Smokey BBQ bean burger
When the sun comes out so do the trusty barbeques which can prove to be an absolute nightmare sometimes if you are vegan or gluten-free, especially if invited to a summer party. I have tried so many vegan and gluten-free burgers which ranged from really gorgeous to pretty nasty. Some were dry or soggy and… Continue Reading →
Totally tropical coleslaw
A BBQ or a salad without coleslaw for me is just not right. When i became vegan i missed some of my favourite coleslaws. Now though it gave me the push to experiment a little more with different vegetables and fruit. This is one of my favouites which I love with a nice spicy… Continue Reading →
Classic vegan pesto
My favourite go-to sauce is without a doubt pesto. With its zingy garlicky taste, vibrant colour and heady basil scent it screams of the warmth of summer for me. The way it lovingly clings to pasta providing for me an Italian hug in a bowl. When I went from being a vegetarian to a vegan… Continue Reading →
Meringue
On a previous blog, I established that the humble chickpea water can be used to make stunning meringues which rival the non-vegan egg white version. In fact when I compared my vegan meringues to egg ones the vegan ones stayed crisper for a lot longer. Here is the basic recipe that I use whether I… Continue Reading →
Triple chocolate & orange cookies
I am a firm believer that if you are going to consume a lot a of calories on something, then whatever is eaten has to be well worth it. These little beauties definitely fit the bill. They are all of the below crammed into delicious mouthfuls. Fudgey Decadent Gooey Dense Chewy Dark & bittersweet These… Continue Reading →
Buckwheat Groats & Maple Granola
Breakfast is something I always make time for, my body needs something to satisfy my rumbling stomach until lunchtime. Also, I want something that I know is good for my health. Having tried many kinds of gluten-free cereals, I find them either too sweet, bland but most of all really expensive. Knowing what goes into… Continue Reading →
Buckwheat banana pancakes
Pancakes for me are the perfect lazy morning comfort breakfast, something to linger over with a steaming cup of coffee or hot chocolate. These are perfect for me as they are both vegan and gluten- free. Being fairly new to cooking with buckwheat flour I must admit I was a little worried they would be… Continue Reading →
Meatballs
As a child, I loved the traditional meatballs, piled high on spaghetti and covered with cheese. Once I became vegetarian many moons ago, like many foods they were condemned to the B.V (before vegetarianism) food repertoire. Up until three weeks ago, it had never occurred to me to try to make a version. It was… Continue Reading →
Super Greens Coleslaw
Coleslaw is a nice side to a lot of dishes. We all think of this creamy vegetable based accompaniment more often at certain times of the year, mainly summer and at Christmas time. Now with the days beginning to have that extra chill factor, I wanted to create a coleslaw that reflects, this time of… Continue Reading →
Slow- Roasted Tomato Pesto
This is the third pesto recipe I have now put on the blog, what can I say I love these flavourful sauces. To me, if they were limited to pasta dishes alone that would be such a shame. I grow my own tomatoes every year, and pesto and passata are wonderful ways to use these… Continue Reading →
Everyday Cheese Sauce
A Bechamel sauce is something I have probably made at least once a week for as long as I can remember. Way before becoming coeliac or vegan. It is the base for many different variations, I think the nicest, being a good old cheese sauce. Cauliflower cheese and Macaroni cheese are such warming comfort meals,… Continue Reading →
Smokey Vegan Chilli
Serves 5 Cook time 1 hr 20mins Freezes well The colder weather is now heading our way, and the summer warmth quickly receding. Now when the temperature is dropping, a plate of salad is just not an option. We are thinking of hunkering down, thoughts turn to cosy nights in, while listening to the… Continue Reading →
Stuffed Potato Cakes
Makes: 8 medium cakes Potato cakes are one of those things, I know I love, but do not cook very often, which is such a shame. Mashed potato, like rice or pasta, is something I always cook way too much of. I still cook these foods, like all of my boys still live at home…. Continue Reading →
Lasagne my way
Preparation Time 1 hour 15 Minutes Cooking time 45-50 minutes Serves 4-6 From the time I first got married 33 years ago, I have been cooking lasagne in one form or another. I was neither coeliac or vegan back then, it was a dish that seemed to take every pan in the house… Continue Reading →
