Welcome to a Free From Christmas…
This year, I’ve teamed up with some incredibly talented bloggers to create a free from Christmas buffet without any of the top 14 allergens.
We want to show that it is possible to cater for everyone at Christmas, removing the stress for those with allergies and for those catering for them.
For those of you who don’t know, the EU defines what the top 14 allergens are. They are listed as:
- cereals containing gluten: wheat, rye, barley, oats (if not gluten-free),
- dairy,
- eggs,
- soya,
- lupin,
- sesame,
- celery and celeriac,
- sulphites,
- mustard,
- fish,
- tree nuts (almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, cashews, pecans, brazils, pistachios, macadamia nuts),
- peanuts,
- molluscs,
- crustaceans.
So, during the course of the next two weeks you will be given a simple recipe to sit on your Christmas buffet table by each of the bloggers involved in the challenge.
Mel, over at Le Coin De Mel kicked off proceedings yesterday by sharing her recipe for chicken brined in gin (yes you did read that correctly, and having tried this amazing way of preparing chicken at River Cottage recently I can assure you it is divine).
Tomorrow you will find another very free from recipe suitable for a Christmas buffer over on The Intolerant Gourmand’s blog and she will direct you to where you will find the following day’s delights.
Within the next two weeks you should have enough dishes to create a feast fit for anyone, without having the worry about the dreaded ‘dietary requirements’, allowing you to relax and have fun at your Christmas gathering.
So without further ado, I’m going to crack on and tell you how to make my roast carrot and cumin dip with accompanying breadsticks…two recipes in one you lucky folk!
Tip number one…don’t over work the dough for the breadsticks. Once it has come together in a dough, shape it and bake it. The kids made the last lot and spent quite a lot of time working the dough…the result was a drier dough that subsequently cracked upon baking.
Tip number two…double the breadstick recipe, triple the recipe, quadruple the recipe…depending upon how many people you are feeding. As always, I have made a small amount in this recipe (around 10 breadsticks) because they are best eaten fresh.
At the end of this challenge I will write another blog post directing you to all the fabulous recipes created for our virtual free from Christmas buffet table…just in case you miss any.
In the meantime try out my recipe. I’m sure you won’t be disappointed…along with being great on a buffet table this is the prefect mid-afternoon snack for when your kids get home from school.
Find out where you can buy my wholegrain gluten and rice free flour blend here.
If you share this recipe be sure to use the #FreeFromChristmas. You’ll find all the recipes by searching on that hashtag!
Roast Carrot & Cumin Dip & Breadsticks
Ingredients
- FOR THE BREADSTICKS:
- 125 g Free From Fairy Self-Raising Flour
- Pinch salt
- 1/8 tsp xanthan gum
- 5 g olive oil
- 70 ml water
- FOR THE DIP:
- 400 g organic carrots peeled and chopped into thin slices
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 2 cloves garlic - whole with skin on or garlic oil if low FODMAP
- 30 ml olive oil plus more for drizzling
- 200 g chickpeas
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Salt and black pepper
Method
- Turn the oven on at 220 degrees, 200 degree fan, gas mark 7
- Add the carrot slices, cumin seeds and whole garlic cloves to a baking tray and drizzle with olive oil, shaking the tray to coat everything in the oil
- Place in the heating oven for around 20-25 minutes until soft and golden
- Before starting the breadsticks line a large baking tray, or grease it
- Put the dry ingredients into a bowl and stir well to combine
- Add the liquid ingredients and bring together into a dough using your hands (see tip above)
- Remove cherry tomato-sized pieces of dough from the bowl and roll into a ball
- Using the palm of your hand roll the ball out into a long thin stick - I make them around 30cm or to fit my baking tray
- Gently move them to the prepared tray and continue until all the dough is used up
- Sprinkle with seeds (not sesame if you're avoiding all allergens) or herbs if you like
- Add to the oven with the carrots (give then a poke to check if they are soft) and bake for around 10 - 15 minutes depending upon how hard you like them (the longer you leave them, the harder they'll get)
- Once you are happy that the carrots are soft and the breadsticks are hard, remove everything from the oven
- Allow the carrot mix to cool a little before peeling the garlic cloves and discarding the 'skin' leaving the soft inside
- Put the carrots, seeds, garlic (minus skin), 30g olive oil, 200g chickpeas and juice of lemon into a small food processor or blender and combine until smooth
- Season to taste and serve. Or store in the fridge for up to 3 days in a sealed container
Pin the recipe in Pinterest so you don’t loose it. Why not create a board for free from Christmas buffet foods to save all the recipes to?
I shared this with:
Renee Davis says
Oooooh, yummm!!! Both the breadsticks and dip sound really lovely hon. Do the breadsticks keep? My kiddos would love them 😉
Vicki Montague says
I can’t answer whether the breadsticks keep…they get eaten before I can tell you! But in an airtight container they should be fine. You could always leave them in the cooling oven to really dry them out?
Intolerant Gourmand says
Love love love this!! I will be testing both the dip and breadsticks out this weekend, as I’m putting the menu together for our annual Boxing Day family celebrations (I’ll be catering for 16!)
Can’t wait to try this! x #freefromchristmas
Vicki Montague says
Fab! This challenge is perfect for you then!
Mel says
Oh my goodness, I am ridiculously excited about your breadsticks. They look so easy to make and they’re Jumpy’s favourite snack with houmous. I have houmous in the fridge so I’m definitely making them tomorrow or on Saturday. Although she loves Schär’s breadsticks, they’re a special treat as they’re so expensive. Making them at home is the answer! You know what? I’d never even thought of making my own. Loving our #FreeFromChristmas already!
Vicki Montague says
They are super simple and she’ll love making them too! Just don’t let her handle the dough toooooo long (like I did with my kids) or you’ll have cracked breadsticks (still taste good though)!
Eb Gargano / easypeasyfoodie.com says
Yum! That dip looks scrumptious and what a lovely colour! Your breadsticks look fab too 🙂 Eb x
Vicki Montague says
Thanks Eb!
Chloe says
The dip looks scrumptious and the colour is very inviting. I wish I could have this as a snack right now, Chloe.
Chloe Weir says
Your so clever Vicky! Definitely attempting these breadsticks for myself! #FreeFromFridays
Vicki Montague says
Thanks Chloe. They are really simple!
Kate - glutenfreealchemist says
Wow! That Dip is incredible! LOVE it! such an amazing colour and roasted carrot? Yum! The breadsticks look gorgeous too.
#freefromchristmas sounds like a fun challenge. Will look forward to all your inventions (all three of you!) xx
Ciara Attwell says
Wow these look so good! The breadsticks look amazing and that carrot dip sounds divine! One on my list to try for Christmas!
Vicki Montague says
Ah thanks Ciara.
Cherished By Me says
Those breadsticks…they look as though they have the perfect crunch! Love the sound of the dip too…definitely going to try these recipes.
Vicki Montague says
Timing is key for the perfect crunch! Hope you enjoy x
Teresa says
Really love the carrot and cumin dip. I couldnt get your self raising flour so used an alternative. Sadly I was sure not to over work the dough , but when rolling in the palm of my hand the dough kept breaking and was crumbly .. when cooked they were really tough inside a bit like chewy pasta. Such a shame will continue to seek out your flour. But I love your dip and will be making this over Christmas. Thanks Vicki even my husband was convinced and he hates vegetables.
Vicki Montague says
Hi Teresa, sorry you couldn’t get my flour. Yes, if you make it with other flour blends it would be different. So glad you like the dip though. I know Amazon have got the SR in stock as do Tabl… Have a fabulous Christmas.