Recipes

These are all the recipes from past Failsafe Newsletters (up to #66 inclusive).

Thanks to all those who provided them - I have acknowledged you where I have kept records and apologise to those who are not acknowledged - please let me know!

Don't forget there is a great collection of tested recipes and a complete guide to failsafe eating in the Failsafe Cookbook!

Breakfasts

Five-minute porridge

Herbed scrambled eggs

Rebecca's muesli

Lunches and snacks

Bubble & squeak

Chicken noodle snack

Choko mash

Choko wedges

Coleslaw

Coleslaw2

Cook your own kidney beans

Creamy egg and celery nuggets

Crunchy potatoes

Easy potato chips

Evil bean bruschetta

Failsafe Spring Rolls

Garlic toast

Howard’s bean spread

Howard's butter cabbage

Jaffle pies

Mini meatloaves

Nic’s Chicken Nuggets

Oriental 2 minute noodles

PBJ

Potato patties

Red soup

Secret pancakes

Super Salad with Mighty Mayo

Tortillas (Burritos)

Main meals

7 minute risotto

American Casserole

Andra's Chicken Noodle Soup

BBQ butterflied lamb

BBQ chicken escalopes

Beef and leek pie filling

Birgit's glazed meatballs

Bron’s Mini Pizzas

Chicken and Cashews

Chicken and leek frittata

Chicken and shallot pie

Chicken balls

Chicken frittata

Chicken schnitzel

Chicken soup for colds and flu

Christmas dinner

Country vegetable bake

Cracked egg pies

Darani’s hearty chicken noodle soup

Deborah's vege pie

Failsafe sukiyaki

Garlic pasta

Gnocchi

Green chicken pie

Grilled chicken

Halliwell Chicken Nuggets

Hot chicken rolls

Howard's chicken pasta

Indian-style lamb with leeks and potatoes

Japanese-style tofu in sauce

Kye Sie Mum

Lamb and swede sausages

Lamb Meatballs

Mayonnaise Chicken Drumsticks

Melody's chicken

Moroccan Chicken

Moroccan lemon lamb tagine

No-cook failsafe 2-minute meal

Oven Fried Chicken with Lemon Sauce

Quick maple chicken

Rebecca’s pizza topping

Rebecca's egg pie

Sam’s Barra Cakes

Sausages in foil

Tofu stir-fry

Tweedie Pie

Veggie Bake

Vegetarian Casserole

Sweet things, biscuits, desserts

American Crumb-topped Coffeecake

Anne’s quick slice

Apple muffins

Birgit's muesli bars

Birthday or Party 'cake'

Birthday bombe

"Blondies" (not Brownies as they have no chocolate!)

Bombe Alaska

Bread and butter pudding

Butterscotch Pudding

Candied ricecakes

Caramel cakes

Caramel Meringue

Carob cookies

Carob custard cups

Carob icecream

Classic maple icecream

Country pear cake

Creamed rice

Crunchy chunky cashew biscuits with dairy-free gluten-free option

Delicious eggless soy ice cream

Dominic's Pop-Rocks

Easiest ever pear pie and ice-cream

Erica's prize winning gf pear loaf

Fluff marshmallow spread

Frozen Rice Bubble Treats

Gingerbread muffins

Gluten-free carob cake

Gluten-free slice

Gluten-free sweet slice

Gooey Caramel Slice

Healthy carrot cake

High-fibre lunchbox muffins

Honeycomb slice (contains dairy and wheat)

Howard's pear icecream with dairyfree option

'Lemon' meringue pie version 2

Lunchbox Pear or Apple Pies

Madeira Cake

Magic jelly

Mango parfait (moderate in salicylates, also contains amines)

Marshmallow slice

Marshmallows

Max's MEMMs (mini expresso melting moments)

Mrs Cattle's Biscuits

Nell’s cake (with egg-free option)

Pear Clafoutis

Pear Crumble

Pear Tapioca

Poached tamarillos in syrup

Popples (dairy free, gluten free)

Princess bread

Pumpkin Pie (butternut is moderate in salicylates, others are high)

Quick Carob Fudge

Quick lunchbox biscuit

Rice Bubble Treats

Rice Cookies

Rice pudding

Rice Puffs

Self-saucing microwave golden syrup pudding

Siena Easter Cake

Sticky rolls (using dough from a bread maker)

Sugar Cookies

Tiramisu

Toffee Bark

Tofu custard tart

Wedding Whip (contains dairy)

Yummy biscuits

Other recipes and hints (eg bread, mayonnaise)

Hints

Anne's satay sauce

Buttermilk scones

Campers Dream icecream balls

Cashew Bread

Chocolate icypoles

Chokos with Homemade butter

Creamy mayonnaise

Dr Dengate’s UGF (Ultimate Gluten-Free) bread

Easy chicken stock

Failsafe Baileys (for the over 18s)

Failsafe lemonade

Failsafe margarine

Failsafe sports drink 1

Failsafe sports drink 2 Home-made “staminade” recipe from WHO

Failsafe trail mix

Gluten-free bread

Gluten-free pastry

Homemade butter

Homemade Donuts

Homemade flour tortillas

Lentil spread

Maple Butter

Maple cashew butter

Mighty Mayo (also known as Robin’s Dressing)

Near-Beer Bread

Pear bread

Pear Roll-Ups / Fruit Leathers

Peter's Rice Milk

Potato crackers

Purple ketchup

Quick hollandaise sauce

Quick processor scones

Rebecca's cob loaf

Ricemilk

Soy yoghurt

Vegemite Substitute

Breakfasts

Five-minute porridge

1/2 cup rolled oats (regular is best but quick cook are also good) per person

1 cup water per person

Place oats in a small saucepan with cold water and bring to the boil. Stir briefly until mixture thickens. Serve with light brown sugar and A2 milk; or pear and yoghurt; or sliced bananas (contain amines, not suitable for your strict elimination diet) or stewed rhubarb (contain moderate salicylates, not suitable for your strict elimination diet).

Herbed scrambled eggs

Eggs are a perfect package of vitamins, and the quickest meal ever.

3 eggs

knob of pure butter or Nuttelex

splash of milk (or organic cream for special occasions)

salt to taste

fresh chives, chopped

2 slices failsafe sandwich or cob loaf bread, toasted

Beat eggs with milk and add salt. Gently melt the butter in a pan and stir in the eggs, stirring constantly until the eggs are nearly set, sprinkle chives. To serve, spoon the scrambled eggs onto toast. Serves 1-2.

Rebecca's muesli

3 cups of rolled oats

4 tbsp brown sugar

4 tbsp white sugar

2 tbsp canola oil

5 weetbix, finely crushed

3/4 cup puffed amaranth

1 cup puffed millet

1 cup rice bubbles

1 cup All Bran

Toast first four ingredients as per failsafe recipe. When cooled add other ingredients, mix well and store in airtight container. Serve with milk and yoghurt (cows or soy), pear and banana (amines).

Lunches and snacks

Bubble & squeak

Mix leftover mashed potato and leftover cabbage together. Fry in oil on both sides until brown. Top with chopped chives or parsley. - traditional

Chicken noodle snack

1 packet Fantastic Long Life Noodles

homemade chicken stock

chopped cooked chicken

Bring stock to the boil, add noodles and chopped chicken and simmer until noodles are cooked. This is a good substitute for 2-minute noodles. – Tania

Choko mash

Sometimes called vegetable pears, chokoes are originally from Latin America, where they are known as chayote. They can be as a fruit (stewed with sugar and optionally a pear or golden delicious apple) or a vegetable. Here is a Mexican recipe:

2tsp canola oil

1 large leek, chopped

1 clove garlic, crushed

3 large chokoes (about 1 kg), chopped

6 medium potatoes (about 1.2 kg), chopped

50 gm butter or Nuttelex

2 tbsp chopped parsley

Heat oil in small pan and cook leek and garlic, stirring until leek is soft - about 5 mins. Boil, steam or microwave chokoes and potatoes separately until tender. Chokoes (with ¼ water) will take about 10 minutes on high in the microwave, 15 minutes steamed. Drain and puree chokoes with leek mixture in blender or processor. Drain potatoes and mash with butter. Combine both mixtures and push through sieve into a large bowl. Stir parsley through. Serves 4-6.

Choko wedges

5 medium chokoes (about 900g)

½ cup breadcrumbs or rice crumbing mix

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1 egg, lightly beaten

canola oil for shallow frying.

Cut each choko into 8 wedges. Boil, steam or microwave until just tender. Drain and pat dry. Combine breadcrumbs and garlic. Dip wedges in egg, then in breadcrumb mixture. Heat oil in large pan. Fry wedges in batches until well browned all over. Drain on absorbent paper. makes 40.

Coleslaw

1 leek, sliced

failsafe oil for sauteeing

3 sticks celery, finely sliced then chopped more in food processor bowl with

3 sprigs parsley, chopped

2 brussel sprouts, sliced finely (disguises their flavour completely)

Lightly sautee leek slices for a milder flavour. Combine all ingredients in a salad bowl. – Alison

Coleslaw2

1 leek, sliced and lightly sauteed (makes for a milder flavour than raw!)

3 sticks celery, finely sliced then chopped more in food processor bowl with

3 sprigs parsley, chopped

2 brussel sprouts, sliced finely (disguises their flavour completely) - Alison

Cook your own kidney beans

Did you know? Kidney beans are the least windy of any bean.

1 cup dried kidney beans

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp light brown sugar

Rinse beans and discard any broken bits. Cover well with water and soak in fridge at least overnight. The longer the soaking time, the shorter the cooking time. Drain, cover well with fresh water, add salt and sugar, bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer until tender - up to one hour. Leftovers freeze well. Pressure cook for 12 minutes is an alternative.

Creamy egg and celery nuggets

Failsafe, gluten-free, dairy-free, vegetarian finger food for parties.

60g Nuttelex margarine

1/3 cup rice flour

1/3 cup water

2/3 cup milk, soymilk or rice milk

1/4 - 1/2 tsp salt

5 hard-boiled eggs, chopped

1 small stick celery, chopped finely

rice crumbs as required

2 eggs, lightly beaten

3 tbsp milk, extra

failsafe oil for frying

Melt butter in microwave, add rice flour and cook for about 20 more seconds. Gradually add water, rice milk and salt, stirring until smooth. Cook in microwave until thickened, stirring every 30 seconds or so. Cool. Stir in eggs and celery. Shape dessertspoonfuls of mixture into flat shapes like chicken nuggets, roll in rice crumbs, dip in combined egg and extra rice milk, then crumbs again. Deep or shallow fry until golden brown. Makes 30. Recipe can be made ahead to end of step two then refrigerated. - Caroline

Crunchy potatoes

This traditional Danish recipe makes a quick and easy snack.

4 medium potatoes, peeled and sliced into rounds the thickness of chips

2 tablespoon canola oil

2 tbsp sugar OR 2 tbspn chopped shallots (optional)

Microwave or steam potatoes. Heat oil in a heavy-based pan and add shallots or sugar when hot. Stir until shallots are cooked or sugar is dissolved then add potatoes and stir and turn until browned on both sides. Sprinkle with sea-salt if liked. Serves 4.

Easy potato chips

Preheat oven to 200°C

Use big potatoes (must be white fleshed and brown or white skinned, not pontiacs), peel thickly and cut into chip shapes

Place on an oiled oven tray and spray with canola oil

Bake for about 20 minutes depending on oven, until brown.

Evil bean bruschetta

Bruschetta is a traditional Italian food consisting of grilled bread rubbed with garlic and topped with olive oil, vegetables or other toppings. This failsafe version comes from Michelle who says ‘it got its name from a friend of mine who isn’t a failsafer but she loves it all the same, and she thinks it’s evil!’

1 tin cannelloni beans

¼ cup of oil (half of this to cook with and half to pour over the top)

1 clove of garlic, finely chopped.

2 baguette rolls, cut as though you were making a bruschetta and lightly toasted.

Cream the beans in a processor. Mix together half the oil and garlic in a separate bowl and leave to infuse. Fry the other half of the garlic and oil until they start to crisp, do this slowly. Add beans and cook gently until hot. Serve hot on toasted bruschetta and drizzle infused oil on top. – thanks to Michelle

Failsafe Spring Rolls

This mix can be used to make pies as well.

Failsafe Spring Roll Wrappers

300g Minced Beef, Chicken or Lamb (or any combination, pork for non-amine responders)

Any of the following vegetables finely diced: Garlic, celery, beans, leek, spring onions, Brussels sprouts

½ cup cooked rice or rice noodles

If some sals allowed: finely diced carrot, corn kernels, peas, bok choy or other Chinese greens

2 tsp failsafe oil/butter for frying

salt to taste

milk or water for sealing wrappers

Optional:

2 tsp golden syrup

3-4 tbsp homemade stock

1 tbsp preservative-free cream cheese (adds a lot of flavour to the mix)

Fry meat until browned and vegetables until tender. Add optional ingredients at this point and then salt to taste. Allow mixture to cool. Separate spring roll wrappers into individual sheets. Use 1 or 2 tablespoons of mixture in each spring roll, depending on how large you want them. I place the mixture at the top of the wrapper and then fold the left and right sides into the middle. Moisten all over the wrapper and then roll from the top all the way down. You can then deep or shallow fry in oil or bake in the oven. The amount of each vegetable in the mix will depend on your taste.

I also use this mix to make mini pies but usually add a small amount of sweet potato or butternut pumpkin (if some sals permitted) to help bind the mixture together. Muffin trays make excellent mini pie moulds. Alternatively you could make one large pie.- thanks to Dianne H

Garlic toast

2 slices failsafe bread, rye bread, rice bread

butter or Nuttelex

1 clove garlic

Toast bread slices in toaster. Spread with butter. Cut garlic clove in half and rub cut side on buttered toast for a quick snack.

Howard’s bean spread

Use red kidney beans from a can or see Cook your own red kidney beans recipe.

1 cup cooked red kidney beans, drained

2 tsp failsafe oil

pinch salt

¼ tsp citric acid

crushed clove of garlic optional

2 tbsp water

Mix in blender to a thick paste, keep in fridge. Great in sandwiches, wraps, as a dip, and on pizza.

Howard's butter cabbage

1 tbsp failsafe butter

4 cups finely sliced cabbage

2 brussels sprouts, finely sliced (optional)

salt and crushed garlic to taste

2 tbsp water

In a medium saucepan, melt butter, stir-fry cabbage and sprouts until well

wilted (about 5 minutes). Add water, salt and garlic, stir and cover. Turn

down heat and allow to steam for a further 5 minutes. Serves 4, sweet and

delicious with any meal.

Jaffle pies

1 frozen slice of Pampas Butter Puff Pastry, cut into 4 & about 1 cup of filling

Filling suggestions:

minced beef or chicken stir fried with shallots and thickened with cornflour

1 egg, beaten with chopped chives - this turns out like a quiche

Sunday roast - slices of leftover lamb or chicken with slices of leftover roast potatoes

Cut pastry sheet into 4 pieces. Lie one piece on each of two hot jaffle pots. As soon as pastry starts to thaw, put 1/2 of filling on each sheet. Cover with top sheet. Close but do not clamp shut and time for 5 minutes. Makes two jaffles.

Mini meatloaves

Great for lunchboxes

500 g lean beef or lamb mince

1 cup rolled oats, gluten-free if necessary

1½ cup mixed vegetables such as sliced leek, celery, grated choko, grated swede (especially good with lamb), green beans, mashed kidney beans or other cooked beans, lentils or chickpeas, pears, green peas if tolerated (glutamates), grated carrot if tolerated (salicylates)

1 egg, lightly beaten

salt to taste

Preheat oven to 190°C. Using wet hands, combine ingredients thoroughly, shape into balls and place in a lightly oiled or silicon muffin pan. Bake for 20 minutes in a 12 muffin tray (40 minutes for 6 muffins) and check it is cooked through. Serve with mashed potatoes, lettuce or other green vegetables and pear chutney. You can use leftovers for lunchboxes: wrap individually in foil, seal in a freezer bag and freeze for up to one month - thanks to Caroline.

Nic’s Chicken Nuggets

I made chicken nuggets with just chicken breast but my 5yo is a bit lazy when it comes to chewing. So for a more commercial look and texture I made up the following.

