About FeastforFamine

Baking, Cheap, Cheap Meat Cuts, Food, Nourishing, Recipes, Store Cupboard, World

Hi there and welcome to FeastforFamine!

cropped-img_20181009_082554_230.jpgAre you bored with going home to another bowl of pasta, sandwich or reheated lasagna? Going out for a pizza, burger or a steak? If you fancy trying some of the other wonderful stuff going on out there in the world, welcome to my blog, FeastforFamine.

Come on in and join me on my journey around the world, creating food inspired by countries from  Zimbabwe to Peru!

 

FeastForFamine has four main goals, specifically to…

  • Promote flavours and ideas from corners of the world less well-travelled or promoted.
  • Put my own interpretation on some of those and share my ideas with you.
  • Draw attention to some of the issues currently going on in those countries, many of which are suffering greatly from war and/or famine.

The emphasis is on inexpensive, wholesome, widely available ingredients which we don’t always think of pairing. Exotic cooking need not cost the earth, but sometimes takes only a slightly more adventurous approach to give our taste buds something new to look forward to.

Sadly, closer to home, several hundred thousand people in the UK now regularly rely on foodbanks. So, I have deliberately chosen a charity whose scope includes the UK, and hope that the ethos behind my ideas and recipes will make most of them accessible to as many people as possible.

Please feel free to leave any comments or feedback, or suggestions for enhancing any of the recipes. The whole idea of this blog is promote experimentation, exchange of ideas and learning from experience!

Scroll down and be inspired x

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Sausage Rice

Cheap, Children, Dairy Free, Easy, Eggs, Food, Main Course, One Pot, Quick, Recipes, Store Cupboard

Try out this easy recipe for mid-week inspiration! Uses mostly store cupboards and freezer ingredients too.

Serves: 4 (with maybe some leftovers)

Cook: 30mins

Prep: 20mins

Ingredients: 1 cup of cooked white rice (basmati or long grain is fine), 1 can of beans or your choice such as chickpea, pinto etc, 1 cup of frozen peas, 2 – 4 (depending on how many you want), decent sized sausages of your choice these can of course be veggie, decent sized sausages of your choice these can of course be veggie, 4 eggs, small bunch of chives or spring onions (keeping a little back for garnish), 1 clove of garlic, 1 veggie or chicken stock cube, splash of oil.

Method:

  1. Cook your rice as per instructions and set aside
  2. Meanwhile boil your eggs for 10mins and leave to cool
  3. Cut your sausages into slices and fry on a medium heat with a little oil in a large pan with the garlic until browned
  4. Mix in the chopped chives or spring onions and stir quickly
  5. Crumble over your stock cube and add your frozen peas and beans with a little water and mix well
  6. Add your rice and stir, so that the rice is coated in all the lovely flavours
  7. Peel and slice your eggs and use to top the rice with the remaining chives or spring onions
  8. Dig in!

Thursday’s Chicken Teriyaki

Asian Flavours, Chicken Dishes, Children, Dairy Free, Easy, Food, Healthy Food!, Lunch, Main Course, One Pot, Recipes

Mid-week sorted with my oven cooked Chicken Teriyaki, so quick to make and low fat too as cooking straight in the oven so no need to fry first…

Serves: 4

Prep: 10mins
Cook: 1h 30mins

Ingredients: 3 skinless chicken breasts, 1 large green pepper, cup of orange juice, 3 tbsps. shop bought Teriyaki sauce (I used Clearspring), 2 tbsps. runny honey, 2 garlic cloves, 1 tbps. of flour, handful of cashew nuts and fluffy white rice to serve.

Method:

  1. Preheat oven to 150F
  2. Get an oven proof lidded dish/pan ready
  3. Assemble all of your ingredients except the cashew nuts and chop the chicken and pepper into bite sized pieces and add to the pan
  4. Thinly slice your garlic and mix with the chicken and peppers
  5. Whisked together the orange juice, honey and Teriyaki sauce and pour over the chicken
  6. Pop in the oven lid on and cook for 1h and 15mins
  7. After this time take the lid off and sprinkle over 1 tbsp. of flour, mix well, add your cashews and pop back in the oven, lid on for 15mins
  8. Once ready serve with fluffy white rice and enjoy!

As a three person household we had enough leftovers for a little ones lunch box too. I just let the rice and chicken cool, steamed some broccoli and mixed together with some of the sauce, topped with slices cucumber for a little Teriyaki rice salad lunchbox – yummy!

Japanese Lunch Pancakes

Asian Flavours, Cheap, Children, Easy, Eggs, Food, Gluten Free, Healthy Food!, lockdown, Lunch, Nourishing, plastic free, Quick, Recipes

Makes: 12 slices

Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 10 -15 mins

Ingredients: 6 eggs, 4 florets of brocolli thinly sliced, handful of watercress, 1 heaped tbsp. of rice flour, 2 tsps. soya sauce, 1 garlic clove thinly sliced, 1 chopped chilli, 1/2 tsp. of dried ginger, 1/2 tsp. baking powder, 1 tbsp. of oil for cooking

Optional Sauce: 2 tbsps. of tomato sauce, 1 tsp. of runny honey, 2 tsps. of Worcestershire sauce mixed together,
salad cream, seasame seeds.

