Patz's Pantry

We moved into our new home in February of this year and every month the garden has proved to be a beautiful urban oasis of delightful surprises, from the beautiful flowers and shrubs to many visitors of the wild we never really experienced in our previous home only two miles down the road.  The month of August brought to fruition the blackberry... the first lot picked were devoured " au  naturel ", however I wanted to use the second lot in a recipe although it wasn't enough to make jam or ice-cream so I used then as a hint of berry in some moorish and crumbly oat bites. Ingredients: 250g buckwheat flour 100g ground almonds 200g Biona coconut palm sugar 2 tbsp Biona coconut nectar   280g sunflower spread 100g dessicated coconut 2 large eggs 100g oats (gluten free)  200g blackberries (this is all I had, however I should have doubled the amount) Method: Preheat oven to 160C and line a baking tin with grease-proof paper. In a large bowl, combine t...

It was my not so baby sister's 22nd birthday last week so I decided to surprise her with a favourite tipple of hers but in cake form... aahh the wonderfully English G&T; my go-to refreshment on a lovely night out (and in!). Now Eat/Drink Responsibly Folks! Ingredients: 200g unsalted butter softened 200g caster sugar 200g self raising flour 4 eggs 4 tbsp tonic water  2tbsp gin of your choosing For the frosting: 250g unsalted butter softened 500g icing sugar Juice of one lime 5tbsp gin  of your choosing Method: Pre-heat the oven to 180c and line/ grease  two 20cm cake tins Cream together the butter and sugar until light and smooth - ensure to use a  spatula  to mix in the mixture stuck to the side of the bowl. Add the beaten eggs to the mixture very slowly while continuing to whisk. Sift in the flour and fold careful into the mixture - s tir in the tonic water. Divide the well combined cake mix into the two baking tin...

This was a dish I prepared during one of those evenings when the thought of rustling up a meal seemed a total chore and the prospect of ordering a takeaway was the most tempting of options but the willpower remained strong (thank goodness!). I know what my husband would reply to "here you go darling, have your tasteless bowl of leaves after a hard days work" and it's not suitable for this respectable food blog although is probably grounds for separation or divorce somewhere in the world I'm sure! *wink wink* The simple green leafy salad can be so boring more times than not so here is something with masses of flavour, oh and before I forget you'll need a spiraliser for it.  Ingredients: (Serves Two) 2 courgettes, spiralised  1 ripe avocado, sliced 1 tin of sweetcorn (130g) 1 handful of cooked tenderstem broccoli 2 handfuls of cashew nuts  2 tsp. smoked paprika pinch of salt  black pepper 2 tbsp. tahini Juice of 1 lemon  1 tbsp. extra virgin ol...

I love an impromptu, never before mastered recipe in my repertoire - cobbled together from what the contents of the kitchen cupboards have to offer, certainly challenging my culinary creativity.  Tangy, tasty, delicious and leaving you wanting more... this is what food is all about and best of all it's GLUTEN & DAIRY FREE so no need to feel too guilty if an extra forkful is devoured!  Ingredients: (Serves Two) 200g Gluten Free Spaghetti (I use Garofalo, it has by far the best bite) 450g Scallops  4 tbsp. Dairy free sunflower/soya spread  1 garlic clove, crushed 2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice 1 heaped tbsp. small capers Black Pepper Salt 2 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped  Method: Bring a pan of salted water to the boil for the spaghetti and cook as normal for approximately 8-9 minutes stirring occasionally. Pat scallops dry, and sprinkle with salt and pepper - if you wanted to add a little heat to the dish a pinch of cayenne pepper a...