2-3 potatoes peeled, boiled and mashed

500g chicken mince

Chives chopped

Garlic (optional)

Mix all together and shape into nuggets. In another bowl beat an egg. Dip nuggets into egg. Then mix together rice crumbs and toasted fresh breadcrumbs and roll egg dipped nuggets into this mix. (Bit messy!). I shallow fried mine in wok for colour and then transferred them to baking tray and finished them off in moderate oven. YUM! – Thanks to Nicole

Oriental 2 minute noodles

1 packet of colour-free, flavour-free noodles

1/2 tsp sugar

drizzle golden syrup

failsafe cream cheese (or grated mozzarella cheese if tolerated, moderate-high in amines)

Cook noodles according to instructions on packet. Drain noodles and stir in toppings to melt while hot. Serves one. - thanks to Elly

PBJ

The failsafe equivalent of the American PBJ (peanut butter and jelly) sandwich.

2 slices failsafe bread or 2 plain rice cakes

home-made failsafe cashew butter

pear jam (make it yourself or see Shopping List)

Make into a sandwich. This travels and keeps well. - Thanks to 16 year old Daniel from New York whom I met on the Larapinta Trail for this inspiration, it became my favourite gluten-free dairy-free failsafe trail food.

Potato patties

4 -5 cooked, chilled potatoes, grated

2 tbsp finely chopped shallots

1 tsp salt

¼ cup flour

¼ cup milk or soymilk

2 tbsp canola oil

Set frypan to 150° and heat oil. Mix potatoes with shallots, salt, flour and milk. Shape into about 8 patties. Fry in oil on each side until brown. Drain on kitchen paper and serve with pear ketchup.

Red soup

10 cups of water or homemade chicken stock

1 packet of red lentils (rinsed)

2 tbsp white rice, uncooked

2 swedes, peeled and chopped

1 cup celery, chopped

1 cup leeks or shallots, sliced

1 cup chopped cabbage

6 brussel sprouts, halved (optional)

Place red lentils and rice in water and bring to the boil while preparing other vegetables. Reduce heat and simmer until cooked, about 30 min (red lentils cook much more quickly than brown or green).

Secret pancakes

Sharon writes: "These have become a weekend favourite in our house. We cook up a big batch of pancakes, with soy milk of course (my 9yr old son loves to do this, a night off for me !) & then devour them with great enthusiasm. We top them with golden syrup, or 'citric water ' & sugar (a substitute for lemon juice & sugar ). To make the citric water (or secret water as my 5yr old calls it) we just add citric acid to water to taste . YUM. We also use citric water as a substitute for lemon juice in cakes etc."

Pancake mix: 1 cup plain flour, 1 egg, 1 1/4 cups milk, pinch of salt

Sift flour & salt, break egg and add to a well in the middle of the flour. Stir in flour gradually from the sides, adding milk a little at a time. When half the milk is used, all the flour must be moistened. Beat well to remove all the lumps & make it light. When quite smooth, add the remainder of the milk gradually. Stand it aside for 30 mins-1 hour. Melt a little butter in a pan, wipe dry with kitchen paper, melt another little piece of butter in the pan. Pour about 2 tablespoons of the batter into the pan, and allow it to spread evenly by moving the pan about. Cook quickly until set and under side is slightly brown. Toss or turn the pancake with a spatula, and cook on other side till brown. Drain on absorbent paper.

Super Salad with Mighty Mayo

The secret ingredient for getting salads into kids is the mayonnaise – “tastes like lemon mousse” said one failsafer.

1 cup per person of the following finely sliced salad vegetables: celery, lettuce, cabbage, shallot

Add grated fresh beetroot and/or carrot and/or sliced snow peas (all moderate sals) if permitted.

Mix with 1 tbsp Mighty Mayo, see other recipe. Good in a salad roll or pocket bread with Howard’s bean paste or sliced hardboiled egg.

Tortillas (Burritos)

4 cups flour

4 tbsp butter

1/2 tsp salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

Combine dry ingredients in a bowl and rub in butter. Add water, a small amount at a time and work mixture into a dough. Knead dough until smooth, cover and set aside for 10 minutes. Form dough into balls the size of an egg. Roll each ball into a circle approx 12 cm in diameter. Heat fry pan on medium to high heat. Place tortilla in pan and cook approx 1 minute each side. (Tortilla should be lightly speckled.) Eat plain, with butter or as burritos using the garlic meat as for pizza topping, lettuce (and carrot and cheese if permitted). My boys love to take these to school/kinder with just butter, especially on special days such as excursions.- Elaine

Main meals

7 minute risotto

You need a pressure cooker for this quickcook meal.

2 cups arborio rice

4 1/4 cups boiling water

sunflower oil

300 g chicken or lamb-pieces, but sometimes mince if that's all I have

2 cups failsafe vegetables, e.g. swede, choko, celery, leek, garlic

salt to taste

Chop vegetables into smallish cubes/pieces, 1-2cm. Alternatively, vegetables can be pureed while raw and added that way to provide a smoother, less chunky, less obviously vegetable containing risotto for those discerning little ones who are exquisitely fussy. Add all ingredients, except water to the cooker and heat, stirring till rice is slightly transparent from the oil. Add the boiling water (doesn't have to be boiling but makes the cooker come to pressure heaps faster if it is) and close and lock the lid, selecting the high setting. Once the pressure switch engages I set a timer for 7 minutes and go play with the boys. Release pressure, stir and serve – thanks to Catherine.

American Casserole

An easy dish to take to a Christmas get-together

2 cups spiral pasta

½ small leek

500 g mince

Cook pasta and place in bottom of casserole dish. Cook leek and mince and spread on top of noodles. Bake at 180°C for 45 minutes. - Margie

Andra's Chicken Noodle Soup

This noodle soup makes a great one-pot dinner when served with garlic rolls.

3 tbsp canola oil

2 cups chopped cabbage

4 stalks chopped celery

1 chopped leek

1 small carrot (optional)

2 litres water

2 cubed chicken breasts (uncooked)

2 cups chopped green beans

250g packet of 'Fantastic' rice noodles or equivalent – check the label!

salt to taste

Gently stir-fry cabbage, celery, leek and carrot in oil. Add water and simmer 30-40 mins. Add chicken and beans and simmer 5 mins, then add rice noodles and simmer 10 mins.

Serve with garlic rolls. - Andra

BBQ butterflied lamb

Marinade (from the Failsafe Cookbook page 92):

2 tbsp failsafe oil (eg canola)

3 tbsp golden syrup

2 shallots, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, crushed (optional)

1 pinch citric acid (optional) salt to taste

2kg leg of lamb, boned and butterflied (your butcher will do this)

Prepare marinade and spread over both sides of lamb, place in a shallow dish, cover and refrigerate for four hours, turning occasionally. Roast lamb on a medium hot barbecue, skin side down, for 8-12 minutes. Turn and cook for a further 8-12 minutes or until cooked as desired. Remove and cover for 10 minutes. To serve, slice lamb and place on serving plates with salad on the side. Accompany with hot garlic bread. Serves 6.

BBQ chicken escalopes

An escalope is a thin slice of meat such as veal or chicken mostly fried or grilled.

4 large chicken breast fillets

3 tbsp canola oil or similar

1 garlic clove, crushed

chopped chives for garnish

fresh crusty bread rolls

failsafe salad

failsafe salad dressing

Pound the chicken breasts gently with a meat mallet or rolling pin until they are about 5mm thick (quarter inch) and have almost doubled in size. Mix oil with the crushed garlic, brush some of the mixture over both sides of the chicken, season with salt and allow to stand. Prepare salad with failsafe ingredients or moderate salicylate options such as butter lettuce and snow peas when tolerated. Cut rolls in half lengthways and place cut side down on the barbecue for a few minutes until lightly toasted. Barbecue the chicken over medium-hot coals for about three minutes on each side until golden on the outside but still juicy in the centre. Garnish with chopped chives. Serve with rolls and salad.

Beef and leek pie filling

Great as a pie filling and also as a topping to pasta.

500g mince

whole leek chopped

equal amount of cabbage to leek

cloves garlic

1 heaped tsp cornflour

enough water to make sauce, about 2 cups.

1 tbsp golden syrup

2 shallots, chopped

handful of mung bean sprouts

salt to taste

Combine mince, leek, cabbage, garlic, water and cornflour, bring to the boil and simmer until reduced, then add golden syrup shallots, bean sprouts and salt. Cook together until soft. For pies cook down longer for a firmer mix and use Pampas butter puff pastry - Eleanor

Birgit's glazed meatballs

500g mince

2 garlic cloves, chopped

2 shallots, chopped

1/2 cup peas

parsley, chopped

salt to taste

egg

1.5 cups rice bubbles (or 1/2 cup rice flour if gluten-free)

2 tbsp canola oil or butter

2 tbsp homemade pear jam or golden syrup

Combine mince, garlic, shallots, peas, parsley, salt, egg and rice bubbles and roll into walnut-size balls. Shallow fry in hot oil. Remove meatballs from frying pan. Reduce heat and put pear jam in pan, stirring until it caramelises (be careful not to burn), put meat balls back in pan and glaze gently with jam, again being careful not to burn. - Birgit

Bron’s Mini Pizzas

Base:

1 cup warm water

2 tsp dried yeast

1 tbsp canola oil

500g plain flour

1 tsp salt

The base is regular pizza dough. Mix water, yeast and oil, mix in flour and salt and knead well. Place in a floured bowl for 30+ minutes to double in size, punch down then rest for another 15 minutes.

Topping:

1 leek, finely sliced

2 stalks celery, finely sliced

1 tbspn canola oil

1 kg minced chicken thighs

2 shallots, chopped

Pinch citric acid

Salt to taste

Cornflour for thickening if required.

Cook leeks and celery in the oil, add chicken and finally shallots, citric acid and salt. You can thicken it with a little cornflour mixed in cold water. This is a double recipe, and I usually make lots so I can have some in the freezer for another time. Roll out walnut-sized chunks of dough to 8-10cm circle, add a thin layer of topping. Cook at 200-220`C on a baking paper lined tray until browned. Can add a thin layer of micro-waved potato (don’t overcook!) before the topping if the pizzas are served hot. Delicious cold, and great for a school lunchbox treat or for birthday parties. These pizzas freeze well.

Chicken and Cashews

This one is for when you have a little bit of time for preparation but it is worth it.

500g chicken breast fillets

1/2 cup rice flour

eggs

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup cashews processed with one large clove of garlic

chopped or shredded cabbage

water.

Chop chicken into strips (as for stir frying). Put rice flour in a freezer bag and coat the chicken in it. Shallow fry in some oil. Set cooked chicken aside in a dish with some paper towel to absorb excess oil. Drain most of the oil from frypan and discard. Add processed cashews and garlic to frypan with salt and sugar and a dash of water. Stir until it forms a fairly runny sauce. Add more water if needed - even a cup or so. Add cabbage and chicken and stir until the whole lot is coated in sauce. Put the lid on and let the cabbage steam while you serve up the pasta and beans etc. You could even do the first bit earlier in the day and just do the sauce bit at dinner time. Serves 4-5. - Diane

Chicken and leek frittata

3 leeks, cleaned and chopped

2 cups diced, cooked cold potatoes

2 cups other diced, failsafe cooked vegetables

3 tbs failsafe oil

4 eggs

[optional: 1/2 cup grated mild or mozzarella cheese if you can manage dairy and amines]

2-3 tbs fresh cream, milk or soymilk

2-3 cups chopped leftover cooked chicken

Use a large ovenproof nonstick pan or a frypan with a high domed lid. Cook leeks in oil over medium heat until transparent. Add potatoes, vegetables and chicken. Beat eggs in a bowl, add cream and cheese. Pour over potato and vegetable mixture. Allow to cook over a gentle heat until the sides and the bottom set then bake in a preheated moderate oven (or cover with lid and continue cooking) for 12-15 minutes. Leave the frittata to set in the pan for 5-10 minutes after cooking.

Chicken and shallot pie

This is popular when we go out, too - people think our 'diet ' isn't too bad then ! I find it amazing sometimes that people think WE are eating weird food- until they taste it and realise it really is just food. On school lunches I realise how lucky we are now. Our school parent body bought an oven that is for use by staff and students. In fact the children refer to their lunches as foils - (they must be wrapped in alfoil to be heated.) We don't have a canteen so this is offered each day for the two middle terms. A student is responsible for putting lunches in and turning on the oven and a staff member takes them out and puts them in a box to be handed out in the eating area. Admittedly we are a small school - there are advantages! - Johann

Start with a white sauce with garlic and shallots then add cooked chicken, celery, parsley and peas.

Use Pampas butter puff pastry.

Chicken balls

500 gm minced chicken

1 tbsp chopped parsley (opt)

1 clove minced garlic (opt)

1 egg

1 cup rice bubbles, crushed

sea salt (opt)

oil for frying

Form chicken, garlic and parsley into balls, dip in egg and coat in crushed rice bubbles with salt. Shallow fry in oil.

Chicken frittata

This recipe is another variation on hiding the vegetables, Debbie says: “My 6 year old son loved this recipe but I didn't tell him there were brussel sprouts as he tried one the other night and didn't like it”.

raw vegetables chopped small (e.g. potato, swede, brussel sprouts)

fresh chives, chopped

small garlic clove or to taste

sea salt to taste

4 eggs

¼ cup cream, milk, soymilk or ricemilk

fresh home-cooked chopped chicken (e.g. leftover roast)

failsafe oil for frypan

Place vegetables, garlic, chives and sea salt in the food processor, add eggs and milk and blend all together. The mixture will be fine and fluffy so there is no need to cook the vegetables first. Add chicken and pour the mixture into a lightly oiled, preheated small round frypan (about the size of a large pancake) and cook on low with the lid on. There is no need to flip the frittata as with the lid on the top will cook, but keep heat low or the bottom will burn. The frittata should come out of the frypan easily enough to keep whole. This recipe is good hot or cold, and a great lunch alternative for school. - Debbie

Chicken schnitzel

All commercial breadcrumbs contain preservative 282. You can use Orgran rice crumbs instead, see Shopping list or make your own. Schnitzels are delicious hot or cold.

500 gm chicken breast fillets

cornflour for coating

1 egg, beaten

failsafe crumbs

failsafe oil for frying

Cut chicken into the thinnest slices possible. Coat with cornflour, dip into beaten egg, and coat with crumbs. Shallow fry in about 2 mm of oil in a medium-high frypan until chicken is cooked through and coating is crisp and golden. Serve with 'secret' lemon juice (a small jug of cold water with citric acid to taste). - Andra

Chicken soup for colds and flu

This failsafe adaptation is from Rennard BO and others, Chicken soup inhibits neutrophil chemotaxis in vitro, Chest, 2000;118:1150-1157. The laboratory version contained onions instead of leeks and shallots; turnips instead of swedes; parsnips, sweet potato and carrots which are OK if you can tolerate moderate salicylates but should not be used for your strict elimination diet, see below for alternatives.

1 chicken (approx 2-2.5 kg)

400 gm packet of extra chicken wings

2 leeks and 2 large shallots (instead of onions)

2 large potatoes, peeled (or 1 sweet potato and 3 parsnips for some salicylates)

2 swedes, peeled

11 to 12 large Brussels sprouts (or carrots for some salicylates)

5 to 6 celery stems

1 tbsp of parsley (or 1 bunch for some salicylates)

salt to taste

Clean the chicken, put it in a large pot, and cover it with cold water. Bring the water to a boil. Add the chicken wings, leeks, shallots, potatoes and swedes (or sweet potato, parsnip and carrots). Boil about 1.5 hours. Remove fat from the surface as it accumulates. Add the Brussels sprouts, celery, parsley and salt. Cook the mixture about 45 min longer. Remove the chicken. The chicken is not used further for the soup and can be used in any dish that requires cooked chicken. Put the vegetables in a food processor until they are chopped fine. Freezes well.

