I’ve always been a huge fan of beer, and it was probably one of the hardest things to give up when I first embarked on my gluten-free diet. Luckily, these days it’s fairly easy to find gluten-free beer, and I’ve finally been able to add it back in to my diet (although I have to admit it wasn’t so lucky for my belly!).
Another of my all-time favourite foods is cheddar cheese, so I just knew that this beer and cheddar soup was going to turn into a new favourite even before I tried it. It’s creamy and sweet, very satisfying, and frankly one of the most delicious soups I’ve ever tasted, if I do say so myself! You can use strong cheddar if you prefer, but the mild cheddar seems to melt much better. Besides, the beer gives it plenty of kick anyway. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!
Heat the butter in a heavy soup pot over medium heat.
Add the onions, celery, and carrot and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook until the onions are soft and translucent, around 5 minutes.
Add the salt, nutmeg, cloves, pepper and 425ml of the broth.
Simmer, covered, for 30 minutes.
In a bowl, whisk the sweet rice flour with the remaining 75ml of broth until smooth. Then add it to the pot, stirring constantly until the soup thickens slightly.
Remove soup from the heat and stir in the cheddar cheese until it is completely melted.
Just before serving, open the beer, add it to the soup and bring it up to serving temperature over low heat.
Garnish the soup with the parsley and paprika and serve immediately.
This baked aubergine parmesan with tofu pesto has got to be one of my all-time favourite comfort foods. Filled with lots of cheese and literally dripping with sauce, it makes my mouth water just thinking about it. If you’re not a fan of aubergine (like my son) you could substitute it for courgette, wild mushrooms or even a mix of vegetables.
You Need:
For the baked aubergine:
1kg aubergines
3tbsp extra virgin olive oil
750ml tomato sauce
300g mozzarella cheese, grated
250g Parmesan cheese, grated
4tsp fresh oregano, finely chopped
Salt to taste
Pepper, to taste
For the tofu pesto:
125g firm tofu
2 tablespoons vegetable broth
500g fresh basil
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons olive oil
125g fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
Steps:
Preheat the oven to 175ºC.
Peel the aubergine and slice into 1cm thick pieces.
Sprinkle salt on each side and drain on kitchen towels for about 20 minutes.
Turn the pieces over and drain on the other side for 20 minutes. Rinse and pat dry.
Drizzle the oil on the aubergine and then grill for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, or until lightly browned.
Combine the oregano and tomato sauce and season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour a small amount on the bottom of a 23cm x 30cm pan.
Arrange a layer of aubergine along the bottom of the pan, cover with some sauce and the shredded mozzarella cheese and sprinkle with the Parmesan. Continue layering until you have used all the aubergine, sauce and cheese, ending with the cheese.
Bake for about 30 minutes on the middle shelf of the oven, or until the cheese is bubbly.
Remove from the oven and let it sit for 5 minutes.
While the aubergine is baking, prepare the pesto topping. Combine all the ingredients in a blender, starting with the liquid ingredients at the bottom to facilitate blending. Process on medium speed until the pesto is very smooth. (Click here for another pesto sauce recipe.)
Pour the pesto sauce over the baked aubergine and serve immediately.
Note: Some people like pesto more than others, and so I often put the pest in a bowl on the side so that my guests can serve themselves according to personal preference.
I’ve always been a huge fan of beer, and it was probably one of the hardest things to give up when I first embarked on my gluten-free diet. Luckily, these days it’s fairly easy to find gluten-free beer, and I’ve finally been able to add it back in to my diet (although I have to admit it wasn’t so lucky for my belly!).
This baked aubergine parmesan with tofu pesto has got to be one of my all-time favourite comfort foods. Filled with lots of cheese and literally dripping with sauce, it makes my mouth water just thinking about it. If you’re not a fan of aubergine (like my son) you could substitute it for courgette, wild mushrooms or even a mix of vegetables.
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