Gluten-Free Shortcrust Pastry
I have been told that I am very good at making the pastry, although it is not a thing I really enjoy doing. When I first started making the gluten-free pastry the results were horrendous. It broke into pieces when I tried to roll it, then when I attempted to line a tart tin it… Continue Reading →
Garlic Cauliflower Mac n Cheese
Serves 4 Prep time 20minutes Cooking time 20-25 minutes Macaroni cheese is the ultimate comfort foods. I think it is the silky cheesy sauce for me. It is also one of the most popular searched for vegan recipes online. I wondered if it would still be as indulgently satisfying without the dairy overload that I… Continue Reading →
Ginger & Oat Crunch Biscuits
Ginger flavour cakes and biscuits for me are synonymous with the winter months. Deliciously spiced sticky ginger cake and parkin for Bonfire night and gingerbread men and houses at Christmas time. It is something I have done since my boys were little. These biscuits are a combination of the family’s favourite oat cookies and ginger… Continue Reading →
Lemon Meringue Pie
One dessert I thought I would have to forgo once becoming a vegan was my favourite lemon meringue pie. As a vegetarian, I used to make my own lemon curd and I always had a good stock in my larder. I knew for that you needed egg yolks. I had made meringues previously from aquafaba… Continue Reading →
Autumn apple oaty crumble
Serves 6 Prep 20 minutes Total time 50 minutes The most autumnal desserts have to contain the most versatile and in-season fruit the apples. They provide us with some wonderful desserts such as apple pie, baked apples, apple chutney, or apple crumble. To me, crumble is the better option, also if time is… Continue Reading →
Its a Date Bar
I used to often buy a cereal bar when out on about, especially when I could not get a sandwich for my dietary needs. Some were lovely but others were overly sweet and certainly did not delay any hunger pangs. Since I found how easy it is to make your own, I now make a… Continue Reading →
Katsu Curry Sauce and Crispy Tofu
Serves 4 Prep 30 minutes cooking 30 minutes I love curry but must admit I am a bit of a wimp with the heat. I want mine warming and to taste the spices but without the need to keep having to mop my brow while eating. Katsu curry fits the bill for me. I have… Continue Reading →
Cranberry & Orange Sauce
This is one sauce I eat all year around as I love it. To me it adds such a wondeful flavour to vegan gravies or compliments lots of vegan meals, especially a nut roast. Although really it is both gluten-free and vegan, being Christmas I feel that it had to be included. It really is… Continue Reading →
Sundried Tomato Quinoa Burgers
Makes 5 Preparation Time 15 Minutes Cooking Time 8-10 Minutes I really struggle to buy a burger that is both vegan, gluten-free and a reasonable price. There are so many vegan burgers on the market now as there are gluten-free. This difficulty has sort of forced my hand a bit into making my own burgers…. Continue Reading →
Vegetable Biryani
Serves 4 Preparation Time 20 Minutes Cooking Time 30 Minutes The weather is still decidedly chilly and will be for a few months yet. We need food to warm our bellies. Also after the splurge of the festive season, it is good to have a meal that is low in calories but also loaded with… Continue Reading →
Low Fat Garlic Potatoes
Serves 4 Preparation Time 20 Minutes Cooking Time 1 Hour Roast potatoes are a stalwart of many a Sunday dinner. To me, they should be golden and crispy where they caramelize in the tin. This is normally achieved by using oil or some type of fat. These days or especially this time of the year… Continue Reading →
Green Lentil Bolongese
Serves 4 Preparation 10 Minutes Cooking Time 45 Minutes I love a homemade ragu sauce for a bolognese and this is one of my favourite ones. The green lentils replace the meat part wonderfully. It is a real stick to your ribs hearty sauce which is what is needed for these cold months. It is… Continue Reading →
Quick Mushroom risotto
Serves 2 as a lunch dish Preparation Time 10 Minutes Cooking Time 18-20 Minutes I love this simple risotto dish, it does not require me to stand by the stove protecting it as I lovingly ladle the stock a little at a time while constantly stirring. The stock goes in all in one go and… Continue Reading →
Vegetable cassoulet (stew)
Serves 6 Preparation Time 20 Minutes Cooking Time 1 hr 45 Minutes Cassoulet is a slow-cooked casserole originating from south of France which usually contains meat such as sausage and pork. Obviously, this is not the traditional version but a great vegan one. Hearty, warming and full of flavour, a comforting dish on a cold… Continue Reading →