Christmas dinner

A traditional hot roast dinner can be failsafe. If you want to add some extras for Christmas day, consider pumpkin, sweet potato, parsnips or corn as extra vegetables, all moderate except corn which is high. If buying a supermarket turkey, check for added flavour enhancers (MSG, HVP, ribonucleotides 621-635). If you can manage amines, some commercial gravy mixes aren't too bad, avoid flavour enhancers above. As a Christmas pudding substitute, try steamed dominion pudding (Failsafe Cookbook p168 - we found a stainless steel pudding steamer in a kitchen shop); or Andra's 'honey roll' made as a cake and served with whipped cream (p134, 'better than sticky date pudding' said one father); or icecream with the exceptionally delicious caramel sauce on p154. You can pour whisky or gin over icecream or pudding for a special occasion flavour, but you can't set it alight like brandy.

Country vegetable bake

1 leek chopped and washed

1 cup finely shredded cabbage

1 cup diced celery OR ½ cup diced celery and ½ cup shredded red cabbage

1 cup finely chopped shallots

½ cup mung bean sprouts (opt)

½ cup blended tofu

½ cup SR flour or gluten-free flour with added baking powder

¼ cup oil, 4 eggs, salt

Combine all ingredients. Spoon mixture into a 20cm round springform cake in or a muffin tray which has been well greased and lightly dusted with (gluten-free) breadcrumbs. Bake in a mod oven for 35-40 minutes or until set. Slightly less for muffins. Freeze muffins for school lunches - Sally

Cracked egg pies

6 slices bread

1 tbsp butter or Nuttelex

6 eggs

1 shallot, chopped

Remove crusts from bread and flatten each slice with a rolling pin. Spread both sides of bread with butter and press into muffin tins. Crack an egg in the centre of each bread case. Sprinkle with chopped shallots and bake at 180°C for 20 minutes or until egg has set. Makes 6. - Margie

Darani’s hearty chicken noodle soup

This highly nutritious meal was 3 year old Ethan’s favourite during his elimination diet in the RPAH autism study.

1 whole free-range chicken

1 leek (halved lengthways)

1 tsp salt

1 cup red lentils

12 brussel sprouts or approx 1/2 cabbage

1 swede

4-6 sticks celery

4-6 shallots

1 cup frozen green beans

375g pkt Orgran rice and corn (5%) spaghetti noodles or Fantastic rice noodles

Place chicken in pot with leek and enough water to cover, add salt, bring to the boil and simmer until cooked through, about 45 minutes. Remove chicken and allow to cool a little. Strain stock, return to pot and add red lentils, then washed and finely chopped vegetables. Gently simmer until well cooked, about one hour. Meanwhile, remove skin and bones from chicken, finely chop or process and return to pot with vegetables. Add noodles and cook for a further 10-15 minutes. This usually makes enough to fill about 8 rectangular chinese take-away containers (2 serves in each for my son) which I then freeze and use as needed. Soup is very thick, more like stew really, and can be watered down a little if preferred.- Darani

Deborah's vege pie

failsafe bread or rye bread, buttered

left-over cooked vegetables

leeks, garlic, celery, swede chopped and sauteed in canola oil

salt

6 eggs and ½ cup milk, beaten together

grated mozzarella (optional, amines)

Line a pie dish with slices of bread, butter side down. Spread over cooked slliced or mashed potatoes. Add any other left-over cooked vegetables. Spread with a layer of sauteed vegetables. Sprinkle with salt. Pour over egg mixture. Sprinkle with grated mozzarella. Bake in a moderate oven for 30 minutes. Good hot or cold. - Deborah

Failsafe sukiyaki

1 tbsp brown sugar

2-3 cups homemade failsafe chicken stock

1 leek cut into 4 or so pieces

1/4 cabbage coarsely chopped

1 swede cut into rings

handful of green beans - leave whole or cut in half if long

failsafe rice noodles (eg Fantastic)

1 chicken breast OR piece of steak

water if necessary

4 eggs

cooked rice

8 small Chinese bowls

Place brown sugar in a preheated electric frypan, stir briefly until starting to caramelise and add stock. Bring to the boil and add prepared vegetables and noodles - the whole thing will be about 1 to 2 inches (3-5 cms) deep. The cabbage covers the pan, but gradually cooks down to very little. Top up with water during cooking if necessary. Cook until all ingredients are almost ready, then add thinly sliced (almost paper thin) beef or chicken to top of ingredients in pan. You can use a food processer to slice the meat while frozen. The meat should only take a few minutes to cook. Meanwhile, beat one egg per person in each person's bowl, add a large scoop of the boiling broth to each bowl and stir - this cooks the egg. Then add vegies to the soup mix in each person's bowl, placing meat on the top - it makes a very thick soupy meal. Serve each person with a second bowl containing white boiled rice. The idea is you take a piece of the vegetable or meat and dip it into the rice before eating. It is important to have good quality stock and soup. Serves 4. - Judith

Garlic pasta

5 tbsp preservative-free canola oil

2 cloves garlic

3 tbsp chopped parsley

pinch of salt

500g pasta (regular or wheat-free)

Saute the garlic in the oil until the garlic is slightly brown. Discard the garlic. Cook and drain the pasta. Pour the warm oil over the pasta, sprinkle with parsley and salt and toss it thoroughly to mix all the ingredients. Serves 4. - Kerry

Gnocchi

500g potatoes peeled (older potatoes are the best)

1 cup plain flour, plus a little extra to flour your board/bench

1 egg yolk (optional)

salt to taste.

Dice potatoes into sugar cube size and steam until tender, about 15 – 20 minutes. Steaming, rather than boiling the potatoes will stop them drawing up too much water. Mash potatoes thoroughly and salt to taste. Add the plain flour and mix well. You could add chopped chives and the egg yolk to the mix at this point if you wanted to. Divide the dough into four. Roll each portion on a lightly floured surface to form a sausage 2 cm thick, then cut into 2.5 cm pieces. Roll each piece into an oval. Put a piece on the tines of a fork and press down with your finger, rolling the gnocchi as you do so. This will form a ridged shell shape. Place on flour-dusted trays and cover. Drop small amounts of about 20 gnocchi into boiling salted water. When the gnocchi rises to the top this means they are ready and should be removed with a slotted spoon immediately. If you do not remove straight away they will become soggy. When all the gnocchi is cooked, drain thoroughly and top with your favourite failsafe pasta sauce. I use finely diced leek, chives and garlic sautéed in butter and oil. – thanks to Dianne H

Green chicken pie

A sneaky way to get a lot of green vegetables into children, and delicious too.

1 small leek, rinsed

1 spring onion

4 Brussel sprouts

small cabbage

500g chicken breast or thighs (thighs have more flavor)

2 cloves garlic (optional)

2 tbsp failsafe oil

salt to taste

1 cup water

1 tbsp cornflour

Pie covering: you can either use failsafe bread (cut crusts off thin slices, cut into fingers, brush with plenty of failsafe butter) or 1 sheet of Pampas Puff Pastry with canola.

Preheat oven to 200°C. Finely chop leek, onion, sprouts and cabbage until you have about 5 cups of vegetables. Cut chicken into small dices.

In a large saucepan, fry chicken and garlic in oil until cooked - don’t overcook so it stays moist. Set aside the chicken in a covered bowl and leave any oil and liquid in the saucepan. Add vegetables and stir-fry for about 15 mins. Add ½ cup water, cover and simmer for 5 mins. Puree using a wand blender. Add another ½ cup water with cornflour, stirring in while on hotplate until thickened. Add chicken pieces and pour all into a 25cm glass pie dish or similar. Put choice of covering over the filling and bake for 20 mins or until brown.

Grilled chicken

Marinate chicken thigh fillets in a mixture of golden syrup, garlic, oil, water, citric acid and salt for at least half an hour. Grill and serve on rice or fried rice with chopped swedes, bean shoots, green beans, shallots, garlic and salt - thanks to Chris

Halliwell Chicken Nuggets

Kids love these and they are great cold as finger food in lunchboxes.

500 g chicken breasts or thighs, cut into nugget shapes (easier to do when chicken is half frozen)

1 clove garlic, crushed

sea salt to taste

plain flour or gluten-free mix of cornflour and brown rice flour for coating

failsafe oil

Mix chicken with garlic and salt and let stand for about 30 minutes. Roll chicken pieces in flour until all are coated then freeze for 15 minutes to make flour stick better. Shallow fry in failsafe oil until crisp and golden brown. Or for a low fat alternative: place chicken pieces in a bowl and stir with stir with salt and flour until well coated. Then stir with enough oil to make sure all pieces are coated. Bake in a preheated 180°C oven for 1 hour. Serve with Logan Farm oven fry chips (the only ones we know of without hidden BHA 320) and green beans, or in a failsafe burger roll with salad – Deborah

Hot chicken rolls

Split preservative-free bread roll in half but not quite all the way through. Spread thickly with failsafe mayonnaise, Birgit's pear ketchup, or pear puree and fill with sliced, cooked chicken. Wrap roll in plastic wrap and microwave on High for 20 seconds. - Margie

Howard's chicken pasta

This dish was developed while we were travelling as something we could make with just a hotplate. It can be served hot, warm or cold, travels well and is perfect when you need to take food for socialising.

500g pasta spirals

100g green beans

3 shallots (spring onions), clove of garlic to taste

1 tbsp canola oil

3 tbsp Philadelphia cream cheese or Kingland soy cream cheese

3 tbsp low-fat yoghurt or soy yoghurt

2 cups cooked diced chicken

salt and citric acid to taste

Cook pasta according to directions. You can add frozen beans (rinsed in tap water) to the cooking pasta. While pasta is cooking, stirfry shallots and garlic gently in a little canola oil. Drain. While warm, stir through cream cheese, yoghurt, shallots and chicken. You can add chopped celery and carrot when permitted (moderate in salicylates) for colour - Howard.

Indian-style lamb with leeks and potatoes

The owner of a popular curry house in Sydney says the secret of a good curry is plenty of onions, salt and oil. We can do that (well ... try leeks instead of onions!).

800g diced lamb

1 tsp finely crushed garlic

125 ml canola oil

1 tbs sugar

500g leeks, cut crosswise into fine rings

500g potatoes, peeled and quartered

1½-2 tsp salt

Put lamb in a bowl. Add garlic, mix well, cover and set aside for 2-3 hours. Heat the oil in a wide, heavy-based pan over a medium-high flame until smoking hot. Scatter in the sugar and immediately add the leeks. Stir and fry the leeks until they are a rich brownish colour. Add the meat. Stir and fry the meat for about 10 minutes or until it browns lightly. Now put in the potatoes. Stir and fry them for about 5 minutes. Add the salt and 300 ml water. Bring to the boil, cover, lower the heat and simmer for about 1 hour or until lamb is tender. Stir gently once or twice during cooking. Serve with steamed rice, plain (not spicy or pepper) pappadums, pear chutney (from Friendly Food) and green beans. Serves 6.

Japanese-style tofu in sauce

2 cms of gin in a glass (bit less than 1/4 cup)

1-2 tbsp golden syrup

1/4 cup home-made stock

pinch salt

tofu

egg and flour for coating

shallots

Cut tofu into cubes, dip in flour, dip in egg, dip in flour again. Shallow fry in canola oil. Drain excess oil. Sprinkle in shallots. Pour sauce into pan, stir gently until sauce caramelises and serve. - Trish

Kye Sie Mum

500g mince

2 shallots chopped

2 sticks celery finely chopped

half cabbage, shredded

1 teaspoon garlic paste

2 packets 2-minute noodles (colour-free and without seasoning)

2 cups water

1 cup beans

cooked rice

(optional 1/2 cup corn (moderate in salicylates) 1 large carrot sliced (moderate in salicylates), 1/2 cup peas (moderate in natural MSG))

Dice shallots and place in frying pan with garlic. Add mince and cook till brown. Add vegetables (except cabbage) and continue to cook on medium for 5 minutes. Add shredded cabbage, water and noodles. Stir it all up, whack on the lid and leave on low to simmer until cabbage is softened. Serve on a bed of boiled rice. Can be frozen and microwaved at any time for a quick yummy munch out. - Liz

Lamb and swede sausages

2 kg lamb mince

1.5 cups of cooked swede

3 cloves of garlic crushed

1 tbsp sea salt

2 shallots chopped fine

1/2 cup rice flour

Allow swede to cool. Combine all ingredients and mix well. Make up as per the Failsafe Cookbook - Megan

Variation: use lamb mince and mashed swede to make rissoles - Caroline

Lamb Meatballs

“This one was enjoyed by the adults and scoffed down by the most picky kids.”

1 large swede (about 500g)

1 leek

¼ cup water

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon citric acid

500g lamb mince

¾ cup gluten-free flour (we used Deb’s from Failsafe Cookbook p233)

Peel and dice swede. Slice leek into semi-circles. In large microwave-safe bowl, microwave swede, leek, water, salt together until soft. Puree with stab blender. Add citric acid and mix in well. Add lamb mince and flour. Mix well. Form into small meatballs or little patties. This mixture is quite moist and a bit tedious to form – it’s a bit easier if left in the fridge for a while after mixing. Cook in 170 degrees C fan-forced oven for 20 minutes in dish with lid on. Served with Pear Ketchup (p192 Failsafe cookbook), although they were nice by themselves - even by adult standards! Cooking with the lid on the dish reduces browning for amine responders. – thanks to Cheryl

Mayonnaise Chicken Drumsticks

6 chicken legs or 3 breast fillets, skin removed

1/3 cup failsafe mayonnaise - see Newsletter #58 or Robin’s Dressing (aka Mighty Mayo) in Sue’s books or in Recipes here

1½ cups dry breadcrumbs or rice crumbs

Coat chicken with mayonnaise in a shallow dish and refrigerate overnight. Roll chicken in crumbs. Place in a greased baking dish, brush with melted butter or Nuttelex. Bake at 180 degrees for 40-45 minutes - thanks to Melissa, SA

Melody's chicken

8 skinless chicken drumsticks

4 shallots or leeks, chopped

home-made chicken stock

3 large chokoes peeled and chopped, or green beans

¼ tsp citric acid in 25 ml water

garlic and salt to taste

1 tbsp golden syrup

Saute chicken drumsticks and shallots in canola oil, cover with homemade chicken stock and summer. When cooked through add golden syrup and a cup or more of water. Add chokoes or beans. Put lid on and simmer until chokoes are cooked through, al dente not soggy. Add citric acid mix. Just before serving, add garlic and salt. Serve with rice, spoon over juice. - Kate

Moroccan Chicken

500 gm chicken thigh fillets

2 large potatoes, peeled and chopped

half a carrot, sliced thinly (optional)

1 shallot and half a leek, finely sliced and fried in failsafe oil

Put all ingredients in pot, bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer for one to one and a half hours. Serve in a bowl or with cous-cous. - Grace

Moroccan lemon lamb tagine

The butter gives this dish a smooth flavour.

4 lamb shanks

50g butter

2 tablespoons failsafe oil

salt to taste

1 large leek, peeled and chopped

1 shallot, peeled and chopped

1 clove garlic, peeled and chopped

20 saffron threads, infused in a little hot water (optional)

2½ cups water

300g potatoes, peeled and cut into pieces

1 large swede, peeled and cut into pieces (or carrot, salicylates, optional)

½ tsp citric acid

Heat butter and oil gently in a large pot over medium heat. Lightly brown the shanks all over, season with salt and remove from heat. Add leek and shallot to the pot and sweat until soft and golden, then add the saffron. Cook for a couple of minutes, stirring, then return the shanks to the pot and add the water, potatoes, swede and citric acid. Cover and gently simmer for 1 and a half hours or until the lamb is tender. Serve with cous cous, rice and cooked green beans or peas (glutamates). Serves 4.

No-cook failsafe 2-minute meal

This is a nutritious meal you can prepare in a motel room with no cooking facilities, or when you don't feel like cooking.

1 cup cous-cous (contains gluten)

1 cup boiling water

2 tsp butter (optional)

1 tin kidney beans, drained

1 tin green beans or peas and corn, (moderate)

4 tbsp natural Vaalia yoghurt (contains dairy)

Measure cous-cous into a bowl. Pour over boiling water, add butter for flavour if desired, and stir through with a fork. Let stand for two minutes. Serve topped with kidney beans, other vegetables and yoghurt. Serves two. Variations: use frozen failsafe mince or lamb stew topping, frozen veg.

Oven Fried Chicken with Lemon Sauce

Allow at least one chicken breast per person.

