off on Mothering Sunday, during which they would bake this cake and take it home to their mothers. This year Mothers Day is Sunday 10th March.

A Simnel cake is a light fruitcake containing sultanas, apricots and cherries that is topped off with a layer of marzipan and decorated with 11 marzipan balls around the edge. This fruitcake is also extra special as it also contains a middle layer of marzipan that is baked into the cake itself, producing a delicious moist and gooey almond middle layer. It’s quite unique and I know of no other cake which does this. I suppose Stollen is similar in that it has marzipan baked inside, but Stollen is more of a bread than a cake, and there is no marzipan decoration.

The marzipan on top of the cake is often lightly toasted gently under a grill to give it a speckled golden appearance and a little more depth of flavour. Alternatively you swipe at it with a blowtorch (I did!) I find this results in a more even browning.

The eleven marzipan balls around the edge are meant to represent the twelve disciples, minus the traitor Judas. However, I’m unsure if this was present on the traditional Mothers Day Simnel cake as this seems to symbolise an event more associated with Easter, so this may have been added later. Either way if you are a lover of marzipan, then getting a slice of cake with one of the marzipan balls is an extra treat.

My mother and I both love this cake and I try to bake her one every year. Unfortunately (for me) she is away on holiday over Mothers Day this year, but I am going to see her in a few weeks time, and plan to bake her one then. These photos are actually from a previous years Simnel cake, but I wanted to encourage everyone to bake one themselves.

This recipe originally came from The Ultimate Cake Book by Mary Berry. I have been baking Mary Berry’s recipes since I was a little girl and this book belongs to my mum. It’s much used, its batter splattered pages a record of years of enjoyment. I have fond memories of sitting for hours and reading through the recipes and gazing in wonder at the (now slightly dated and faded) photographs. I like to think I knew and loved her long before her Great British Bake Off  fame.

This cake is light, moist and studded with a colourful array of fruits. The sweet gooey marzipan adds a wonderful flavour that goes so well with the fruits. I find baking one a very enjoyable experience as mixing the batter always makes me reflect back on happy memories, mixing a little love into the cake itself. I’m sure this is one of the reasons it tastes so good, as a cake made with love, for someone you love is truly a special thing.

Simnel Cake
(Recipe adapted from Mary Berry’s Ultimate Cake Book)

Ingredients
175g light soft brown sugar
175g butter
175g gluten free (or regular) self raising flour
3 eggs
25g ground almonds
2 tbsp milk
100g sultanas
100g dried apricots

100g glace cherries

50g extra dried fruit of choice – raisins, pear, cranberries etc
2 tsp mixed spice
½ tsp cinnamon
250g marzipan
2 tbsp apricot jam
Method

Preheat the oven to 160C. Grease and line the base and sides of a deep 8inch/20cm round cake tin with greaseproof paper.

Weigh the sugar, butter, flour, ground almonds, eggs and spices into a bowl. Beat together using an electric mixer until smooth. Beat in the milk.

Weigh out the dried fruit and chop the apricots and cherries into large pieces using a pair of scissors.
Fold all the dried fruit into the cake batter.
Pour half the cake mix into the tin and spread into an even layer.
Take 100g of the marzipan and roll out into a circle. Use the base of the cake tin to cut out a circle. Place this circle of marzipan on top of the cake batter in the pan. Top with the remaining cake mix and spread out evenly.

Bake in the oven for 1 hour before quickly removing the cake from the oven, covering the top of the tin with foil to prevent it from browning any further and return the tin to the oven for a further 30-40 minutes

It should be firm yet springy to the touch when cooked.
Remove from the oven and leave to cool completely in the tin. Once cool, release from the tin and carefully peel off the greaseproof paper.
Thinly roll out the remaining marzipan and cut out another circle, using the cake tin as a guide like before.
Heat the apricot jam until soft. Brush over the top of the cake and place the marzipan disc on top. Use your fingers to crimp the edges slightly.
Gather up the leftover scraps of marzipan and roll into 11 balls. Use a little jam or water to attach them around the rim of the cake.

