Tag: dinner

Easy Air Fryer Meal: Hearty Gluten-Free Bowl Under £1

A hearty Comfort Hearth Bowl featuring gluten-free sausages, pasta shapes, and baked beans, topped with a sprinkle of cheese.

Diabetic-Friendly & Gluten-Free (Under £1)By E. L. Hewitt

Some evenings call for warmth and simplicity something easy, steady, and kind to the body.

This Comfort Hearth Bowl uses sausages, pasta shapes, and baked beans. Finished with a little cheese, and made entirely in the air fryer.

Gluten-free. Diabetic-friendly.
Affordable. Real. Homely.

Ingredients (Serves 1–2)

3 gluten-free sausages

1 cup gluten-free pasta shapes

½ tin no-added-sugar baked beans

A sprinkle of cheese (optional, to finish)

Cost Breakdown

Gluten-free sausages 3 £0.60
GF pasta shapes 1 cup £0.20
No-added-sugar baked beans ½ tin £0.25
Cheese small handful £0.10

Total: ~£1.15
Cost per bowl: ~£0.60

Comfort that doesn’t ask much but gives a lot.

Air Fryer Method

Cook sausages in the air fryer at 200°C for 10–12 minutes.

While they cook, boil gluten-free pasta until soft (GF pasta cooks fast).

Warm baked beans.

Slice sausages and stir together:

Pasta

Sausages

Beans

Optional: Transfer to a heat-safe bowl and air fry for another 3–4 minutes to melt the cheese over the top.

Simple. Filling. No stress.

Why This Is Diabetic-Friendly

Protein + fat from sausages slows blood sugar rise

Beans offer fibre + steady release

Choosing no-added-sugar beans keeps it balanced

Small pasta piece = gentle carb load

This is slow energy, not a blood spike.

Why It’s Gluten-Free

Using:

Gluten-free sausages

Gluten-free pasta shapes

makes this naturally gluten-free without changing taste, comfort, or cost.

Serving Suggestion.

Best enjoyed:

Wrapped in a blanket

Watching the evening settle

Knowing you fed yourself with kindness today.

Author Note

Ancient meals didn’t have to be complicated.

They only had to warm you.

A simple gluten-free, diabetic-friendly comfort bowl cooked in the air fryer warm, filling, and under £1.

If you don’t need Gluten Free then change the sausages for normal sausages of your choice.

For more Recipes see: Explore Healthy Recipes at Solaris Kitchen

October 26, 2025
Budget-Friendly Samhain Meal Under £2

Hearty Samhain Hearth Bowl featuring sausages, minced beef, beans, and mixed vegetables, embodying comfort and simplicity.

By E. L. Hewitt – Solaris Kitchen

As the nights draw in and the air turns crisp, there’s something comforting about a meal that feels both ancient and homely. This Samhain Hearth Bowl brings together the warmth of sausages, the heartiness of mince, and the earthiness of beans and garden veg — all cooked in simple foil trays.

It’s an easy, budget-friendly feast inspired by old harvest suppers, where everything came together around the fire.

Ingredients

A foil tray filled with mixed frozen vegetables including peas, carrots, green beans, and corn, ready for a hearty Samhain meal.

Prepare sausages in a foil tray for a comforting Samhain Hearth Bowl meal.

(Serves 2 — ready in 30 minutes)

2 sausages (any kind you prefer)

100 g minced beef

150 g frozen mixed vegetables (peas, carrots, green beans, corn)

½ tin baked beans (about 200 g)

Optional: sprinkle of cheese or herbs to serve

Cost Breakdown

Ingredient Amount Cost
Sausages 100 g £0.50
Mince beef 100 g £0.80
Mixed veg 150 g £0.30
Baked beans ½ tin £0.25
Seasoning / oil £0.05

Total cost: £1.90
Cost per serving: ~£0.95

Simple, filling, and under £1 per plate true Solaris Kitchen cooking.

Method

Preheat the air fryer to 200 °C.

Place sausages in one foil tray and mixed veg in another. Cook for 10 minutes.

Drain the veg if needed, then add baked beans to the same tray.

Add mince to the sausages’ tray and cook both for another 10 minutes.

Once everything is cooked through, mix the mince, sausage, beans, and veg together.

Split into two trays and return to the air fryer for a final 5 minutes to blend flavours and soften any remaining crunch.

Serve warm, and if you like, top with cheese or herbs. It’s perfect for an evening by candlelight or just when you need something hearty that reminds you of home.

Nutritional Info (per serving, approx.)Nutrient Amount

Calories 380 kcal
Protein 26 g
Carbs 30 g
Fibre 7 g
Fat 18 g
Saturated fat 7 g
Salt 1.4 g

Balanced, protein-rich, and slow-burning energy ideal for diabetic-friendly, everyday eating.

Serving Suggestion

Best enjoyed with crusty bread or a small baked potato. If celebrating Samhain, add a little apple cider or herbal tea on the side a quiet nod to the season of change.

Dietary Notes

This recipe is diabetic-friendly and gluten-free when made with no-added-sugar baked beans and gluten-free sausages.