Meat:

Rice flour

Eggs

Rice Crumbs

Butter or oil

Put about 1/2 cup rice flour into freezer bag, beat a couple of eggs in a dish or small jug, fill a bowl with crumbs. Coat chicken in flour, egg, then crumbs and lay in an oiled baking dish in a single layer. We have butter so I use about 125gm for 7 fillets, melt it and pour over the top. Cook in hottish oven, say 190-200°C until golden brown - approx 40 mins. I have made it by spraying with cooking oil but make sure you give it a good dose. Baste and drain half way through if necessary.

Sauce:

1/4 cup sugar

1 tbsp cornflour

3/4 cup hot water

1 tsp citric acid

1 1/4 tsp salt

1 large clove garlic (optional)

sprinkle of parsley (optional)

Mix sugar and cornflour together in a little saucepan. Slowly add hot water and stir until dissolved. Cook until mixture thickens. Remove from heat and add citric acid and salt and stir. If using garlic, sauté it in the microwave and add to the sauce. Serve with mashed potatoes, beans and other vegetables. - Diane

Quick maple chicken

In this easy stir fry, vegetables are steamed first.

400g pkt of Hokkien Noodles, colour-free (or even pasta)

6 cups failsafe vegetables, finely chopped (celery, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, choko, swede, carrot if permitted)

400-500g chicken thighs, cubed

1 spring onion, sliced

2/3 cup failsafe chicken stock or water

1 tbsp cornflour

1 tbsp canola oil

1/3 cup pure maple syrup

½ tsp citric acid

salt to taste.

Cook noodles according to directions on the packet. Chop and steam or microwave vegetables. In a preheated frypan or wok with a little failsafe oil, stir fry chicken pieces and shallots over moderate heat for 5 minutes. Add steamed vegetables and noodles and cook for a further 3 minutes. Combine chicken stock, cornflour, oil, maple syrup and citric acid into a sauce and pour over. Stir gently until heated through and thickened. Serves 4 immediately.

Rebecca’s pizza topping

to go on 2 pizza bases as per Failsafe Cookbook

First layer (tomato paste substitute): 3 tbsp cream cheese and 3 tbsp pear ketchup, mixed well.

Meat layer: (500 g mince, half a leek, one clove of garlic, failsafe oil for frying, 1 big can of kidney beans) cooked as per garlic mince in the Failsafe Cookbook

Topping: grated mozzarella cheese (optional)

Spread paste substitute on pizza base, cover with meat mixture and top with grated cheese. Bake in a hot oven (220°C) for 15-20 min.

Rebecca's egg pie

1 sheet Pampas pastry with canola (now with permitted antioxidants)

2 cups of stir-fried failsafe vegetables (eg cabbage, leek, shallots, peas, carrot (moderate in salicylates))

4 eggs

1 cup soymilk

1/2 tsp salt

Prepare vegetables and pie dish with pastry. Beat eggs, soymilk and salt together lightly. Arrange vegetables on pastry base. Gently pour over egg mixture. Bake at 200°C for 30 minutes

Sam’s Barra Cakes

Barramundi is the iconic fish from Australia’s Top End, also known as Sea Bass. If you can’t get fresh Barramundi, any fresh white boneless fish fillets will do. For amine responders, fish must be very fresh, not frozen.

2 fillets of fresh barramundi, steamed or oven baked in foil.

10 cups leftover mashed potato, must be cold

½ a leek

handful of chives

3 cloves of garlic

2 eggs

4 cups preservative free breadcrumbs or Orgran all purpose crumbs or puffed rice

salt to taste

failsafe oil for frying

Cook barra until soft and flaky, depending on the size of fillets. Don’t overcook them or they become dry and stringy. In a food processor blitz leek, garlic and chives until they are finely chopped. In a bowl mix together the potato, eggs, leek mix and barra. Add breadcrumbs until mix is wet but not falling apart, but not too dry either. Shape into balls, patties or whatever shape you might like. Fry until golden. Serve with failsafe vegetables such as cooked swede, mashed beans or peas when tolerated. – thanks again to Michelle

Sausages in foil

Failsafe sausages can contain the following ingredients: sausage casing, flour or rice flour, fresh minced meat or chicken, sea salt, parsley, garlic, chives, or shallots. If you can't get your butcher to make them for you, make them yourself (note: sausages labelled "preservative & gluten-free" probably contain herbs & spices which are not failsafe!)

minced beef or chicken plus any or all of the following ingredients: sea salt, finely chopped parsley or celery, garlic, chives, shallots, a little beaten egg.

Lie a long strip of foil on your kitchen bench. Mix your ingredients into little sausage shapes and lie them on the foil end to end. Then roll them up and twist the foil between them to make links. Fry in a hot frying pan - no oil needed. You can make each sausage a different flavour to order. Serve with Birgit's pear ketchup.

Tofu stir-fry

1 tbsp canola oil

300g firm tofu, cubed

1 cup chopped leeks (plus garlic to taste)

1 cup chopped celery

1 cup chopped carrots (moderate in salicylates)

1 tbsp chicken stock or water

1 tbsp golden syrup

2 bunches baby bok choy (moderate in salicylates) ends trimmed, leaves separated and washed

salt to taste

Heat ½ tbspn canola oil in wok, add tofu and toss until golden. Remove and set aside. Add remaining oil and stir-fry leek, celery and swedes. Add tofu, bok-choy, chicken stock and golden syrup and toss to combine. Cook 1 minute or until the bok choy is slightly wilted. Serve on noodles or rice.

Tweedie Pie

2 shallots of 1 leek, finely chopped

2 sticks celery, finely chopped

1 clove or more of garlic, crushed

1 tbsp failsafe oil

500 g preservative free chicken mince

1 tsp chopped parsley

sea salt to taste

2 tbsp cornflour dissolved in 2 cups water

In a heavy-based frypan or large saucepan, stir-fry shallots, celery and garlic in oil, remove from pan. Add mince to pan, stir until cooked. Drain fat if necessary. Add shallots, celery, garlic, parsley, sea salt and cornflour mixture, stir until thickened. Make into a pie in your pie maker or serve on mashed potato with steamed green beans and cabbage. - Sharon Delpol

Veggie Bake

1 cup self-raising flour (GF is OK)

5 eggs

1/2 cup canola oil

1 large potato, peeled and thinly scalloped (cut into postage stamp sized pieces)

2 cloves garlic, crushed

4 cups failsafe vegetables, finely sliced and chopped (eg 1 small zucchini grated, 1 spring onion, choko peeled and grated, celery cut fine, cabbage cut fine, small tin asparagus if tolerated, etc)

small quantity of cheese, grated, as a topping if tolerated.

Preheat oven to 160'C. Beat the first three ingredients into a smooth batter, stir in all the vegetables thoroughly, pour into a 24cm glass pie dish. Smooth down and top with grated cheese. Bake for 90 minutes, slice and serve. Great with salad and rice or bread. Keeps well and even better the next day. Serves 6.

Vegetarian Casserole

As I was preparing the Mince Casserole in Fed Up, planning to use some veal mince, my husband announced "If I may say this, ah, I don't much like veal, that's all". So I proceeded with the rest of the ingredients and we had a lovely creamy textured veg-casserole. In addition, I never use cheese, instead I add a teaspoon of salt to a white sauce, thickened with cornflour, and everyone is completely fooled, thinking that I make the best cheese sauces in the world! This trick goes way back to my non-dairy days.

So the recipe went like this:

4 large potatoes, knife-peeled and sliced thin

1 clove garlic chopped, mixed with 1 sliced leek

quarter cabbage, diced

2 cups white sauce using large scoop Nuttelex, melted, cover with generous cornflour to blend, 1 cup soy milk, 1 cup water, 1 tsp salt.

Cover the base with a layer of potato, then half of the garlic and leek and half the cabbage. Repeat the layering and cover with two cups of white sauce. Cook uncovered at 170’C in fan forced (180’C in conventional) for one hour.- Benitta

Sweet things, biscuits, desserts

American Crumb-topped Coffeecake

Batter:

1-1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour

2-1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 egg

3/4 cup sugar

1/3 cup margarine, melted

1/2 cup milk

1/2 tsp vanilla essence

Crumb Topping: In small bowl, combine 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup sifted all-purpose flour, 1/4 cup soft butter or margarine; mix lightly with fork until crumbly.

Preheat oven to 190’C and grease 8 inch X 8 inch X 2 inch baking pan. Make batter by sifting flour with baking powder and salt and set aside. In a medium bowl, beat egg with a rotary beater until frothy; then beat in sugar and butter until well combined. Add milk and vanilla. With wooden spoon, beat in flour mixture until well combined. Pour into prepared pan and sprinkle with topping. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until cake tester inserted in center comes out clean. Cool partially, in pan, on wire rack. - Linda

Anne’s quick slice

Anne says ‘this is the recipe I use whenever I need to take a plate’. We were very grateful when Anne and the finB group gave me a container of this slice as a gift after the Mansfield presentation in July! It’s gluten-free but appeals to everyone.

60 g butter

1 tbsp golden syrup

½ cup sugar

1 egg

1 cup SR gluten-free flour

½ cup rice flour

Melt butter and syrup together in microwave. Mix in sugar, then egg, fold in flours. Pour into a well greased slice tin and bake for 10-12 minutes at 180 degrees C. – thanks to Anne

Apple muffins

Inspired by Kev and Pat’s gluten-free muffins in the USA, this recipe uses wheat flour and is very easy. There is so little apple in each muffin you can regard it as failsafe. Kev and Pat's recipe calls for a mixture of gf flours including amaranth flour.

1½ cups self-raising flour

½ cup sugar

1 egg lightly beaten

2/3 cup milk or soymilk

1/4 cup canola oil

1 small to medium golden delicious apple

1-2 tbsp extra sugar

Sift flour into a bowl and sugar, egg, milk, and oil, stirring with a fork until mixed. Peel and dice apple, sprinkle with extra sugar and stir into mixture. Spray a 12 cup muffin pan with oil and spoon mixture into cups. Bake at 180°C for 15-20 minutes.

Birgit's muesli bars

200 gms butter

2 eggs

200 gms oats

150 gm pear jam (p290 Fed Up or from Parap Fine Foods)

50 gm sugar

100 gm cornflour (White wings if wheatfree)

Put butter, sugar and pear jam in a large bowl, mix well with an electric mixer, add eggs and mix again. Work oats and cornflour into mix. Press into slice tin. Bake at 180’C for 20-30 mins. These are wheat-free and have the chewy texture and fruity taste of commercial bars. - Birgit

Birthday or Party 'cake'

3 Pavlova Magic Eggs (or make pavlova bases from Failsafe Cookbook)

600ml cream

2 tbsp icing sugar

white marshmallows

decorations - flowers, ribbons, toys etc

Mix the pavlova magic eggs as per the instructions and make 3 pavlova bases (I did this as one each night before the party, the last one cooked being the base of the cake). On the day of the party break two of the bases into pieces and place on top of the chosen base, shaping into a mound. Whip the cream with the icing sugar until thick (we added cocoa). Spread all over the mound of meringue and decorate with the marshmallows and ornaments (for kids) or flowers and a bow around the base for the older people. The kids loved it. - Jill Joy

Birthday bombe

Bombes are desserts made of icecream or cream packed with biscuits, cake or meringue in a mound shape and decorated, perfect for special occasions.

3 pavlova magic eggs

600 ml cream

2 tbsp icing sugar

white marshmallows

decorations – ornaments, flowers etc

Mix the pavlova magic as per the instructions and make three pavlova bases (I did this as one each night before the party, the last one cooked being the base of the cake). On the day of the party break two of the bases into pieces and place on top of the chosen base, shaping into a mound. Whip the cream with the icing sugar until thick (we added cocoa - if amines are tolerated). Spread all over the mound of meringue and decorate with the meringues and ornaments (for kids) or flowers and a bow around the base for adults. – thanks to Jill

"Blondies" (not Brownies as they have no chocolate!)

2 cups of flour

2 tsp of baking powder

1/2 cup of butter

2 cups of packed brown sugar

2 eggs

1/2 tsp of vanilla (optional) 1/4 tsp sea salt

failsafe carob buttons (optional) final step.

Grease a 13x9x2 inch (35x22x5cm) baking pan. Combine flour, baking powder and sea salt. Melt butter, remove from heat. Stir in sugar. Add eggs and vanilla. Stir till combined. Stir mixed dry ingredients (and carob buttons, if desired) into sugar mixture. Spread in pan. Bake in a 180’C (350’F) oven 20 to 25 minutes. Cut into bars while warm. - Vicki

Bombe Alaska

An entertaining failsafe substitute for hot puddings, suitable for an Australian Christmas.

1 packet of broken biscuits (eg Nice, or homemade)

4 tbsp of magic cordial drink which has been diluted to taste

5 egg whites

155 g caster sugar

¼ tsp salt

1 litre block of failsafe vanilla icecream

pure icing sugar for dusting

Cover the base of an ovenproof serving dish with broken biscuits or stale cake. Drizzle with magic cordial. Beat egg whites with sugar and salt until stiff. Arrange icecream on broken biscuits. These are to insulate the icecream from the heat. Using a large knife, quickly spread meringue mixture all over the icecream. Dust with pure icing sugar. Bake for 3-4 minutes, no longer, in a very hot oven (250°C) and serve immediately. This dish can be prepared a few hours in advance and stored in the freezer. Dust with icing sugar immediately before baking.

Bread and butter pudding

This flexible and easy recipe contains wheat, dairy and eggs. You can make a dairy free option by using full fat soymilk instead of cream and milk.

10-12 slices Bakers Delight bread, spread with Nuttelex

3-4 tbsp golden syrup (to taste)

1 800g can of pears in syrup, drained and diced

2 eggs

2 tbsp sugar

½ cup cream

½ cup milk

Preheat oven to moderate. Remove crusts from bread and slice diagonally. Use bread to line the base of an ovenproof dish. Drizzle with golden syrup and arrange a layer of diced pears. Whisk together eggs, sugar, cream and milk. Drizzle egg mixture over bread and bake in moderate oven for 15 minutes or until mixture is firm. – Dianne

Butterscotch Pudding

'When I make it I always make two and the kids get so excited!!' - Dawn

Pudding:

1 cup SR flour

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 teas salt

60g butter

1/2 cup milk

Sauce:

2 tbsp golden syrup

1 1/2 cup hot water

30g butter

Sift flour, sugar and salt into bowl. Add melted butter and milk. combine thoroughly. Pour into greased dish. Combine Sauce ingredients in saucepan, stir over low heat until butter melts. Pour mixture on top. Bake in a moderate oven (180-200'C) for 30-40 minutes.

Candied ricecakes

1-2 pkt of thick ricecakes crushed = approximately 4 cups, but lesser amount will do (the more evenly they are crushed up the more like popcorn they will look)

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup water

Put sugar and water in saucepan, stir over low heat until sugar dissolves. Bring to boil; boil uncovered, until small amount of toffee "cracks" when tested in cold water. Remove from heat. Add rice cakes. Stir constantly until toffee crystallises and coats ricecakes. Turn onto a large plate to cool. Store in an air tight container as soon as cool as mixture will go stale quickly. - Caroline

Caramel cakes

125 gms butter (Nuttelex)

1 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tbsp golden syrup

1 cup S.R. flour

1/2 cup plain flour (I use 1 1/2 cups Debs G.F. flour)

1/2 cup milk (rice or soy)

Cream butter and sugar, stir in eggs and golden syrup and beat until combined. Fold in sifted flour alternatively with milk. Spread in Gladbake lined 20cm tin or patty pans. bake 50-60 mins or 20mins respectively. Cool on racks and ice.

