Free From Trivia Quiz

Answer: Gazpacho

Gazpacho is a cold vegetable soup made with cucumber, peppers, tomatoes, garlic and spring onion. It originated from Spain, making it a refreshing and light addition to a meal eaten during their hot summer evenings. Bouillabaisse is a thick French soup containing fish and shellfish. Cioppino is an Italian-American shellfish soup flavoured with tomatoes and wine, then served with crusty bread. Cullen skink is a thick and creamy haddock, potato and onion soup from Scotland.

Answer: Tuscan white bean stew

People who are diabetic have a condition which affects their blood sugar level. To prevent any adverse symptoms, and to keep their blood sugar levels under control, they need to make several lifestyle changes including a low GI (glycemic index) diet. They should see an increase in the amount of fibre they eat, and minimise the amount of sugar, fat, and starchy foods such as rice, potatoes, spaghetti and noodles.

A person with type 2 diabetes can eat my homemade spaghetti carbonara, Madras beef curry and rice, and chicken chow mein, but they would need to moderate the amount of pasta, rice and noodles they eat. Beans and pulses are much healthier for them and a great source of soluble fibre which won't exacerbate their condition. Tuscan white bean stew is simply made by heating onion, garlic, carrots, tomatoes in a stock with fresh rosemary and seasoning. Cannellini or other white beans are added to make this a hearty stew.

Answer: Tomato ketchup

Mayonnaise, tartar and Marie rose are all egg based sauces. A basic mayonnaise is made by beating oil, egg yolk, vinegar, mustard and seasoning to make a creamy emulsion. This is then used as the base for tartar and Marie rose sauce. Tartar has the addition of gherkins, capers and parsley. Marie rose sauce is simply made by mixing mayonnaise together with tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce and lemon juice. Tomato ketchup can be shop bought but it has high levels of sugar.

A homemade sauce can easily be made where you can control your own sugar levels by boiling tomatoes together with onion, garlic, chili, red wine vinegar and brown sugar.

Answer: Tofu salad

Tofu is made in a similar way to dairy cheese, but soy milk is used instead of cow or goat milk. The soy milk is curdled then pressed into a block before cooling. The block can be cut into pieces for cooking and baking. Soy milk can easily be made at home by soaking soybeans overnight in water.

The water is then discarded and fresh water added to the soybeans before blending, sieving, and then boiling for 15 minutes. Waldorf salad consists of apples, celery, grapes and walnuts. Tabbouleh is made with tomatoes, onion, bulgur wheat and herbs. Potato salad is simply made by adding diced cooked potato to a mayonnaise dressing and adding spring onion for texture and flavour.

Answer: Pasta all'arrabbiata

Many original pasta dishes are vegetarian, including pasta al pomodoro, meat free ravioli and macaroni cheese. Pasta all'arrabbiata is another vegetarian dish, usually made with penne (pasta tubes), tomato sauce, garlic and copious amounts of chili. The Italian word "arrabbiata" translated into English means "angry", referring to the amount of chili added to make the dish hot and spicy. Carbonara contains bacon, lasagna contains ground beef, and ragu contains minced meat or poultry, usually beef, chicken or pork.

Answer: Carrot

People with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) have a heightened sensitivity to food and find it uncomfortable eating vegetables with skin as they are difficult to digest. These include onion, tomato and red pepper. These vegetables are acidic which can also trigger an attack. Raw vegetables should also be avoided.

The best veggies to eat include cooked carrots, green beans, butternut squash, parsnip and potatoes (without skin). Anything really that turns soft and mushy after cooking is ideal! As with a lot of other digestive and bowel diseases, including Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, a food diary needs to be kept to eliminate personal trigger foods. Consult a nutritionist if you are unsure. Carrots can be cooked many ways, but try and avoid using too much oil, butter, spices or honey glazing as this can cause discomfort. Gently roasted, steamed or boiled carrots with light seasoning and a sprinkling of herbs is a healthy option and easy to digest.

Answer: Xanthan gum

Coeliac is an autoimmune disease caused by a reaction to gluten in a person's diet, and once diagnosed, the condition lasts a lifetime. Barley, wheat, rye and semolina all contain gluten and should be avoided by anyone who is a coeliac. Gluten is a protein which makes the texture of foods flexible.

It is a natural glue which makes food stick together, and without this, the food texture remains loose and crumbly. Gum arabic, agar, chia seeds, flax seeds and gelatine can all be added to different foods as a thickening agent in gluten free cooking. Xanthan gum is the combination of fermented glucose, sucrose or lactose with a bacteria which creates a slimy mess.

This is then dried into a fine white powder used in cooking and baking. Just a teaspoon added to a family sized gluten free cake mixture can make the wet and dry ingredients stick together.

Answer: Brandy Snaps

Some people have been led to believe that alcohol burns off food during the cooking process but this is not the case. Food cooked with alcohol for a long time can still retain trace elements which can trigger a relapse to a recovering alcoholic. Sherry trifle, syllabub and rum baba are all uncooked desserts so the alcohol content remains unaffected. Brandy snaps do not contain any alcohol at all despite its name. Golden syrup, flour, ginger, sugar, lemon juice and butter are all combined to make a runny paste. Using a teaspoon, add individual dollops onto a greased-proof lined baking sheet and bake in the oven for ten minutes.

The baked snaps should be moulded while still pliable into cigar or basket shapes. Once cool, they can be served with fresh fruit, cream or ice cream.

Answer: Lemon sorbet

Lemon is a wonderful addition to cakes, desserts and puddings as it can refresh the palate after a large meal. Unfortunately, many deserts include lactose products and these recipes need to have a suitable alternative such as lactose free milk, almond milk, soy milk, rice milk, oat milk and coconut milk/cream instead. Lactose is the sugar found in animal milk products which people with an intolerance find difficult to digest. Butter, cream, ice cream, cheese and yoghurt are all byproducts of milk and can contain small or large doses of lactose which can affect each person differently.

Cheesecake has a butter biscuit base and the topping contains cream or cream cheese. A basic souffle includes milk and butter. Lemon meringue pie contains butter in the pastry. Lemon sorbet only contains three ingredients; lemon, sugar and water. It is made by melting the sugar, water, lemon juice and lemon zest together. After the mixture cools, it is placed in an ice cream maker, or a plastic container put straight into the freezer then periodically stirred it as it freezes.

Answer: Marshmallow

Many shop bought confections have hidden ingredients, and although it takes time and effort to create your own, it is a lot more fun and you know exactly what goes into each homemade product. People with peanut and tree nut allergies need to take care as the ingredient is added to many processed foods including bread, jars of pesto, cereals, baking mixes and sauces.

Nougat is a confectionery made with egg whites, sugar, glucose, honey and water with different nuts added including almonds, walnuts, pistachios and hazelnuts. Marzipan is made with sugar, eggs, vanilla flavouring and ground almonds. Baklava is made by layering filo pastry, honey and pistachio nuts. Marshmallow is made by heating together sugar, liquid glucose, gelatin, egg whites and vanilla extract until the mixture has thickened. Pour onto a baking sheet which has been coated with sieved icing sugar and cornflour, then leave to set for 24 hours. Turn out onto a sugar dusted surface and cut into chunks. Yum!