Crunchy crust tuna fishcakes

The filling for these was leftover mashed potato and canned tuna, livened up with plenty of fresh chilli, ginger, lemon juice, and seasoning. But being on a LoFo brief and no wheat flour being permissible, these juicy little offerings were dipped in egg and then potato flour. They were pretty prone to disintegration until shallow fried, but then developed a crispy/bouncy crust which contrasted quite nicely with the squishy/spicy inside.

Served on this occasion with a tomato and olive salad and some plain sliced radishes, along with a simple caper/yoghurt/mayo sauce. All surprisingly satisfying.

If we make it again I'll try to take pics.

Corn and pumpkin pizza dough base

Yes.

• Boil your peeled pumpkin chunks in salty water until they're very soft. Drain most of the water, but not quite all.
• Mash into a hot liquidy mush. 
• Add enough masa harina until you can fork it together into a yellow tortilla-like consistency. 
• Let rest for 10 mins. 
• Knead until you have a lump of bright orange playdoh. 
• Roll out between plastic to fairly thin, place on baking tray and cut to size. 
• Grill on one side, flip over, and grill on the other until lightly coloured. 

And there, ladies and gents, is your LoFo thin crust pizza dough, ready to receive the toppings of your choice. Enjoy.

Corn Tortillas

• Ratio: 1/1 of masa harina (or maize flour) to boiling water. Maybe a little less water.
• Fork together, leave for 10 mins.
• Knead into a playdoh-like consistency.
• Roll into small golf-balls of bounciness and splat between a tortilla press, always being sure to use some plastic wrap to line the press for easy removal (cut up sandwich bags are just fine).
• Dry fry on a griddle until done.
• Stack, covering with teatowel.
• Turn upside down when serving because the bottom ones will be the softest.

I can't say that experimenting with LoFo foods has been an unmitigated pleasure, but Tortillas are, thank goodness, a tried and tested LoFo option approved by generations of Mexican grannies, not some pea-brained 'health expert' who doesn't know their gluten from their fructan  but insists the former will kill you stone dead. So, enjoy.

Classic fruitcake

	10"		80%	70%	60%	50%	40%	30%	20%
Plain flour	875	g	700	612.5	525	437.5	350	262.5	175
Mixed spice	2.5	tsp	2	1.75	1.5	1.25	1	0.75	0.5
cinnamon	2.5	tsp	2	1.75	1.5	1.25	1	0.75	0.5
nutmeg	0.75	tsp	0.6	0.525	0.45	0.375	0.3	0.225	0.15
butter	625	g	500	437.5	375	312.5	250	187.5	125
muscovado sugar	625	g	500	437.5	375	312.5	250	187.5	125
eggs	10	pcs	8	7	6	5	4	3	2
lemons (zest, juice)	2.5	pcs	2	1.75	1.5	1.25	1	0.75	0.5
Almonds	125	g	100	87.5	75	62.5	50	37.5	25
brandy	15	tbsp	12	10.5	9	7.5	6	4.5	3
Currants	875	g	700	612.5	525	437.5	350	262.5	175
Raisins	570	g	456	399	342	285	228	171	114
Sultanas	570	g	456	399	342	285	228	171	114
candied peel	180	g	144	126	108	90	72	54	36
Glace cherries	250	g	200	175	150	125	100	75	50
(Fruit total)	2445	g	1956	1711.5	1467	1222.5	978	733.5	489

Mary's Pork Loin Tenderloin and Caprese

Big thanks to my writer friend MaryAnn Unger over in sunny Las Vegas for this recipe! Her plates are prettier but this is the one I cooked, so here we are. Less fuss than a poached egg for this dinner.

Loin: slather in seasoning and yogurt, then roll in breadcrumbs, then bake, about 45 mins (I chose lowish heat). The caprese speaks for itself. I added a few capers just to up a little zing. Olive oil and balsamic to dress.

Might try the loin with a bit of carb and some zingy dressing at another date. It's soft and not dried out at all in the oven - something I didn't think was possible. Healthy as.

Cinnamon Rolls

Cinnamon Rolls

For the dough:
55ml warm water
210ml milk
1 egg
20g melted butter
450g flour
50g sugar
35g custard powder
3tsp dried yeast

Put ingredients into bread machine and make dough. (Or do it by hand).

For the filling:
2tsb cinnamon
1tsp mixed spice
150g sugar
30g melted butter

Roll out, spread with filling, roll up, slice, lay on baking sheets, bake.

For the topping:
100g cream cheese
30g melted butter
150g icing sugar
maple syrup
lemon juice

Drizzle over the top.

Moroccan Chicken

The original recipe does this in a tagine, with a whole chicken. For ease of eating I boned and portioned the chicken prior to marinating/cooking, but next time will only use thigh meat. The breasts get too dry being cooked for so long. The rest is good.

Marinate your chicken in a puree of:

• turmeric
• ginger
• cumin
• coriander
• garlic
• onion 
• preserved lemon 

(Don't bother to salt it as the lemons will do the job)

Add

• pureed onion and chicken liver. 
• more chopped onion
• rough diced aubergine
• some chicken stock. 

Cook in a moderate oven for at least an hour. Serve with cardamom rice and Moorish Crunch Salad. The pic is not mine, as you can guess by the fact that the bird is whole. Mine is eaten. Oh and the original recipe had olives in it but I gave up on that one for the kids.