Caramel icing. Melt 60 gms butter (Nuttelex) in a saucepan and stir in 1/2 cup brown sugar. Stir till sugar dissolves and add 1/4 cup milk (rice or soy). Leave till cold. Add enough of this mixture to 1 cup of icing sugar to make a spreadable consistency. Left over butter mixture can be stored in the fridge till next time and reheated in the microwave before adding to icing sugar. - Andra

Caramel Meringue

1/3 cup castor sugar

1/3 cup water

4 egg whites

3/4 cup castor sugar, extra

Combine the castor sugar and water in a small pan and cook, stirring, without boiling, until the sugar is dissolved. Bring the mixture to the boil, uncovered for about 5 minutes or until the syrup is a clear caramel colour. Pour the caramel immediately into a 20cm ring pan. Holding a thick towel, tilt the pan to coat the side with the caramel. Beat the egg whites in a small bowl with electric beaters until soft peaks form. Gradually add 1/2 a cup of the extra castor sugar, beating until dissolved between additions. Meanwhile add the remaining 1/4 cup of castor sugar to a preheated uncovered medium pan and cook over a high heat, tilting the pan, until the sugar is dissolved and golden brown. While the mixer is operating, drizzle the caramel into the meringue and beat for a further 5 minutes. Spread the meringue mixture over the caramel in the ring pan. Place the pan in a baking dish with enough boiling water to come halfway up the side of the pan. Bake in a slow oven (150C) for about 30 minutes or until browned and lightly firm. Remove the pan from the baking dish and allow to cool. Refrigerate in the pan for at least 8 hours or preferably overnight, before serving. (This is to dissolve the caramel in the pan and to turn it into a sauce).

To serve, invert the ring pan onto a serving plate with a rim and fill the centre with chopped pears. Serve with an allowable custard or cream if dairy is tolerated. - Emma

Carob cookies

My son's friend said "Your mother should sell these. People would buy them."

125 gm butter or failsafe margarine

1 and 1/4 cups brown sugar, firmly packed

1 egg

1 and 1/3 cup plain flour

1 tsp soda bicarbonate

1 tbsp carob powder

Preheat oven to 180°C. Cream butter, sugar and egg in a mixer until smooth. Stir in sifted dry ingredients. Place balls of mixture 5 cms apart on baking paper lined baking trays. Bake 10-12 minutes. Allow to cool on tray before transferring to wire rack. These freeze well.

Carob custard cups

A delicious failsafe alternative to chocolate YOGO

3 tbsp carob powder

4 tbsp cornflour

½ cup white sugar

800ml milk, A2 milk, soymilk or ricemilk

Sift the dry ingredients together then mix with 300ml of the milk. Heat the remaining milk in a saucepan until it boils rapidly. Tip the carob mix into the hot milk and stir with a whisk, continue stirring until the mixture thickens (you must use a whisk otherwise lumps will form). Remove from heat and pour into a bowl. Cover and chill overnight. Thanks to Sherri

Carob icecream

Simple and yummy:

Mix together 300ml cream, 300ml milk, ¼ cup of carob powder, ½ cup of caster sugar and put in icecream maker - thanks to Rosemaree

Classic maple icecream

This is a classic milk-based icecream, lower in fat that the standard recipes from icecream makers, and a good treat for people who have to avoid dairy but can tolerate cream and A2 milk.

1 egg

1/2 cup milk

3/4 cup sugar

1 2/3 cups full cream milk (A2 is good if you can get it)

300 ml light thickened cream (20% fat)

2 tbsp maple syrup

Place egg, milk and sugar in a bowl and beat until sugar is dissolved. Pour in cream and mix well. Chill in freezer for 30-60 minutes, beat in icecream maker for 12-20 minutes and store in freezer. Serves 8.

Country pear cake

It’s fresh pear season in late summer - in Australia. Bartlett (Williams) pears in the shops may look hard and green but they ripen much more quickly than usual. This deliciously moist pear cake, like carrot cake, can be decorated with citric flavoured icing or cream cheese based frosting. It is dairy-free (unless you frost with cream cheese!).

3 cups peeled and finely diced ripe Bartlett (Williams) pears

½ cup raw cashews, chopped (optional)

3 eggs

½ cup canola or rice bran oil

2 cups self-raising flour (or self-raising gluten-free flour)

1 tsp sodium bicarbonate (2 tsp if glutenfree)

1 cup sugar

Pre-heat oven to 180°C. Grease a square 20 cm tin. Prepare pears and cashews. Beat eggs until thick and beat in oil. Sift dry ingredients together and combine with oil and eggs to a stiff dough. Thoroughly fold in remaining ingredients. Bake 60 minutes, 10 minutes longer for gluten-free.

Creamed rice

This creamy old-fashioned dessert is delicious served hot or can be refrigerated in individual serving containers as a snack.

500 ml milk, A2 milk, soymilk or ricemilk (optional: can be low fat)

1½ tbsp sugar or to taste

½ tbsp maple syrup for flavour

1/3 cup medium grain white rice

Put milk, sugar and maple syrup in a medium saucepan and bring to the boil, stirring. Gradually add rice, stirring, then cover pan and simmer gently, stirring occasionally for about 45 minutes. Serve hot topped with diced fresh pear or store in the refrigerator.

Crunchy chunky cashew biscuits with dairy-free gluten-free option

125g butter (dairy-free option: Nuttelex) at room temp

1 cup caster sugar (or less to taste )

1 egg

1¼ cups SR flour (gf option: gluten-free SR flour)

2 tsp carob power (option: cocoa for people who tolerate amines)

250g raw cashews , roughly chopped (or not!)

Cream butter and sugar with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add egg and mix until combined. Carefully stir in sifted flour and cocoa, then add cashews. Roll into balls and place on baking paper lined trays (used 2 full ones). Cook in slow oven 160’C (or 150”C fan-forced ) for approx 18-20 mins. Trust me, you will wish you’d made double quantity -¬ thanks to Lyndel.

Hint: rice cakes spread with Original Nuttelex margarine and put in the oven for 5-10 mins or so. They make bland food taste so delicious. Eat whole or crush up in a bag and sprinkle with either salt or icing sugar to make them taste like popcorn. – from the email support groups

Delicious eggless soy ice cream

2 tsp powdered agar agar (from health food stores, not cheap)

3 cups soy milk

½ cup castor sugar

1/3 cup sunflower oil

1 tsp vanilla (optional)

2 tsp carob powder (or cocoa powder if ok with amines)

Combine agar and 1 cup soy milk over medium heat stirring until dissolved and milk begins to boil. Remove from heat and process with remaining ingredients in food processor. Refrigerate until chilled then use an ice cream maker or the beat’n’freeze method – thanks to the failsafeeczema group

Hint: birthday cake icing in a failsafe, but exciting way - I used a tea strainer to sprinkle icing sugar all over a failsafe carob cake. I then dipped 2 different sized star cookie cutters in a bit of water and pressed them into the cake. The water dissolved the icing sugar and left star shapes all over the cake. You could do the same using a carob and icing sugar mix over a light coloured cake. The result was an impressive looking effect that had the kids wanting the star cake over the non-failsafe cake with green icing and flowers I had made for his cousin who was also turning two!! thanks to Pippa (see photo and other party food suggestions in our Parties Factsheet)

Dominic's Pop-Rocks

Similar to candied popcorn, these are my kids favourite sweet treats - they share them with friends at teeball and soccer and their friends love them so my kids feel on top of the world, and not quite so 'different' for a while. They are cheap to make and great for parties - everyone can eat them! - Sheryl

2 cups water

1/2 cup regular white sugar

1 to 2 tsp Nuttelex (butter)

1 packet of Sunrice Plain Rice Cakes, crumbledC:\Users\Howard\Documents\Howard Dengate\Personal2010-11\Sue website\information\line1.gif

On low heat, put the first three ingredients into a saucepan in the order listed above. DO NOT STIR. Allow to come to a slow rolling boil. At first, there will be lots of bubbles as the mixture boils, but after 5 to 10 minutes the bubbles will slow down or diminish - the butterscotch is now starting to go through its final stages and you will need to watch it carefully from here. While it is cooking, you can be crushing the rice cakes. You don’t have to make these too small, as they will get smaller when being stirred or shaken in the airtight container later. Allow the butterscotch mixture to become golden. Turn off the heat but do not remove the pan from the hotplate. Using a clean wooden spoon (plastic might melt!) stir the crushed ricecakes into the butterscotch. Mix well until all the rice cake crumbs are covered - leaving the pan on the hotplate allows you the time to mix everything without it starting to go hard too quickly. When thoroughly mixed, pour the pop-rock mixture into a baking-paper lined slab tin and spread out. When cool, break into pieces and store in an airtight container.

Easiest ever pear pie and ice-cream

Not really a pie, you just mix together bits of home-cooked pastry, pears and icecream.

4 pears, cored, peeled and chopped; or chopped, warmed canned pears

50g sugar

Pastry

125g caster sugar

1 egg

250g flour

50g cornflour

½ teaspoon baking powder

Pinch salt

200g soft butter or Nuttelex

Failsafe icecream

To cook the pears, put them in a pan with a splash of water. Add sugar and cook really gently with lid until soft but still holding shape. Set aside to cool. To make the pastry, cream butter and sugar, then beat in the egg. Add sifted dry ingredients and mix together then drop it onto a baking tray, and roll out the pastry to about 3mm thick. Put it into fridge to rest for 10 minutes, then into the oven and bake at 180’C for 10-15min. minutes until golden brown. Allow to cool and then break or crumble into small pieces. For gluten free, use gf pastry. Just before you eat, add cooked pear and pieces of broken pastry to the ice cream and mix together. – adapted from http://www.abc.net.au/tv/cookandchef/txt/s2632106.htm

Erica's prize winning gf pear loaf

A moist loaf which won first prize at the Royal Darwin Show. Congratulations, Erica!

1/4 cup boiling water

1 cup finely chopped tinned pear

1/4 cup pear juice (from tin)

2 tbsp butter or nuttelex

1 egg (beaten)

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 1/2 cups GF SR flour

Preheat oven to 180’C. Pour boiling water over chopped pears and allow to stand for 10 mins. Add butter or nuttelex, egg, sugar and flour. Mix well. Place in loaf pan and bake at 180 degrees for 45 mins. Cool on cake cooler. Serve sliced with butter or nuttelex. - Erica

Fluff marshmallow spread

Fluff is a failsafe marshmallow spread, ingredients: glucose syrup, sugar, dried egg white and artificial flavour (vanillin) in the spreads section of Coles supermarkets, in a glass jar with a red lid. Obviously the flavoured versions are not failsafe. The website for recipes is: http://www.marshmallowfluff.com This product is limited for people who react to sulphites (glucose syrup) and salicylates (vanillin). Thanks to Ingrid

Frozen Rice Bubble Treats

250g (10 oz) butter

200g (1 cup) sugar

2 eggs beaten

6 -7 cups rice bubbles (this is a double batch because one went nowhere)

Boil butter and sugar. Allow to cool slightly, add egg and cook together for about 1/2 minute. Mix in rice bubbles. Place in lined lamington tin and refrigerate. When set cut into bars and place in container and then freeze. These are best eaten straight out of the freezer and were a huge hit at my house. - Elaine

Gingerbread muffins (failsafe and gluten-free dairy free)

1 cup brown rice flour

1/2 cup potato flour

1/2 cup cornflour

2 tsp xanthan gum

1 tsp unflavoured gelatine powder

1 and 1/2 tsp GF baking power

1 and 1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 small eggs, lightly beaten

2/3 cup brown sugar

1 cup pear puree

1/2 cup golden syrup

3 tablespoons canola oil

Preheat over to 180°C. Oil muffin tins (12 very large muffins) or equivalent. Combine dry ingredients in a small bowl. In another bowl, combine egg, brown sugar, pear puree, golden syrup and oil. Stir in dry ingredients until just moist. Spoon batter into tins. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until cooked. Ice with plain white or citric acid flavoured icing if required.

Gluten-free carob cake

125 gms butter or Nuttelex

1½ cups sugar

1 cup water

2 tbsp carob powder

1 tspn soda bicarb

2 well beaten eggs

1½ cups rice flour

¾ cup cornflour

1 tspn baking powder

Place Nuttelex, sugar, water and carob in a saucepan and simmer until mixed. Remove from heat. Add 1 tspn of soda bicarb and stir. The mixture will froth up. Leave until cool, add beaten eggs, flours, and baking powder/ Bake in a paper-lined greased cake tin at 200°C for 50 mins or until cooked. Ice when cool. - thanks to Marilyn

Gluten-free slice

½ cup gluten-free cornflour

½ cup rice flour

2 cups rice flakes

¾ cup sugar

125 gm butter or Nuttelex

2 tbspn golden syrup

2 tsp soda bicarb

1 tsp boiling water

Mix together flours, rice flakes and sugar. Melt butter and golden syrup together. Mix bicarbonate with boiling water and add to butter mixture. Pour onto blended dry ingredients and stir to combine. Press into slice tray and bake at 160°C for 20 minutes.

Gluten-free sweet slice

½ cup rice malt

2 dsp maple syrup

2 cups puffed rice

Combine rice malt and maple syrup in a large microwave container suitable for slices. Cook on HI for 1 minute, stir, then cook again for 2 minutes. Stir in puffed rice and press down firmly. Cook a further 2 minutes, remove from microwave, press firmly down and cut into slices. Or you can roll into balls. Sweet and crunchy. -Gwen

Gooey Caramel Slice

An easy and delicious slice – not healthy, but hey, it’s for Christmas. You can make it gluten-free by using the base from the Failsafe Cookbook.

1 packet McVities Hobnobs biscuits

1 can (400g) sweetened condensed milk

1¼ cups Nestle white melts

Break the hobnobs into small crumbs. Add sweetened condensed milk and white melts (whole is ok). Mix well. Pour into a buttered slice tray app 18cm x 28cm. Bake for 30 mins at 350°C - thanks to Sherri.

Healthy carrot cake

Everyone loves this cake. It’s not suitable for the strict elimination diet but can easily fit into an allowance of moderate salicylates, with only quarter cup of carrots per serve. The gluten free option works well.

1 cup sunflower or rice bran oil

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

2 cups of plain flour (for gluten free use Freedom Foods plain gf flour or similar)

1 tsp baking powder (for gluten free, use Wards)

3 cups of grated carrots

1 cup of crushed raw cashews (optional)

icing sugar (for gluten free, use pure icing sugar)

Pre-heat oven to 170’C. Grease cake tin with failsafe butter or Nuttelex. Pour oil into mixing bowl and beat for 1 minute. Gradually add sugar and beat. Add eggs to mixture one at a time whilst beating - mixture should be quite light and fluffy. Stir in sifted dry ingredients then carrots and nuts and pour into prepared cake tin. Bake for 60-65 minutes or until top is golden brown. Cool in tin. Top with (pure icing sugar ) icing with citric acid added for lemon taste. Serves 12. - thanks to Sam Tinsley.

High-fibre lunchbox muffins

These have a nice nutty flavour.

1½ cups self-raising flour

½ cup sugar

½ cup rice bran

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 cup milk or soymilk

¼ cup canola oil

Sift flour in a bowl and add remaining ingredients, stirring with a fork until mixed. Brush a 12 cup muffin pan with oil and spoon mixture into cups until ¾ full. Bake at 180°C for 20 minutes or until golden. Ice with thin white icing if liked.

Honeycomb slice (contains dairy and wheat)

An easy recipe for special occasions.

1 tin of condensed milk

600 ml thickened cream

300g honeycomb (eg from www.carobana.com.au)

2 packs of Arnott's Milk Coffee biscuits (because they don't have added flavour, most others do)

Whip the cream. Chop the honeycomb into small pieces. Fold the condensed milk and honeycomb in with whipped cream. Place baking paper in a lamington tray and line with one layer of biscuits. Pour mixture over biscuits. Then top with another layer of biscuits.

Place in freezer overnight. Then just cut to serve - thanks to Sherri.

Howard's pear icecream with dairyfree option

3/4 cup sugar

1 egg

3/4 cup water

1 cup canned pears in syrup (drained and blended)

200 ml light cream

Mix together according to your icecream maker's instructions. For dairy free, use 1 cup sugar, 1 egg, 1 cup canned pears in syrup (drained and blended), 1 and a half cups soymilk. For a special dessert, serve with the exceptionally delicious caramel sauce in the Failsafe Cookbook.

'Lemon' meringue pie version 2 (contains dairy foods, no sulphites)

prepared failsafe crust, see Failsafe Cookbook

1 395g can of condensed milk

1/2 cup hot water combined with 1.5 tsp citric acid, allow to cool

3 eggs, separated

1/4 cup caster sugar

Blend together condensed milk and citric water. Add lightly beaten egg yolks and combine well. Pour evenly into chilled crust. Beat egg whites until stiff, gradually adding caster sugar. Spoon meringue on top of filling and bake in a preheated 180ºC for 10 minutes until golden.