Notes from Solaris Kitchen

This dish is part of my “Ancient Hearth Meals” recipes that honour simplicity, sustainability, and warmth.
If you enjoy this, you might also like:

Capricorn Artwork: Capricorn Artwork: Strength and Endurance in Acrylic

Samhain: Samhain: The Veil Between Storms

Visit :Solaris Kitchen
for more seasonal, budget-friendly meals that draw on Britain’s ancient roots.

October 22, 2025
Rustic Bronze Age Lamb Recipe: A Diabetic-Friendly Delight

A hearty feast featuring slow-roasted lamb neck slices with a medley of root vegetables, inspired by Bronze Age Britain.

A hearty feast of lamb and roots inspired by Bronze Age Britain. Slow-roasted for warmth, strength, and balance.

📜 Cost: approx. £9.00 – serves 2 generously
🌱 Dietary Notes: Contains meat; gluten-free; diabetic-friendly (low glycemic impact with honey optional)
🍴 Setting: Ideal for House Terra or the Hearthrest kitchens of Emberhelm

Ingredients:

2 lamb neck slices (bone-in or boneless)

2 large carrots, chopped

1 large parsnip or swede, cubed

1 red onion, quartered

2–3 small potatoes, halved

1 tbsp honey (optional for diabetics, or substitute with erythritol/monk fruit)

2 tbsp oil (rapeseed or olive)

2 sprigs fresh rosemary or thyme

½ tsp coarse sea salt

Black pepper to taste

Optional: splash of stock or water for braising

Method:

Prepare the fire (or oven):
Preheat oven to 180°C (fan) / 200°C / gas mark 6. If cooking over a firepit, get embers glowing steadily.

Sear the lamb:
In a cast-iron pan or heavy skillet, sear neck slices on high heat with a splash of oil until browned on both sides (~2–3 mins each).

Assemble the roots:
In a roasting tray, toss chopped vegetables with oil, herbs, salt, and a drizzle of honey (or sweetener). Spread in a single layer.

Add lamb & roast:
Nestle the lamb among the vegetables. Add a splash of water or stock to keep it moist. Cover loosely with foil.

Roast in the hearth (or oven):
Roast covered for 1 hour. Remove foil, baste with pan juices, then roast uncovered for another 20–30 mins until browned and tender.

Serve with:
Crusty barley flatbread, pickled roots, or a handful of wild greens.

Historical Insight:
In Bronze Age Britain, neck cuts were favoured for slow roasting near the fire – tough, flavourful, and nourishing. Root vegetables like parsnip, swede, and onion were common near settlements, roasted in clay ovens or embers. Honey added rare sweetness and symbolised prosperity.

Health Notes:

Rich in protein and iron

Root veg provide fibre, vitamin C, and potassium

Slow cooking softens connective tissue, making it easier to digest

Possible Substitutes:

Lamb: beef shin, pork neck, or plant-based roast (e.g., seitan)

Veg: beetroot, celeriac, or turnips

Honey: maple syrup or date molasses for vegan option

✅ Diabetic-Friendly: Yes, especially if honey is reduced or replaced with low-glycemic sweetener
✅ Gluten-Free: Yes, provided stock & honey are checked

Freezer safe

If you recreate this recipe, tag #StormborneLore so I can see your version.

October 12, 2025
Resilience on a Plate: Chicken and Veggies for Comfort

Cover art for ‘The Shadows of an Empire’ by StormborneLore, featuring vibrant abstract patterns.

The Feast of Ashes

The wind carried the scent of smoke from the volcanic island. curling around the cliffs where Taranis trained his Black Shields. Even here, amid ash and stone. There was a need for sustenance not just for the body, but for the soul.

In a small, concealed cave, Lore the chronicler and mystic had set a fire. From his satchel, he pulled fragrant herbs, roasted nuts, and grains known to those who traveled far and survived hardships.

Tonight, they would eat something more than survival rations a meal to remind them of home, strength, and resilience.

Lore’s Fire-Roasted Chicken with Autumn Vegetables (Diabetic-Friendly, Gluten-Free)

Ingredients (serves 4):

4 skin-on chicken thighs

1 tbsp olive oil

2 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp garlic powder

Salt and pepper to taste

2 cups diced butternut squash

1 red bell pepper, sliced

1 zucchini, sliced

1 small red onion, quartered

Fresh rosemary or thyme sprigs

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 200°C / 400°F.

Rub chicken thighs with olive oil, paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.

Toss vegetables with a drizzle of olive oil, salt, pepper, and herbs.

Place chicken on a baking tray and surround with vegetables.

Roast for 35–40 minutes, until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 75°C / 165°F and vegetables are tender.

Serve hot, letting the aromas of rosemary and smoke linger like whispers of legend.

Lore handed Taranis a bowl, and for a moment, the fire’s warmth softened the storm within him.

The Black Shields ate in silence. Each bite a small act of defiance nourishing bodies. That would soon fight, and reminding themselves that even in exile, life is reclaimed.

“Food,” Lore said softly, “is also a shield, a weapon against despair. Remember this taste, for one day, it will be a memory of freedom.”

Taranis nodded, letting the smoke and flavors mingle with the burning promise in his veins. The storm waited outside, but tonight, they were fed stronger, sharper, ready

A colorful wooden sign expressing gratitude for reading, encouraging likes and subscriptions.

October 9, 2025