Method

  1. Beat your eggs, then add the rice flour and baking powder and mix again
  2. Add the garlic, ginger and chilli mix well then stir in all your veg
  3. Heat the oil in a large frying pan and add your egg mixture
  4. Cook for 10 minutes or more on a medium heat until the pancake is set
  5. Slide off onto a large plate and drizzle over sauce and sesame seeds if using
  6. Cut into 12 slices and enjoy!

FYI You can substitue the veg for whatever you have in, peppers, sweetcorn, spinach, cauliflower etc.

Gluten Free, Dairy Free and Delicious Creamy Broccoli and Walnut Pasta

Autumn, Comforting, Dairy Free, Easy, Fall, Food, Gluten Free, Healthy Food!, Lunch, Main Course, Nourishing, plastic free, Recipes, Vegetarian

Need something that’s quick, healthy and delicious too this week? Then give this Gluten Free, Dairy Free and Delicious Creamy Broccoli and Walnut Pasta a try…great for kids too!

Serves: 2

Cook: 10mins
Prep: Less than 5 minutes

Ingredients: 120g of Pasta of your choice, (I used gluten free spaghetti), half a head of broccoli, handful of walnuts, squeeze of lemon juice, 3 tbps. of soya cream, 1 tbsps of olive oil, salt and pepper.

Method:

  1. Cook your pasta as per packet instructions
  2. While this is cooking cut your broccoli up into florets and boil for around 6mins
  3. Drain the broccoli and add to a food processor with the rest of the sauce ingredients and blend to a thick sauce like consistency, if you prefer more liquid add some more olive oil
  4. Drain your pasta and mix in the broccoli and walnut sauce
  5. Add more seasoning if you wish and enjoy!

Weekend Treat – Rice Flour Pancakes with your Choice of Toppings

Breakfast, Brunch, Dairy Free, Easy, Gluten Free, Healthy Food!, Recipes

Gluten Free, Dairy Free and Sugar Free

So glad I have created this recipes as pancakes are a real weekend treat in our household, I was a bit dubious at first, thinking that the pancakes wouldn’t be as fluffy as they are when using normal flour, but this recipe worked a treat! It was really good to make the mixture of Friday night too, so that it was ready for a lazy morning breakfast. These pancakes are also gluten free, sugar free and dairy free so feels like an even better start to the weekend!

Ingredients: 3 large eggs eggs, 1 cup of rice flour, 1/2 cup of Oat milk 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 tsp of baking powder, pinch of salt, oil of your choice for frying.

Method:

  1. Combine all you wet ingredients and mix well
  2. Add slowly to the rice flour, baking powder, salt and mix well, so that there aren’t any lumps
  3. Leave overnight in the fridge
  4. When ready to cook, give the mixture another really good stir
  5. Heat some oil in a pan and start to cook your pancakes in batches, using a 1 tbsp. to measure out each pancake
  6. Cook on each side for 2 -3 minutes
  7. Once cooked top with your favourites pancake topping, chocolate sauce and banana works, blueberries and honey or in my case, poached egg, pancetta, spinach and black pepper yummy!

Wholemeal Banana Muffins

Baking, Cheap, Children, Dairy Free, Easy, Food, Healthy Food!, Treats

DF, Low Sugar

Whipped up a batch of these yesterday, great for lunch on the go, lunch box treats or after school snack. This recipe is dairy free and low sugar, making these a great addition to your weekend baking, as well as using up those overripe bananas!

Makes: 12 Muffins

Ingredients: 200g wholemeal flour, 4 overripe bananas, 2 eggs, 100ml of oat milk, 50g of brown sugar, 1 tbsp. of olive oil, 2 tbsp. of oats, 1 tsp. of baking powder, 1 tsp of baking soda, 1 tsp. of honey.

Method:

  1. Preheat your oven to 180F
  2. Combine all of your wet ingredients except the honey and mix well,
  3. Add to all of the other dry ingredients
  4. Mix well until smooth
  5. Mash your bananas in a separate bowl and then add to the muffin mix
  6. Mix well and then finish off by stirring in the honey
  7. Fill a 12 hole muffin tray with muffin cases and fill equally with the muffin mixture
  8. Pop in the oven and bake for 15 -20 minutes until the muffins have risen and are golden brown
  9. Allow to cool and keep in an airtight container until ready to eat
  10. Enjoy!

The Easiest Gluten Free Brownies

Baking, Cake, Easy, Easy Entertaining, Food, Gluten Free, Healthy Food!, Quick, Recipes, Snacks, Sweets, Treats

Have a go at making the easiest gluten free brownies, using only three ingredients, good for lunch box treats, after school of with a coffee for grown ups.