Lunchbox Pear or Apple Pies

2 sheets of Pampas Sweet Puff Pastry (or GF pastry see elsewhere)

5 ripe pears (peeled thickly) OR golden delicious apples (peeled thickly) - moderate in salicylates

(water with 1/2 tsp ascorbic acid to cover fruit while you are preparing the fruit, to prevent browning)

sugar to taste (1/4 cup)

1/2 tsp citric acid

3 - 4 tsp. of cornflour

8 small (approx 10 cm or 4 in) pie dishes OR you could use muffin tins

Cut up thickly peeled pears or apples. Place in water with ascorbic acid to prevent browning. When finished drain off all water. Add sugar and citric acid. Cook in microwave until soft and mash. Mix cornflour with a little cold water and then add some of the cooked fruit. Add this back into the fruit and cook on the stove until thickened. Remove from heat and cool until no more than luke warm and preferably cold.

Defrost two sheets of Pampas Sweet Puff Pastry. Cut into quarters. Place each quarter into a pie dish and shape to fit leaving corners hanging over the edge of the dish. Place about a tablespoon of fruit in each pie dish. Fold over the edges of the pastry into the middle to cover the fruit. Bake at 200’ C (390’ F) or 180’C (350’ F) for fan forced ovens, for about 15 to 20 minutes. These are nice hot with icecream or cream, but extra yummy cold (good lunchbox food). - Alison

Madeira Cake

175g (6 oz) butter

175g (6 oz) sugar

1/4 tsp citric acid

3 eggs

175g (6 oz) self-raising flour

Cream butter, sugar and citric acid. Beat eggs and add alternately with flour to creamed mixture. Bake 180'C (350'F) for 1 hour in a greased tin. Great with citric icing (Failsafe Cookbook). There's a gluten-free version of this recipe in Failsafe Cookbook.

Magic jelly

½ cup sugar dissolved in ½ cup warm water

½ tsp citric acid

300 ml cold water

3-4 tsp gelatine dissolved in ½ cup boiling water (boil for longer if sensitive to sulphites)

Combine ingredients in order. Refrigerate until set. - Margie

Mango parfait (moderate in salicylates, also contains amines)

½ cup fresh mango cubes per person

1 cup low-fat yoghurt or soy yoghurt

¼ cup light sour cream

vanilla icecream (optional)

Combine yoghurt and cream. In parfait glasses, layer mango and cream mixture (or icecream). Top with mango cube.

Marshmallow slice

Base:

1 cup SR flour

¾ cup rice crumbs (or crushed rice bubbles)

½ cup sugar

125g butter

Melt the butter and add to the dry ingredients. Press into a greased slice tray and bake in a moderate oven for 10 - 15 minutes or until just starting to brown (you want it soft and chewy rather than toasted). Cool in tray

Marshmallow topping:

1 cup sugar

1 tablespoon gelatine

1 cup water

Place all ingredients in a saucepan, bring to boil and boil for 3 minutes to eliminate sulphites. When cool, beat until thick and white. Pour the marshmallow topping over the base and allow to set. Cut into small squares and store in an airtight container. - Heather

Marshmallows

3 tbspn gelatine

1 cup cold water

4 cups sugar

1 1/2 cups hot water

vanilla or citric acid "lemon juice" to taste

icing sugar

cornflour

Soak gelatine in cold water. Bring sugar and hot water to boiling point. Add soaked gelatine and boil gently for 20 minutes. Pour into a large mixing bowl. Cool and add flavour (opt). Beat until thick. Pour into wetted 28 x 18 cm slab cake pan. When cold, cut into squares and toss in a mixture of icing sugar and cornflour.

Max's MEMMs (mini expresso melting moments)

1 and a half cups rice flour

1 and a half tbsp soya flour

half cup sugar

1 tsp Ward's (or other gluten free) baking powder

125 g failsafe margarine (e.g. Nuttelex)

up to half a cup of water

more flour as needed

Mix dry ingredients together. Mix in margarine with a fork or rub in lightly, until mixture has a fine texture. Add enough water to form a soft dough. Form into balls the size of marbles, adding more flour if necessary to assist rolling into balls, do not flatten. Place on oven tray and bake for 10-12 minutes at 200°C. Allow to cool and use in lunchbox, or make icing and glue to mini biscuits together to make MEMMs. Dust with icing sugar if desired.

Icing:

1 cup pure icing sugar

2 tsp failsafe butter, melted

1 heaped tsp Nescafe decaf

1 tbsp hot water

Sift icing sugar and stir in butter. Add decaf coffee to hot water, mix well and add to icing sugar mixture slowly until the required consistency is reached. This can be made easily in a food processor but be sure to add the liquid very slowly. - Thanks to Max (aged 10)

Mrs Cattle's Biscuits

A hundred year old recipe from a pioneering family.

8oz SR flour (250 gm; one cup; or use plain flour plus 2 tsp baking powder)

1 egg

4oz sugar (115 gm; half a cup)

3oz butter (75 gm; 6 tbsp)

Mix all ingredients and shape into small balls, put onto tray and bake in a moderate oven for 10 to 15 minutes or press into trays and cover with golden syrup and crumble mix on top. Cut into slices before cooling. - thanks to Rosy

Nell’s cake (with egg-free option)

Named after a little old lady called Nell, this incredibly simple recipe also works well with ‘No Egg’ substitute. Nicole says ‘we take this to Scouts for the end of term celebrations, there are never any left over, and some of the mothers wonder why their coloured creations don't get eaten!’

1½ cups self raising flour

1 cup caster sugar

2 large eggs or ‘No Egg’ substitute

1 cup cream

½ tsp vanilla essence (if tolerated)

icing sugar to sprinkle

With electric beater, beat eggs/’No Egg’ and sugar until dissolved. Mix in cream gently (with a wooden spoon), then add vanilla. Fold in flour. Line cake tin with baking paper as the cake tends to stick (because of the No Egg), or alternatively make individual cakes using muffin/patty cake cases. Cook in 160°C oven for approximately 35 minutes (if 8" cake), watch for light golden colour, test with skewer. Once cooled dust cake with icing sugar. This cake will fall a little after cooking, but will still taste delicious. – thanks to Nicole

Pear Clafoutis

Pears are covered with a light, not-quite-cake topping in this remarkable dessert which is easy to make and looks stunning.

1 large can (800 gm) pears in syrup

1 cup self raising flour

3 eggs

½ cup caster sugar

½ cup milk, soymilk, or ricemilk

1 tbsp sifted icing sugar

Preheat oven to 180°C. Drain pears and reserve syrup. Arrange pears, cut side down, in a lightly greased 25cm flan dish. Sift flour into a bowl and make a well in the centre. Break eggs into the well, add sugar and milk and mix to form a smooth batter. Pour batter over pears. Bake for 45 minutes or until firm and golden. Serve hot or cold with pear syrup and yoghurt or icecream. - Emma

Pear Crumble

1 cup flour

1 cup sugar

2 tablespoons butter (or equivalent)

1 can pears in syrup

Mix flour and sugar and then rub butter in with your fingertips. Sprinkle this crumble mixture over pears and cook in moderate oven for around 15 minutes. Serve. - Julie (discussion group)

Pear Tapioca

1/2 cup tapioca

3 cups water

1/2 tsp sea salt or to taste

3 cups fresh or canned peeled pears, sliced

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp citric acid

2 tbsp water

Soak tapioca overnight in water. Add salt and boil, stirring until clear (about 30 minutes). Layer pears into a greased baking dish. Mix citric acid with water. Spoon over sugar and citric acid mix. Pour tapioca over and bake in a moderate oven about 45 minutes. Cool and allow to set. Serve with icecream. - Howard

Poached tamarillos in syrup

A good source of Vitamin C and A, tamarillos are rated as moderate in salicylates, no amines.

4 tamarillos

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

Dip each tamarillo into boiling water for 1 minutes, then the skin should be easily peeled off. Boil sugar and water and slip in sliced tamarillos for about 3 minutes. Serve as a topping over failsafe custard, yoghurt or icecream.

Popples (dairy free, gluten free)

These are sweeter than ordinary rice bubbles but do have a kind of commercial taste which I feel our gf kids are often deprived of. They have the thumbs up by our hungry teenager. He likes them as a dry snack rather than with milk on.

1 x 150g packet of plain puffed cereal (eg rice, millet etc)

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup syrup (golden, rice or maple)

1/4 cup failsafe oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup water

Pre-heat oven to 180C. Place puffed cereal in baking dish. Make syrup mixture with sugar, syrup, oil, salt and water, boiling 2-3 minutes (brings mixture to very soft toffee state). Pour syrup mixture over puffed cereal and mix till evenly coated. Place in oven for approximately 5 minutes, stirring cereal at least once during that time. Take care not to burn; it's done when the mixture just starts to brown very slightly. - thanks to Robin

Princess bread

For parties, this is an alternative to fairy bread

2 drops of cochineal with one cup of sugar in jar with lid, toss until all sugar is coloured, spread on buttered bread - thanks to Kylie

Pumpkin Pie (butternut is moderate in salicylates, others are high)

Sweet short pastry: 1.5 cups self-raising flour, 2 tbsp sugar, 4 tbsp butter.

Peel and steam enough pumpkin for four people.

Filling: 6 tbspn sugar, 2 tsp citric acid, 2 tbspn cornflour.

Rub butter into flour and sugar, mix to a firm dough with minimum water. Roll into 24 cm (10") pie dish, bake 15 min at 220'C, cool. Mash filling thoroughly into steamed pumpkin. Pour into baked pie crust, bake a further 15 min at 220'C. Delicious with cream, yoghurt or icecream if tolerated.- Howard

Quick Carob Fudge

A nice gift or for a special occasion.

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup milk

1 tbsp golden syrup

1 tbsp carob powder (or unflavoured cocoa if amines ok)

1 tsp butter

Before beginning get everything ready - this is a time sensitive recipe. Grease a cake/loaf tin or small baking tray. Clear the sink and get a hand-beater ready. Mix all ingredients in a medium saucepan and place over a low-medium heat. Stir until boiling. Boil for 6 minutes - keep at a rolling boil, but not boiling over. Take off heat and place saucepan in sink (the lower height helps). Beat until it starts to thicken. This fudge goes from thickening to too far very quickly. The more beating it gets the better it is. Pour or scoop the almost set fudge into the tray. When set, cut into squares. A hot knife helps.

Optional: Push raw cashews into almost set fudge. Use an electric hand mixer to make the process painless - but watch the thickening. - thanks to Melissa L (adapted from a recipezaar posting).

Quick lunchbox biscuit

2 arrowroot biscuits

one marshmallow

white icing

Place marshmallow on 1 biscuit and microwave for about 10 sec (keep an eye on it though). Place other arrowroot on top, squashing marshmallow between the two. Ice top biscuit with white icing. I sometimes put a face on in carob. My daughter is happy to have one of these at morning recess when all the other kids have cream biscuits. - Janelle

Rice Bubble Treats

200 g of home-made marshmallows (see recipe elsewhere or 2 x 100g packets of Pascall's white marshmallows)

80 g butter or Nuttelex

4 cups rice bubbles

Measure rice bubbles and place them in a large bowl. Line a lamington/ swiss roll tray with ovenbake paper. Melt marshmallows & butter over low heat, stirring so it doesn't burn. Pour the marshmallow and butter mix onto the rice bubbles. Mix well. Tip into lined tray and press down. This may work best with a metal spoon as the mixture cools. - Sharon

Rice Cookies (failsafe, gluten free, dairy free)

1 1/2 cups brown rice flour

1 1/2 tablespoons arrowroot

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

125g margarine

up to 1/3 cup water

Mix rice flour, arrowroot, sugar and baking powder. Mix in margarine with fork, or rub in lightly, until a fine texture. Add enough water to make a soft dough. Form into balls and flatten slightly. Place on oven tray and press lightly with fork. Bake 15 mins in 200°C oven. Makes 30. Serve plain, iced, or joined in pairs (icing slightly creamier than usual by adding a little extra margarine and beating well). For a different texture, puffed rice or similar can be added before the water - Caroline

Rice pudding

Popular in many countries in the world, individual containers of rice pudding are sold at takeaway street stalls in Egypt.

600 ml milk or soymilk

3 tbs shortgrain rice

1 tbspn butter or Nuttelex (optional)

1-2 tbsp white sugar (or brown, or more to taste)

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp vanilla

Place milk, rice and butter in a medium saucepan and bring to the boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer gently until rice is tender, about 35 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for an extra 15-20 minutes. The pudding will thicken towards the end of the cooking time. Serve hot or cold. Serves 4.

Rice Puffs (contain dairy foods as butter and gluten as malt in rice bubbles)

6 cups Rice Bubbles

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup golden syrup

125 g failsafe butter

Combine sugar, syrup and butter in a pot and simmer gently for 2 -3 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and allow to cool for a minute. Add rice bubbles and mix thoroughly. Press into greased tin 23x23cm (or equivalent), using back of spoon. Refrigerate, then cut into squares. - thanks to Teresa Ventris

Self-saucing microwave golden syrup pudding

This quick and easy winter dessert will be a hit with the whole family.

90 grams butter

3/4 cup milk, soymilk or ricemilk

1 tsp vanilla essence

1 1/2 cups self raising flour (wheat or wheat-free)

1 cup caster sugar sauce

1 cup boiling water

1/2 cup golden sryup

In a medium size microwave bowl, melt butter thoroughly, then stir in milk and vanilla essence. In a second microwave bowl, mix flour and sugar together. Beat in combined liquids. Using first bowl, mix together 1 cup boiling water and 1/2 cup golden syrup. Pour over top of pudding. Cover and cook in microwave oven (750) for 10 minutes. Eat straight away. - Janet

Siena Easter Cake

This is a low salicylate version of the traditional schiacciata di pasqua di Siena, a plain yeast cake, perfect with milk coffee, cocoa or barley coffee. The original also contains soaked seeds of anise and a little olive oil, and instead of whisky a special liqueur, rosolio di menta, available from a shop in Siena. The savarin version contains vanilla instead of liqueur/whisky and butter instead of lard. If made with lard, the cake has a special coarse consistency.

500 g flour

200 g sugar

25 g fresh yeast

half cup lukewarm milk

3 eggs

100 g butter or lard

half glass whisky (alcohol will evaporate during cooking)

Weigh flour and sugar into warm mixing bowl. Dissolve yeast in warm milk and place in well in flour. Leave in warm place until yeast becomes bubbly. Begin to stir yeast, making a ball in the flour. Add eggs one by one. Knead for 10 min until dough is elastic. Consistency is more like cake batter than bread dough. Place lard in pieces on top and cover; set aside in warm place until dough doubles in size. Beat the dough down and work until the lard is incorporated, then add whisky. Consistency is now very slippery and viscous. Grease a round tin (say 25 cm diameter) of sufficient size that the dough comes half way up the side. Tie an oven paper band around the top in case the dough rises over the top. Place in warm place to double in size. Preheat oven to 170’C (with fan) cook for 10 min (or until brown) then reduce temperature to 155’C (with fan) for another 25 minutes. Cool in tin. Buon appetito! - grazie to Helen from Siena, Italy

Sticky rolls (using dough from a bread maker)

1 quantity of sweet dough made in a bread maker

3 tbsp butter

4 tbsp brown sugar

Vanilla glaze

1/2 cup icing sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence (optional)

2 teaspoons milk

Roll dough out to a 40cm X 38cm square. Melt 3 tablespoons of butter. Brush half over dough. Sprinkle 4 tablespoons brown sugar over rolled out dough. Drizzle remaining melted butter over sugar mixture. Roll up widthwise and cut into 2 cm thick slices. Place on a greased baking tray, 5 cm apart. Cover with lightly greased plastic food wrap and stand in a warm area for 20 minutes or until doubled in size. Bake in a preheated oven at 180 C for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Combine all ingredients for vanilla glaze until thin enough and drizzle over rolls. - Linda

Sugar Cookies

2 and 1/3 cups flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

2 eggs

1/2 cup safflower oil

2 tsp water

1½ cups sugar

extra sugar

Preheat oven to 350’F (180°C). In one mixing bowl mix together the flour, salt and baking soda. In a second bowl, mix eggs, oil, and water. Mix in sugar thoroughly with the wet ingredients. Using a fork, slowly mix the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients. Put spoonfuls of dough onto a cookie sheet and flatten with your hands to make a small circle. Sprinkle extra sugar liberally onto the tops of all cookies. Bake for 8 and a half to 9 minutes. If the cookies turn brown then you cooked them too long. And if there is a small dark circle in the middle of any cookie then you didn't cook them long enough. Be careful of not cooking them long enough especially if you make them big. (You run the risk of getting salmonella poisoning from the eggs if they aren't cooked enough.) Enjoy those cookies. - Matt (from failsafeUSA discussion group)

Tiramisu

One of the most popular restaurant desserts of all times, tiramisu makes a good treat for festive season celebrations. Basically a layer cake of coffee-soaked sponge and chocolate custard, the name tiramisu roughly translates from the Italian as ‘pick-me-up’ due to the caffeine. Failsafers can use decaf and carob instead, and it can even be dairy and gluten-free - it’s still delicious!