Pear and ginger streusal bars
Makes 12 Preparation Time 25 Minutes Total Cooking Time 50 Minutes Safe to freeze for 3 months I make no apologies, I love the top of fruit crumble, ever since I was a young girl the top to an apple crumble held more appeal. That crunchy sweet part was so delicious it started… Continue Reading →
Banana & walnut loaf
Preparation Time 10 Minutes Cooking Time 45 Minutes We all have those times when there are a few bananas lurking in the fruit bowl, black and spotty and slightly less appealing. I love these forlorn pieces of fruit and the potential they have to produce gorgeous tasting cakes and muffins. When I buy bananas I… Continue Reading →
Spicy vegan pasta bake
Serves 4 Preparation Time 35 Minutes Cooking Time 35 Minutes Ingredients 2 small red onions finely chopped 1 tbsp olive oil or spray oil 1 red and 1 orange pepper finely chopped 2 cloves of garlic crushed 2 carrots diced 1 small courgette diced 300g meat-free substitute as in mince, fake beef or chicken strips… Continue Reading →
Gluten free plain flour blends
For around eight years, I have been baking with shop-bought gluten-free flours. Never really getting the result I wanted, and it was never on par with my pre-coeliac baking days. I just assumed that this was as good as it got. I was also thankful that at least it was better than say twenty-five years… Continue Reading →
Lemon scones
Makes 6 medium scones Preparation Time 10 Minutes Baking Time 10-12 Minutes No high tea or summer is fully complete without that very British delicacy the scone. A cream tea is a delight to behold and consumed with relish by the thousands of holidaymakers who flock to Devon and Cornwall each year. It has only… Continue Reading →
Carrot cake traybake
Makes 9 Preparation Time 15 Minutes Cooking Time 35-40 Minutes Carrot cake is the only cake that I really resist making, the reason being is that it is my absolute favourite cake to eat. Although this version is both vegan and gluten free it certainly did not disappoint. I tested it on friends who are… Continue Reading →
Ras el Hanout
Makes 4 Tbsp This heady North African spice conjures up the flavour of food hailing from places such as Morocco, Tunisia, and Algeria. When we think Moroccon we think tagines but this spice mix is much more versatile than this. Ras el hanout means the top of the shop in Arabic, so it includes some… Continue Reading →
Hot & Spicy Crispy Buffalo Cauliflower Wings
Serves 2-4 Preparation Time 20 Minutes Cooking Time 45 Minutes This recipe is a sure-fire winner and a great way to ramp up the flavour profile of the rather bland and humble cauliflower. Forget the overcooked version of this vegetable we have probably all been served at one point. We have all heard of buffalo… Continue Reading →
Chocolate & hazelnut flapjacks
Makes Preparation Time 10 Minutes Cooking Time 15 Minutes Chocolate and hazelnut is a classic combination whether in cookies or cakes. I wondered if these flavours would also work when used in a flapjack recipe. I was so pleased with the result, they are incredibly Chewy Moist Delicious Moreish They certainly went down well in… Continue Reading →
Russian potato salad
Preparation Time 15 Minutes Cook Time 15 Minutes Serves 4-6 One of my favouite food product in the summer months are new potatoes. I especially love the waxy ones such as Anya or particularly Jersey Royals. To me, these make the best potato salad. Think of this Russian potato salad as a boosted normal one…. Continue Reading →
Hot & smokey macaroni bake
Serves 4 Preparation Time 15 Minutes Cooking Time 15 Minutes Macaroni cheese has always been one of my most favoured comfort foods. My earliest but not the most pleasant memory of this wonderful dish was from a tin of Heinz macaroni cheese. I can still remember the cloying texture and artificial flavour. Now, mac n… Continue Reading →
Vegan Ultimate Chilli
Preparation Time 10 Minutes Cook Time 35 Minutes Serves 6 Come October, when the rain is beating against the windows and the temperatures drop, my thoughts turn to comfort food. The type of food that feels like a hug in a bowl and warms you from the inside out. Chilli con Carne is a perfect… Continue Reading →
Apple crisp/crumble
Preparation Time 20 Minutes Cook Time 35-40 Minutes Serves 4-6 Vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free Autumn time brings forth an abundance of beautiful produce, perfect to make some hearty comfort food and desserts. The one I love to cook with is a gorgeous crisp apple. They are so versatile and can be used in sweet or… Continue Reading →