Heat your grill and place the cake under the grill and allow the marzipan to toast and go golden brown. Rotate the cake as needed and keep a careful eye on it as it will start to brown very suddenly. Alternatively use a blowtorch (I find this works best) or leave it natural.

Tie a ribbon around the cake and present to your Mum.

Makes one 8inch/20cm cake

Little Hanoi, Sheffield

Yesterday I agree to act as taxi service for A, as he wanted to visit a few electronic stores around Sheffield in his quest to find a new stereo system. I understand that you can only research so much online, and it’s better to see things in ‘the flesh’ and press a few buttons before making a decision. I was more than happy to accompany him on his research mission, particularly as he promised to buy me lunch as a thank you.

As we ended up in the London Road area of Sheffield, we decided to try a fairly new Vietnamese café called Little Hanoi. I’ve heard good things about this place both from co-workers and reviews online. I love anything with noodles and a bit of spice and had been longing to visit them and try the food for several weeks. When eating out, I much prefer places that make food I probably couldn’t recreate so successfully at home. Pizza and pasta places (gluten free) are fine, but I often end up thinking I could have produced the same, if not better, myself at home for half the price. So I was delighted when A agreed to give Little Hanoi a go. Plus anything that can be eaten with chopsticks is always a bonus.

Once inside and perusing the menu I was delighted to see that they had some really authentic sounding dishes and I liked how each dish had its own description, rather than being a generic noodle dish that you added your own topping to. As I’m coeliac, I spend a few minutes quizzing the waitress about the ingredients that went into the dish I was interested in – Pho xao – stir fried flat noodles. She didn’t really understand ‘coeliac’ or ‘no gluten’ but once I conveyed ‘no flour, no wheat, no soy sauce’ she understood and confirmed that the flat noodle dish was made with rice noodles made with only rice, no wheat. She also informed the chef I wanted the dish made with no soy sauce and confirmed this again on bringing the cooked dish to the table. (I don’t actually know if the dish originally contained soy sauce, but as this style of cuisine often uses it as a seasoning, I thought it best to ask for it not to be used, just to be on the safe side).

As we waited for our order we were provided with complimentary rice crackers. I thought at first they might be prawn crackers, but A assured me they were just plain rice. This was a nice gesture and they were lovely to munch on while we chatted and took in the surroundings.

When our food arrived I was presented with an absolute mountain of Pho xao dau rau (Stir fried flat noodles with vegetables and tofu). (The photo doesn’t do it justice, but that plate was about 10-11inches square!) I love flat rice noodles. The fat ribbons of soft and slightly chewy rice always end up sticking together when I try and cook them, but here they were perfectly cooked and coated in the sauce. The veggies included bok choi, Chinese mushrooms, carrot, pepper, bean sprouts and Chinese cabbage. They were still a little crisp and crunchy which is just how I like them. Large chunks of fried tofu were mixed in amongst the noodles which I was pleased to find wasn’t greasy and lovely and soft and creamy inside. I hate it when you take a bite and all you taste is a mouthful of oil, not the case here. The dish was topped off with lightly fried shallots which were crisp and sweet.

A chose Bo xao dau dua (stir fried beef with green beans). As his dish didn’t come with rice or noodles he chose a side order of chicken fried rice. He said the beef was very good and not chewy. After only about three mouthfuls he said we would have to come back again, so I think it’s safe to say he enjoyed his meal as much as I did.

I only managed about two-thirds of my dish and A didn’t finish all his rice and they were more than happy to package it up for us to take home. The food was very reasonably priced, especially considering the portion sizes, quality and freshness of the food. Two of us with drinks, complimentary rice crackers, two main courses and a side order of chicken rice came to less than £20.

The only thing I feel let the place down was that the food was served on very cold plates. In my opinion hot food should always be served on hot plates, but these were decidedly chilled. However, as I never got to the bottom of my dish this didn’t really matter, but it’s still a pet hate of mine. That small detail aside it was a delicious meal and I’m sure we’ll go back.

I’m pleased to say I couldn’t taste anything untoward/gluten-containing in the dish and it’s now the following morning and I’ve had no stomach issues so I’m confidant they were able to make it gluten free for me – hurrah!