1 failsafe sponge cake eg Cornflour sponge (p242 Failsafe Cookbook) or Classic sponge (p288 Fed Up) – these make 2 sponge cakes, freeze one for later use.

1/3 tbsp decaffeinated dried coffee

1/3 cup water

1-2 tbsp whiskey to taste (optional)

500ml failsafe custard eg Narni’s custard (p153 Failsafe Cookbook, p283 Fed Up) or Pauls Vanilla Custard

2 tbsp sugar

2 tbsp carob powder, sieved

Cut sponge cake into 2cm cubes and place half in a large glass bowl. Dissolve coffee in water and stir in whiskey, drizzle half over sponge cubes. Stir extra sugar and carob powder into custard until dissolved and pour half over sponge cubes. Repeat a second layer. Allow to stand in refrigerator for at least 6 hours to develop flavour.

Toffee Bark

Sprinkle 1/2 cup sugar evenly over a lightly greased baking tray lined with foil and place under a hot grill. Cook until sugar is dissolved and is a dark caramel colour. Turn the grill tray as it cooks to dissolve sugar evenly. Leave until completely cold and then break into pieces. Make 1-2 days ahead. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place. - Margie

Tofu custard tart

1 pie crust, to line quiche dish to allow enough depth for filling, blind baked, then filled with:

250 g silken tofu in food processor bowl and whizzed up with

2 eggs

1 cup soy milk

1/4 cup white sugar

1/4 cup golden syrup

Pour mixture into pie crust and bake in moderate oven until set (30 - 40 minutes or more). Serve with homemade icecream and sprinkle of chopped raw cashews. - Alison

Wedding Whip (contains dairy)

This is a recipe I had at my wedding. I have adapted it to make it failsafe. It has always been a big hit whenever we have it …

1 x 300ml thickened cream

400g vanilla yoghurt

100g white marshmallows

1 tbsp icing sugar

Beat cream until firm and peaks form. Fold in yoghurt, marshmallows and icing sugar. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Spoon into 6 serving glasses. – Tracy (Perth failsafe support group).

Yummy biscuits

250g softened butter

1/2 cup caster sugar (or less to taste)

1 tin condensed milk

5 cups self raising GF or wheat flour

Beat butter and sugar until soft and creamy. Add condensed milk and beat until smooth, then add flour. Cut into shapes and place on a greased baking tray. Bake in a moderate oven until golden, about 10 minutes for soft, 15 minutes for crunchy – thanks to Marg

Other recipes and hints (eg bread, mayonnaise)

Hints

· For quick chicken nuggets with a batter-like texture: slice chicken breast fillets, coat with flour, dip in beaten egg and shallow fry, thanks to Cameron

· Brussels sprout puree (made with butter and/or cream, Failsafe Cookbook) traditionally served on roasts in England can be a huge success even with sprout haters.

· Bombe Alaska (Failsafe Cookbook) makes an entertaining pudding for a hot Australian Christmas.

· Failsafe Nachos Cook lamb mince in a pot with sea salt and pureed failsafe veges until just cooked and combined well (swede goes particularly well). Serve in a bowl with some plain Kettle chips for dipping.

· Mini crumpets A variation for the Rice Hoppers recipe on page 237 of the new Failsafe Cookbook (reader comment: ”I've just made my first rice hopper and eaten it a few minutes ago - what a treat to find a bread substitute that tastes fantastic”.): make mini crumpets by pouring the batter into egg rings, ideal for fingerfood or lunchboxes, served either plain or with a smear of hummous or pear jam. The batter can be frozen or stored in the refrigerator between use, but works best at room temperature. Some extra hints for that recipe: warm water for mixing with yeast should be blood heat (when you dip your finger in, it feels neither hot nor cold); although the recipe says let stand 6 hours, you can get away with less than that if standing in a warm place.

· Pear jam This is the season (March/ April) for fresh ripe pears in the southern hemisphere. Howard bought 7 kg of fresh pears (your supermarket will provide a box) for about $2.70 per kg, we had a working bee to peel and chop them, and ended up with 3.5 kg of useable pears that will provide a year's supply of pear jam for us.

· For a failsafe air freshener, you can mix some vanilla essence with water in a spray bottle. – thanks to Kyria

· Instead of peanut butter you can use chickpea butter made from steamed chickpea power, brown sugar, water, salt and canola oil, recipe by Fiona Carter and steamed chick pea powder from www.designerphysique.com.au

· Rolled oats good value for money: a Canadian ‘Porridge for Parkinsons’ party fed 200 people on $10.81 worth of steel cut oats, http://www.porridgeforparkinsons.com/recipes.html

· The real cost of an item is your net hourly rate after taxes and minus expenses such as childcare. Using this value, a Simple Savings member calculated that she would have to work for three hours to pay for a takeaway meal. ‘My husband loves KFC but I am no longer an easy pushover’ she wrote. Thanks to www.simplesavings.com.au

· Sausage Sizzles and School Fetes: two tips from the SAFE Newsletter, thanks Kathleen, Jenny & Marianne www.additiveeducation.com.au - Organise an 'Additive Free Option' when there's a sausage sizzle at your school! Send a note home with a slip to be returned with the money prior to the day. Some schools organise it this way already, to minimise wastage. One school that offered this was amazed by the number of families that were happy to pay an extra $1 for an additive free sausage in bread. Their local Brumby's supplied bread at no cost, which was spread with Nuttelex and topped with a FAILSAFE sausage. See http://www.honestbeef.com.au/ for preservative free sausages, if you've not got your local butcher trained up yet! And at school fetes, fairy floss can be made without the pink colouring. It still tastes exactly the same so it's a perfect Additive Free treat. Ask the Fairy Floss Machine hire company to ensure it's cleaned to remove all traces of pink. I've done this before (called it SNOW) and made just as much money as a pink floss stall and also used it as an opportunity to hand out information to the community too.

· BBQ choko: cook choko quartered, peeled, with some salt and oil in foil on the bbq (Ihad never eaten choko before, I LIKE it!)- thanks to Petra

· One-minute omelette: break egg into a mug or bowl and beat well, pour into a well oiled saucer, microwave on high for one minute or until set. Good in sandwiches, wraps, foldies – thanks to Jill

· Potato pizza base - peel potatoes thickly and boil until just cooked but still firm. Cut into slices and press into a well oiled pizza pan, cover with topping, bake as usual.

· Bunny 'n' Beans - wild rabbit is organic, lean, failsafe meat, but can be expensive. You can increase nutrition and lower the price by adding equal quantities of cooked kidney beans to make your rabbit meal go further (see Failsafe Cookbook page 89)

· Thank you for the magic cordial recipe - the kids love it! I add a small teaspoon of beetroot juice in the 2 litre bottle of diluted cordial and the boys say it looks just like the ‘bad stuff’!! - thanks to Heidi

· Just thought I'd let you know that I finally got around to cooking Chickadamias from your cookbook - except I left out the garlic and added a bit of sunflower oil. I don’t like the smell of cooking chickpeas but once they are done, that smell is gone and they taste great! – Leah

· Failsafe breadcrumbs: for breadcrumbs we just break up and food process frozen slices of bread, usually the left-over crusts. We use Brumby's, Bakers Delight or other failsafe bread of course – thanks to Amy.

· Breadcrumbs: I take frozen failsafe bread rolls out of the freezer and grate them for fresh bread crumbs. My local Brumbys store also made up a couple of bags of fresh breadcrumbs for me for $1.00 each. – thanks to Helen M

· Quick Carob spread: the quickest ever spread for sandwiches: butter bread, sprinkle over carob powder and add top slice of bread. For toast, spread with a knife until butter and carob are mixed. For a low fat version of this spread, mix 2 tbsp carob powder with an equal quantity of milk until reaching the consistency of icing then spread straight onto unbuttered bread - thanks to Leah, NSW

· Maple slushie - some school canteens will sell plain slushies (ie no syrup) if you ask - send a small plastic vial of maple syrup to add to the slushie (or supply the school with a bottle). My 6yo is happy with this - thanks to Neola

· Failsafe sports drink (for those who can tolerate dairy). Skimmed milk has been shown to be more effective than Gatorade type drinks for post exercise recovery, more details at http://www.nutraingredients.com/Research/Skimmed-milk-better-than-isotonics-for-post-sport-rehydration

· Party hints: – see our new Failsafe Parties factsheet http://www.fedupwithfoodadditives.info/factsheets/Factbirthday.htm

· 'Dairy free' yoghurt alternative for little ones add 1/2 teaspoon of guar gum to 1/2 cup of rice milk. My son has never had yoghurt so he doesn't know that his version is any different to his sister’s as it looks the same. I put both of them in the same containers so his doesn't look different. [caution: as with other vegetable gums, guar gum can have a laxative effect in some people] – thanks to Pippa.

· Lunchbox Mini Pies - I have found over last few months of elimination that my girls really dislike failsafe mince if put on top of pasta. However they love it when I make mini pies in a muffin tray .Pastry for bottom, fill with failsafe mince with cabbage in it or sliced beans (if wanting to get more vegies into them) and then top it with mash potato. They love these and take them as leftovers to school (especially on the day the other kids are able to order their lunch). Also the muffin tray size are just right for a child. – thanks to Nic.

· Poko cake ‘Has anyone tried the Poko cake recipe from the Failsafe cook book? I’ve just made it and it is absolutely beautiful. Who would have thought that a combination of cashews, chokos and pear would ever work, but it truly does!’ – thanks to the failsafeeczema group

· Eggfree pancakes for people who are allergic to eggs but can tolerate amines, you can use 2 ripe bananas instead of eggs, combine with SR flour then stir in milk or milk substitute until you have a good pouring consistency - thanks to Nicole

Anne's satay sauce

This mock-peanut sauce goes well with chicken satay and rice.

1 tbsp butter

1 clove garlic, crushed

salt to taste

1 tbsp golden syrup

2 tbsp cashew paste

Melt butter in saucepan over low heat, and stir in other ingredients until mixed. Just before serving, brush over satay sticks with a pastry brush and pour remaining sauce over rice. – Anne

Buttermilk scones

Buttermilk is lower in fat and higher in nutrients than regular milk, because the fat has been used to make butter while many of the nutrients, including potassium, vitamin B12, calcium, and riboflavin, have been drained off in the buttermilk.

225g self raising flour

pinch of salt

55g butter

1 tbsp caster sugar

150ml buttermilk or milk

extra milk for glaze

Preheat oven to 220’C. Mix together flour and salt and rub in the butter with your fingers. Stir in the sugar and then the milk to get a soft dough. Turn on to a floured work surface, knead very lightly and roll out or pat to a thickness of about 2 cm. Use a 5cm cutter to stamp out rounds and place on a lightly greased baking sheet. Brush the tops of the scones with a little milk. Bake for 12-15 minutes until golden. Serve while still warm with butter and pear jam or golden syrup.

Campers Dream icecream balls

Great fun for the whole family and you can make whatever type of failsafe flavor you like. Fill one side with ice and salt and the tube with milk, sugar and vanilla or whatever. Pop the lids on to seal it up and roll it round on the floor until it’s ice cream. Takes about 30 min. Here's the link and they deliver to Australia (we have two):

http://www.rei.com/online/store/ProductDisplay?storeId=8000&catalogId=40000008000&productId=47793013&parent_category_rn=5777366&vcat=REI_SEARCH

- thanks to Michelle

Cashew Bread

Based on an old Italian recipe.

1 cup plain flour

1/2 cup caster sugar

3 egg whites

125gm raw cashew nuts

Preheat oven to 160°C. In a medium sized mixing bowl beat egg whites for 1 minute. Gradually Add sugar and beat for 2 more minutes. Fold in cashews with a large spoon. In one go add flour and gently fold in. Pour into a loaf tin that has been coated with cooking spray and bake for 30-40 minutes until cooked or when firm in the centre. Allow loaf to sit in tin for 5 minutes before turning onto a wire rack to cool. When cold wrap in foil and put in a plastic (airtight) bag for 24 hours. The next day slice thinly and bake on a flat tray in a moderate oven for about 10 minutes until dry/brown/crisp.

I use an electric slicer set to 2mm thick and get about 55 slices. The average is for 5 per day so that wouldn't exceed the daily limit for the cashew nuts. – Tracey

Chocolate icypoles

1/2 cup sugar

1 tbsp unflavored gelatine

pinch of salt

1/4 cup carob powder (cocoa if amines are okay)

2-1/2 cups milk

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla essence (opt)

In a saucepan, stir together the sugar, gelatine, salt and carob. With a wire whisk or rotary beater, beat in the milk. Cook the mixture, stirring, over low heat just until the sugar and gelatine are dissolved. Remove from heat, and stir in the vanilla. Pour the mixture into a 9 x 5 x 3 inch (229 x 127 x 76 mm) loaf pan, and freeze until firm, but not hard, about 4 hours. Pour the mixture into a large bowl, and beat with a mixer until smooth. Pour into icypole molds or paper cups and freeze until hard. - Linda (discussion group)

Chokos with Homemade butter

This is the season for fresh, ripe chokos in Australia – we bought a bagful from a nearby home gardener at a cost of 3 for 10 cents. Homemade butter (see other recipe). Peel and quarter chokoes thickly, removing all the fibrous strips around the seed. Steam until soft, then drain and toss quickly in the warm saucepan with a little butter. Serve hot or cold.

Creamy mayonnaise

Mayonnaise is traditionally made with raw eggs but due to salmonella risk in overcrowded battery chickens, Australian regulators now recommend cooking eggs for safety. This delicious recipe should keep for up to a week in the fridge.

2 tbsp sugar

2 tsp butter

½ tsp salt

2 tbsp cornflour

½ cup milk

1 egg, beaten

½ tsp citric acid

Place sugar, butter and salt in saucepan, melt over low heat. Remove from heat and stir in cornflour dissolved in a little milk. Return to heat and gradually add egg that has been beaten into the rest of the milk, stirring all the time. Add citric acid and continue stirring until the mixture thickens – thanks to Anne

Dr Dengate’s UGF (Ultimate Gluten-Free) bread

RPA has recently approved quinoa. For years Howard has worked to get a loaf that is as good as wheat bread: crusty, delicious, doesn’t crumble or stale, toasts well and is nutritious. Here it is – let me know what you think.

2.5 cups quinoa flour (300g)

2/3 cup arrowroot (90g)

2/3 cup cornflour from corn (90g)

1 tbsp sugar

½ tsp salt to taste

3 tsp guar gum

2 tsp dried yeast

2 cups water (500mls)

Mix very well for 3 minutes, using a strong mixer if you have one since the dough is very sticky. Scrape into a well-greased bread tin, smooth top with spatula, cover with a tea towel and allow to rise in a warm place for 1 hour – it should double in volume. Place in preheated oven at 200°C (390°F) for 30-35 minutes (fan forced). Turn out and cover with a tea towel to cool. Makes 870g loaf.