Ingredients: 400g of Hazlenut chocolate spread, 100g of desiccated coconut, 2 eggs.

Method:

  1. Preheat your oven to 160F
  2. Mix the coconut and chocolate spread together until all combined
  3. Add the eggs and mix well
  4. Line a baking tray with parchment paper and tip your wet mixture in
  5. Pop in the oven for 20mins
  6. Allow to cool and then cut into squares and store in an airtight container until ready to eat
  7. Enjoy!

 

Check out my other lunch box sweet treat ideas below:

The Lockdown Larder – Chocolate Flapjacks

Easy Oaty, (with a little bit of dark chocolate), and Dried Apple Cookies

Inspired by Madagascar – Vanilla, Banana and Tumeric Muffins with Sea Salt and Vanilla Glaze

Super Easy Gluten Free Nutella Cookies

 

 

Easy Baba Ganoush

buffet, Easy, Easy Entertaining, Food, Gluten Free, Healthy Food!, Recipes, Snacks, Summer Recipes, Vegan

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Possibly my favourite dip ever…after hummus of course!  Have a go at recreating this recipe at home and let me know what you think.

Serves: 4 as a side dip or more as part of a bigger Mezze Platter, (check out the links below for more ideas).

Cook: 40 mins
Prep: 10 mins

Ingredients: 1 large aubergine, 4 tbsps. of olive oil, juice of one lemon, 2 tbsp. of tahini, 2 garlic cloves, 1/2 tsp. of powdered cumin, 1/2 tsp. of salt, your choice of nuts and a little more olive oil to serve.

Method: 

  1. Preheat your grill to high
  2. Prick the aubergine all over and place under the hot grill for 15 minutes each side, until the aubergine skin becomes sunken
  3. Allow to cool slightly and scoop out all the flesh and add to a blender or a bowl if using a hand blender
  4. Chop the garlic and add to a pestle and mortar with the cumin and salt and pepper, mix to a smooth paste then add the olive oil
  5. Add this mix to the aubergine and add the lemon juice and tahini and mix until smooth
  6. Add a little more olive oil if the mixture needs loosening
  7. Serve in a bowl with your choice of nuts for a garnish, (I used linseeds, walnuts, pine nuts and black sesame seeds), drizzle over some olive oil and serve with crudités or pitta or both!
  8. Enjoy!

Click on the links below to see my other Aubergine, Dips and Mezze Ideas x

Store Cupboard Vegan Green Lentil Hummus…

Hummus…we have a problem!

Inspired by Iraq – Cucumber, Dill and Yogurt Soup

Vegan Oven Roasted Spicy Aubergines with Spicy Green Lentils

Grilled Aubergine, Courgette and Red Pepper Salad with a Tahini, Lemon and Herb Dressing

Inspired by Syria – Garlicky Roasted Courgette and Carrot, Honey, Cumin and Pine Nut Dips

Inspired by Egypt – Courgette and Chickpea Salad with DukkahGrilled Aubergine, Courgette and Red Pepper Salad with a Tahini, Lemon and Herb Dressing

Inspired by the Lebanon – Whole Roast Lebanese Chicken with A Cauliflower, Bulgar Wheat Tabbouleh

Gluten Free Lemon and Almond Summer Meatballs

Easy, Food, Gluten Free, Main Course, Recipes

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Love meatballs but looking for a lighter, healthier gluten free option? Then try this delicious lemony almond meatball recipe, with easy peasy tomato sauce!

Makes: 18 meatballs

Prep: 15mins
Cook: 40mins

Ingredients: For the Meatballs – 500g Pork Mince, 1 medium onion, 3 heaped tbsp. of ground almonds, 1 egg, zest of one lemon, 1 heaped tbsp. grated parmesan cheese, 1 heaped tsp. dried oregano, salt and pepper, drizzle of oil.

For the Tomato Sauce – Handful of cherry tomatoes, 400ml of passata, 3 cloves of garlic, 1 tbsp. of olive oil, 2 tsp. of balsamic vinegar.

Method:

  1. Preheat your oven to 220f
  2. Finely dice your onion and add to all of the other ingredients and work well to combine all of the ingredients together
  3. Once combined, make into walnut sized balls and pop into a baking dish, drizzle with oil and cook for 30 – 40 minutes until browned
  4. While the meatballs are cooking start on your sauce:
  5. Finely chopped the garlic cloves and add to a pan with the olive oil
  6. Cook for a few minutes on a medium heat then add roughly chopped cherry tomatoes and the balsamic vinegar
  7. Cook for 5 – 10 minutes until the tomatoes start to break down, you can break them down a little with a wooden spoon
  8. Add the passata and cook on a low simmer for 20mins
  9. Serve the meatballs on gluten free pasta and your choice and veg and drizzle over the sauce
  10. Enjoy!