Little Hanoi

Address: 216-218 London Rd, Sheffield S2 4LW

Phone: 01142 583836

Further Fun with the Food Dehydrator

I enjoyed the outcome of my first experiments with my new food dehydrator a few weeks ago and decided to experiment some more. The first time around I kept things safe and simply tried dehydrating some slices of apple and pear. This worked well but I learnt that you have to keep your slices fairly thick and chunky if you want to achieve soft and squishy dried fruit. The first time I cut my apple and pear slices quite thin which resulted in dried fruit that was halfway to being a fruit crisp as it dehydrated to practically nothing. Tasty yes, but not what I was after.

This time around I cut my fruit chunkier and also experimented with some different fruits. Apple, nectarine, blueberries, plum and ….carrot! (A rogue vegetable)

I get strangely excited by new gadgets and experimenting with food. There is always the eager anticipation as to what will be produced. I layered up the fruit, set a time for 5 hours and left it to do its thing.

On the base layer I put apple and nectarine quarters. The apple slices turned brown during the dehydration process as I didn’t dip them in anything acidic or chemical, I rather liked their appearance. They looked almost like they had been caramelised or dipped in cinnamon. Being chunkier, they also retained some of their moisture this time. Juicy and slightly firm, yet not crisp. The apple flavour was really pronounced too. Very good.

The nectarine slices kept their colour, if fact they turned positively golden! They took on a slightly withered appearance but this turned them deliciously chewy and sticky. A very successful dried fruit replica and their flavour and sweetness intensified due to the drying. My favourite of the lot.

I was unsure what would happen to the blueberries. I had read it was advised to place them on baking paper so they didn’t fall through the gaps in the grating as they dried. I was unsure how successfully they would dehydrate, being as they are sort of enclosed in their own skin. I had wondered if I should prick them with a knife to help some of the moisture escape, but in the end I just left them as they were. Below is a before and after shot. You may notice they don’t look particularly dried out and they weren’t, but the drying still altered their flavour and texture. They were soft yet with a firmer texture than before, not so fleshy or juicy. Their flavour had also intensified, making them actually taste like a really good blueberry, rather than a water mush with a hint of berry flavour. A good standby for improving their flavour of winter, but I think it may be more worthwhile just waiting to buy them in the summer when they are in season. I don’t think you can get quite the same dried blueberry result as ones sold in shops. Those are probably dried for days and coated in sugar. An interesting experiment nonetheless.

For the plums I simply cut off the cheeks either side of the stone. These dried in such a way that they ended up looking like poppy heads. Darker centres surrounded by a crinkled red skin. Rather attractive really. In terms of eating, I couldn’t decide whether I liked them or not. They stayed strangely crisp and get more chewy than juicy. Their flavour had intensified but it also brought out a slightly bitter note. They were nice dipped in peanut butter, but I’m not sure I’d make them again. Maybe I was just unlucky and used a bland tasting plum to begin with.

Now the mystery addition to the range – carrot coins! You don’t see many dried vegetables amongst the dried fruit snacking options and it turns out there is a good reason for this – they don’t taste very nice! The carrot probably dehydrated the most successfully, becoming shrivelled and crinkled on drying, probably due to its lower moisture content to begin with. I was quite excited when I saw them, but unfortunately they were not pleasant to eat. Have you ever found a really old carrot in the back of your fridge? One that’s turned shrivelled and bendy and yet somehow still breaks in half with a snap? Well, this was what happened to the carrot coins. Soft around the edge but oddly crisp and a little bendy. They did taste strongly of carrot, but I ended up feeling like I was eating a really old carrot, rather than a nicely dried one. I intend to try making carrot crisps using paper thin slices of carrot, but I don’t recommend carrot coins – leave those to the instant noodle snack people!

The only drawback I discovered to having the fruit juicer and free from any preservatives or nasties is that they went mouldy after 4 days. So I’d recommend either eating them quickly or else refrigerating or freezing them.

I’m having so much fun experimenting – anyone got any suggestions or good recommendations as to what I should try next?