Easy chicken stock

Bones can be rich in minerals such as calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and to a lesser extent potassium, silicon and other trace minerals. Stock made from bones (bone broth) is now considered to be a high quality multi-mineral and protein supplement. See http://www.townsendletter.com/FebMarch2005/broth0205.htm. Preferably use organic or free-range chicken which will have stronger better quality bones.

fresh or frozen chicken necks and/or wings (or left over chicken carcass from roast)

cold water

pinch of citric acid (now listed as moderate ... so optional or only use a little)

1 cup chopped celery and shallots

optional: small piece of carrot if not on strict diet

Put chicken necks and/or wings in a small saucepan with other ingredients. Add enough cold water to cover bones. Put saucepan on stove on low heat and slowly bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer until it smells good - e.g.1-2 hours or more (longer if starting with raw meat but be aware that long cooking may develop too many amines). Optional, you can cook the raw chicken necks in the microwave first. If using raw meat you may need to skim off the scum after the first hour. When cooked, strain into another container and discard the bones. Cool in fridge and skim off fat when it hardens. Store stock in refrigerator (5 days) or freezer (months). You can use this stock in vegetable soups, with noodles (e.g. Fantastic rice noodles), over pot roasts and in other recipes calling for stock.

Failsafe Baileys (for the over 18s) contains dairy

1 cup whisky

1 tin condensed milk

3 eggs

1/2 tb choc bits with 1/2 tsp of butter, melted

1/2 tsp vanilla (optional)

Blend whisky, condensed milk and eggs together. Melt choc bits and butter, add to whisky mixture and blend for 2 minutes. Add vanilla and stir. Dilute to taste with milk or soymilk. - Bunitj

Failsafe lemonade

I dissolve a cup of sugar in with a cup of boiling water and then add about 1/2 tsp of citric acid. I then put the 'sugar syrup' in a salad dressing bottle and store in the fridge. To make lemonade all you need to do is drizzle a small amount of the sugar syrup into a glass and top with plain soda water or mineral water. Tastes just like bubbly lemonade and my son loves it. All amounts may be varied depending on your taste. Thanks to Dianne

Failsafe margarine

125 ml failsafe canola oil (1/2 cup)

75 ml water (1/4 cup)

1 tsp xanthan gum

1 egg yolk

2 pinches salt

1 pinch citric acid (if you can manage it)

Mix all with beaters. Chill. Store in fridge and use within two weeks.

Failsafe sports drink 1

According to the DAA (Dietitians Association of Australia), studies show that flavoured sports drinks with added carbohydrate and sodium assist in preventing dehydration, particularly for high physical activity or in hot conditions. To avoid nasty additives, you can make your own sports drink. For more information and how often to drink, see http://www.nutritionaustralia.org/food_facts/faq/sports_drinks_faq.asp.

For rehydration

I litre water

2-4 tbsp sugar, glucose or similar such as Polycose

¼ tsp salt

PLUS for flavour

1 tbsp sugar

½ tsp citric acid or to taste

Failsafe sports drink 2 Home-made “staminade” recipe from WHO

Rehydration drinks and sports drinks replace fluids and electrolytes. This is useful for extreme athletes who sweat a lot each day due to hours of hard exercise in a hot environment such as this failsafer: ‘My husband who is food intolerant finds our home made "staminade" helpful. He works outside in the Darwin heat and under hot engines and excessive sweating and heat exhaustion can be a problem. He sips this between drinking lots of plain water throughout the day and feels better for it’.

1 tsp salt

10 tsp sugar

1 litre drinking water

Most people who exercise for less than an hour don't need sports drinks. Warning: Adult sports drinks should not be used for babies and young children. Children with diarrhoea need rehydration drinks designed for children. – thanks to Donna from the failsafeNT group. See also http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2009/06/09/2593413.htm

Failsafe trail mix

Dried pears (see Shopping list)

Raw cashew nuts

Chic nuts (garlic flavoured roasted chickpeas)

Mix together equal quantities of all ingredients and store in a ziploc bag. Limit 3 handfuls per day.

Gluten-free bread

Gluten-free breads need only one rising. Make sure the ingredients are well mixed by hand or with a mixmaster dough hook. Guar gum (412) or xanthan gum (415) from health food stores replace the function of gluten in baked goods. Choose xanthan gum if diarrhoea is a problem.

Dry ingredients:

3 cups (375 g) rice flour

½ cup maize cornflour

2/3 tblsp guar gum or xanthan gum

2 tblsp sugar

1 tsp salt

2 tsp yeast

Wet ingredients:

300 ml lukewarm water (at blood heat, not hot)

2 tbsp oil

2 eggs

Add yeast and sugar to lukewarm water. Mix together remaining dry ingredients in a large bowl. Mix together remaining wet ingredients in a small bowl and add yeast mixture. Tip the wet ingredients into the dry ones and mix really well. If mixing by hand, turn out on a rice-floured board and knead briefly until you have a firm, elastic dough. Put into a loaf tin (eg for date loaves) or the bread pan of your breadmaker. If using an old breadmaker, leave out the kneading tool. Otherwise, program the breadmaker to skip the kneading phase. Squash down well to remove air bubbles, and smooth the top. Allow to rise for 30 minutes. Bake in a 200°C oven for 30 minutes or bake in breadmaker as for a normal loaf. This is a slightly heavier loaf than normal white bread, but unlike some gluten-free loaves, slices really thin for sandwiches, and makes good toast. Freezes well (slice before freezing). - Margie

Gluten-free pastry

Being gluten-free, this pastry is easier to press in than to roll, and makes an excellent pear or apple tart.

225 gms plain gf flour

1 tsp Ward's gf baking powder

100 gm butter or Nuttelex

25 gm sugar

1 tsp guar gum

water

Sift flour, baking powder and guar gum together. Rub in butter. Add enough water to form a dough. Press into a 20 cm pie plate. Bake at 200°C 15-20 mins. Cool and fill with prepared filling.

Homemade butter

You can use this recipe to make additive-free butter in countries where commercial butter contains annatto (160b) colouring. It’s fun to show children where butter comes from, and there’s an option of shaking the cream with a marble in a jar. This butter tastes so much better than commercial butters that we like to eat it without toppings.

1-2 cups (1/3 litre) of heavy whipping cream or double cream, preferably without carrageenan or other stabilisers.

Pour cream into food processor bowl until the bowl is about one quarter to one half full. If the cream has been refrigerated, for best results wait until it warms to about 15°C (60°F) but this in not essential. Process until it suddenly changes from firm whipped cream to a lump of yellowish butter in watery buttermilk. Drain off the buttermilk and set aside. The butter has a mild, fresh flavour and can be eaten now or, to make it last better, you can rinse it repeatedly in the processor with half cups of icy water. Finally, place in a chilled bowl and work the water out with a potato masher, add several pinches of salt if you want before smoothing out into a container and storing in the refrigerator. For more details and photos of the various stages, see http://webexhibits.org/butter/doityourself.html. This process makes about half as much butter as the amount of cream you started with, plus highly nutritious buttermilk. You can drink the buttermilk or use it in recipes like Buttermilk scones.

Homemade Donuts

With the Ronson home donut maker, failsafe children can have a treat like everyone else - fresh donuts to share when their friends come to visit. The basic donut mix is failsafe, and fresh, hot donuts can be dusted with caster sugar instead of cinnamon. Shop around as prices vary, and don’t forget E-Bay - thanks to Anne and other members of finB

Homemade flour tortillas

A surefire way of getting my 2 boys (age 5 and 3.5) to eat a meal is to wrap it in a tortilla. I was dismayed at the number of additives in our favourite brand so now we make our own and my boys love helping.

3 cups of plain flour

1 tsp salt

1/3 cup failsafe oil eg canola

1 cup of warm water

I make up the dough in the breadmaker and then cut, roll and cook but you can make it without a breadmaker. Sift the dry ingredients into a large bowl. Make a well in the centre, add the oil and water, and mix with a fork or blunt knife until a soft dough forms. Transfer to a floured board and knead for five minutes until smooth. Put in a clean bowl, cover and stand in a warm place for an hour. Divide the dough into 12 pieces and roll each out into a 20cm circle – this might take practice. Heat frypan over medium heat and dry cook tortilla for one minute each side, pushing down gently if it puffs up a bit. Stack on a plate and serve immediately or allow to cool, stack, wrap in foil, then freeze. Can be reheated in microwave or pan. - thanks to Anne

Lentil spread

1/2 cup red lentils

2 roughly chopped garlic cloves (more if you're a garlic lover)

1 tbsp butter or nuttelex

1-2 tbsp pear chutney

Cook lentils in enough water to minimise excess liquid. When cooked, drain well (this is important) and vitamise with nuttlex and pear chutney. Refrigerate in a screw top jar. This is a savoury spread with freezes well or keeps for weeks in the fridge. - Margie

Maple Butter

For commercial maple butter, see Shopping list - or you can make your own.

1/2 cup butter, softened

Pinch of salt

1/4 cup pure maple syrup

Place butter and salt in the food processor and process until the mixture is light and fluffy. Slowly add maple syrup through the feed tube of the food processor while beating constantly to prevent separation. Continue processing until the syrup is thoroughly mixed through. Store in the refrigerator in a covered container for up to 3 weeks. Thanks to Lyn and Lesley

Maple cashew butter

2 cups raw cashews

80 g butter, cubed

1/4 cup maple syrup

Process cashews in food processor until finely chopped. Keeping the processor running, add butter, then maple syrup, processing until mixture forms a paste. Pour into sterilised jars, cover, seal and label. Keep refrigerated. Makes 1 1/2 cups - Margie

Mighty Mayo (also known as Robin’s Dressing)

An easy-to-make, delicious mayonnaise which really works:

¼ cup maize cornflour

3 tsp citric acid

1 tsp sea salt

½ cup sugar

1 and ¼ cups water

2 eggs

175 ml failsafe oil

Cook together cornflour, citric acid, salt, sugar and water. When thickened, pour into blender and while whizzing add eggs and drizzle in oil. Keeps well in refrigerator for approximately two weeks. (Not safe in the US where a high percentage of raw eggs are infected with salmonella.) - Robin

Near-Beer Bread

An adaptation of an easy beer bread recipe by a failsafe university student

3 cups self-raising flour

3 tablespoons white sugar

1 (12-ounce) can of beer (or 375mls soda water)

1 tbsp Cornwall’s malt extract (optional)

Preheat oven to 190°C. Lightly grease or spray a bread loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray. Combine all ingredients, mixing well. Pour into prepared pan and bake for 1 hour. The malt extract will give it a similar flavour to beer, otherwise it will be soda bread. – thanks to Tom

Pear bread

In Australia, March is the best time of year to buy fresh ripe pears (late summer through autumn) for eating and cooking.

3 cups plain flour, gluten-free works well too

½ tsp baking powder

1 tsp sodium bicarbonate (baking soda)

1 tsp salt to taste

3/4 cup vegetable oil

3 eggs

2 cups white sugar

2 cups peeled mashed pears (about 4 medium pears)

Preheat oven to 165°C. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl combine the oil, eggs, sugar and pears. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients, pour in liquid, mix well. Spoon batter into two greased and floured 8x5x3 inch loaf pans. Bake for 75-90 minutes, testing it’s done. Cool on wire rack before removing from the loaf pans. Great toasted in a sandwich press and served with butter! – thanks to Tamara.

Pear Roll-Ups / Fruit Leathers

This recipe results in roll-ups that taste remarkably like the commercial versions. Remember that during your strict elimination diet you are limited to 2 fresh ripe peeled pears - or equivalent - per day.

6-12 medium ripe pears, peeled and quartered

½ tsp ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) to reduce browning (optional)

Preheat oven to 75-100°C and line one baking tray with baking paper for every 6 pears. Puree pears and Vitamin C with blender, spread smoothly and evenly on the trays, smoothing with a spatula. Dry in oven for about 4 hours, cool and cut up with scissors or knife. Store in container, separate sheets with baking paper. They can also be stored in the fridge or freezer! – thanks to Monica from the Forster NSW group

Peter's Rice Milk

4 tbsp white rice flour

1 tbsp failsafe oil (or 1/2 tbsp oil, 1 tsp sugar - tastes vary)

1 litre freshly boiling water

2 Caltrate 600 tablets, crushed (for the same calcium level as So Good)

Pour water into a jug. Add rice flour and other ingredients. Blend. Store in refrigerator. Can be made in half quantity.

Potato crackers

Use left-over mashed potato in these quick and delicious crackers.

1/2 cup mashed potato

1 egg yolk

2 tbsp chopped chives or shallots

sea salt to taste

Preheat oven to 180°C (moderate). Combine potato with other ingredients and mix well. Spread as thinly as possible into square shapes on a greased baking tray and bake until golden brown, about 15-20 minutes, depending on desired crispness.

Purple ketchup

2 large tins pears in syrup

200 g brown sugar

2 tsp salt

4 tsp citric acid

6 cloves garlic, crushed

the white part of a leek, chopped (around 150g)

100 g chopped celery

150 g chopped purple cabbage.

Drain and dice pears. Boil syrup from tins until reduced by half. Add all other ingredients and boil for a further 15 minutes. Puree and place into containers for freezing or sterilised jars for use in the next few weeks – thanks to Eleanor.

Quick hollandaise sauce

Goes well with many failsafe meals (like microwave vegetables, pasta, and the Veggie Bake) but does contain butter, egg and dairy.

1 tbsp failsafe butter

300ml milk

1 egg

1 tbsp cornflour

1 tsp citric acid dissolved in 20mls water

Melt butter in a glass jug with 30 secs in microwave (1100W). Add milk, egg and cornflour and beat well. Microwave for 1.5 minutes, whisk, microwave again in 30 second bursts and whisk after each burst until thickened. Add citric, stirring all the time. Can be reheated after storing in fridge.

Quick processor scones

3 cups SR flour

1½ tbsp butter or Nuttelex

water

Place flour and butter in the food processor and process until blended. Add water slowly until dough sticks together in a soft, wet clump. Knead briefly and roll out on a floured board. Cut into scone shapes with scone cutters, novelty shapes or the bottom of a drinking glass, and bake in a hot oven for 8-10 minutes. These freeze well and can be freshened up by microwaving. Serve with butter and golden syrup or pear jam.

Rebecca's cob loaf

3 cups plain flour

1 sachet dried yeast

1 pinch salt

enough water to form into a workable dough

In a large bowl, mix dry ingredients and add water slowly until you reach the desired consistency. Turn out on a floured board and knead well until dough is elastic. Put back in bowl, cover with a clean cloth and leave in a warm place until dough doubles in size (about 1 hour). Punch dough down, turn onto floured board, and knead again. Shape into a round cob loaf, brush top with milk, and bake in a hot (220‘C / 430’F) oven for 20 minutes or until done.

Ricemilk

1/2 cup hot well-cooked rice (or more to taste)

2 cups hot water

1/2 tbsp failsafe oil

2 tsp sugar (or more to taste)

1 Caltrate tablet 600 mg (optional)

Blend all together until smooth. Chill. Dilute to taste. - Vanessa

Soy yoghurt

1/4 cup boiling water

3 tsp gelatine

1-2 tablespoons golden syrup

1 litre soymilk

1 x 200 ml tub Failsafe soy yoghurt (eg So Natural vanilla is gluten-free, Soygurt contains gluten)

Put boiling water in a jar that holds about 1.25 litres. Add gelatine and golden syrup and beat well to dissolve the gelatine. Then add a litre of soya milk. Apply the finger test to see if the water has heated the milk up to blood heat - add a bit more hot water if necessary. Mix well. Add commercial soy yoghurt. Mix. Place in a yoghurt maker or a small esky on a small upside down dish. Pour in about 5 mm of hot water on the base of the esky. Cover and leave all night-- don't overdo the hot water otherwise the yoghurt might separate a bit ... next morning it will be runny. If it does separate a bit, stir gently. Place in fridge and a few hours later you have a yoghurt that resembles mousse. For hot climates or a firmer set use more gelatine. Can be used in place of dairy yoghurt, cream or icecream. - Jane

Vegemite Substitute

A mother wrote "I have recently started reading your website as my 11 month old son still doesn't sleep through the night. I started to think that it was something that he was eating. I was pretty lucky that the first 2 things I took out of his diet, Vegemite and margarine, have helped dramatically."

Vegemite and similar spreads are very high in salicylates, amines and glutamates. This nutritious and tasty recipe for was developed by a mother of 5 who says: ‘the kids love it and eat it all up the day it is made’.

500g minced beef

500g assorted failsafe vegetables

water as needed

salt to taste

Put meat and vegetables in a pot just covered with water, bring to the boil and simmer until cooked. Add salt to taste and blend until smooth. Eat on the day of cooking or freeze in small containers or icecube trays) and use the day it is thawed. Can also be used with pasta or as a pizza topping – thanks to Jane, WA