Reality TV star turned singer Megan McKenna says she has these gluten free pancakes for breakfast five days a week.
“They are so tasty, and fluffy too! The demand for these bad guys was insane. Pair them with my crispy bacon and maple syrup.
Pancakes with crispy bacon and maple syrup
makes: 12
ingredients†
450 g gluten-free self-raising flour
2 eggs
300 ml semi-skimmed milk
Olive oil, for frying
For the bacon†
1 tbsp olive oil
1 pack of 200g streaky bacon
Maple syrup to drizzle
Strawberries, for garnish (optional)
Method†
1. Place your flour, eggs and milk in a large bowl and whisk until smooth.
2. Place a tablespoon of olive oil in a large non-stick pan over low heat. When hot, add a heaping tablespoon of your pancake batter and swirl it into a small circle about five millimeters thick. Depending on the size of the pan, add one or two more spoons in the same way. The circles look thin, but they will rise, don’t worry!
3. Turn the heat to medium and cook for about a minute on each side, until fluffy and lightly speckled brown. You know when they are ready.
4. Place the pancakes on a plate and keep them warm while making as many pancakes as possible with the remaining batter. Remember to heat a spoonful of oil for each batch.
5. For the bacon, heat your olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. When hot, add the bacon and cook for six to seven minutes, turning if necessary.
6. When golden and crispy, drain on kitchen paper and serve on your fluffy pancakes with a drizzle of maple syrup. If you want extra luxury, cut up some strawberries and add them too.
Parmesan risotto with garlic shrimp
“A creamy risotto packed with Parmesan cheese and juicy shrimp is a great combination,” says McKenna. “It’s so rich in flavor, you don’t need a lot of it on your plate. A glass of white wine complements this meal beautifully.”
Serves: 4
ingredients†
750 ml gluten-free chicken stock
60 g unsalted butter
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, 2 pressed, 2 finely chopped
240 g carnaroli rice
125 ml dry white wine
150 g Parmesan cheese, grated
4 tablespoons whipped cream
Zest of 2 lemons
Juice of half a lemon
Olive oil, for frying
2 bird’s eye peppers, pitted and finely chopped
12 large raw peeled shrimp, deveined
Sea salt flakes and black pepper
Lemon wedges, to serve
Method†
1. Pour your stock into a saucepan, bring to a boil and keep warm. Place half of your butter in a separate pan over medium heat. When melted, add your onion and cook for four minutes, until soft.
2. Add your crushed garlic and fry for a minute.
3. Stir in your rice and a teaspoon of salt and cook for about three minutes, stirring often, until the grains start to turn translucent. It is very important to keep stirring so that your rice does not stick!
4. Add your white wine and stir for about two minutes, until the pan is almost dry.
5. Add a cup of hot stock and continue cooking and stirring until most of the liquid is absorbed; this takes about four minutes.
6. Keep adding the stock cup by cup so that each addition is almost completely absorbed before adding the next. When all the stock has been used, the risotto should be moist but not loose, with al dente grains.
7. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the Parmesan cheese, cream, lemon zest and half of the lemon juice, a teaspoon of pepper and the remaining butter. Taste and season with extra salt if necessary.
8. Put two tablespoons of olive oil in a large saucepan over low heat, add your chillies and minced garlic and let it steep for one to two minutes.
9. Add your shrimp and cook until nicely pink; about three to four minutes should do it.
10. Serve your risotto in shallow bowls and garnish with the prawns, making sure to keep any excess oil in the pan. Squeeze the rest of the lemon juice over it and add a pinch of salt and pepper. Sprinkle the chillies over the prawns and add a lemon wedge to the side of the bowl with the risotto.
chocolate brownie
“Who doesn’t love a batch of freshly cooked brownies for dipping?” asks McKenna. She recommends eating these brownies warm, with a scoop of ice cream.
makes: 2
ingredients†
170 g unsalted butter, at room temperature
200 g caster sugar
90 g brown sugar
3 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 tbsp chocolate and hazelnut spread
70 g gluten-free self-raising flour
40 g cocoa powder
100 g white chocolate, broken into small pieces
Method†
1. Preheat your oven to 200C (180C fan, gas mark 6). Line the bottom and sides of a 30 x 20 cm deep baking tray with non-stick baking paper.
2. Place your butter in a large bowl, add two sugars and beat until smooth and creamy.
3. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well between each addition. Now whisk in your vanilla extract and chocolate spread.
4. Sift in the flour and cocoa powder, then fold in with a spoon until completely blended.
5. Finally, fold in your white chocolate pieces.
6. Pour your brownie mixture into the prepared container and smooth the surface.
7. Bake for 50 minutes, after 20 minutes turn the heat back to 180C (160C hot air, gas mark 4).
8. Set aside to cool before slicing and serving.
“Can you make that gluten-free?” by Megan McKenna (published by Hamlyn, £20; photography by Louise Hagger), available now.
