Author: nataliewalkernw

Lactose intolerant, coeliac vegetarian, I love tasty, ethical food and lots of colour!

Borlotti bean stew

I’ve been whizzing about all over Yorkshire today and am so pleased to have an amazing slow cooked meal to come back to. Yay for slow cookers.

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This recipe is really hearty and just what is needed after a busy day. It has a tasty kick with the herbs and is so filling it’s like a hug in a meal. This morning I started by chopping 5 celery stalks, a carrot and half a large white onion, place into the slow cooker and a tin of drained and washed borlotti beans. Borlotti beans are really high in fibre and protein as well as being rich in minerals. I love the smooth but also slightly nutty texture (partly because I’m allergic to nuts and this is close as I can get!!)

These ingredients are perfect for slow cooking as they will soften and taste delicious. Add 3 cloves of finely chopped garlic, chopped parsley and chopped coriander to flavour the stew. Pour over a pint and a half of stock. I use Kallo Vegetable stock cubes as they are gluten and dairy free – great for lactose intolerant coeliacs!

Then I popped the slow cooker on, headed out for the day and came back to a perfect tasty tea. Yummy.

Minty chilli noodles

Mint isn’t a taste you would necessarily  associate with the warmth of chill but served the right way it really is ever so tasty. I love noodles and being a coeliac this means rice noodles. I’m using vermicelli rice noodles in this dish as they are really tasty and just right in this fresh and light dish.Post 41 photo 1

Place the dried noodles in a large dish and pour over boiling water, I then leave to stand to cook the noodles for 5 minutes as I don’t like them over cooked. Whilst the noodles are in the water warm a teaspoon of sesame oil in a large wok or frying pan and add chopped red chilli, lemongrass, garlic and chopped mint. This creates a fab base of flavour which will be added to with a hint of lime juice shortly.

Chop a whole yellow pepper into thin long slices and add to the oil and spices to stir fry. Shortly after add a carrot and a courgette prepared finely so it will cook quickly, I invested in a spiraliser a little while ago so I’m using spirals of courgette and carrot but if you don’t have one batons or finely cubed veg will cook just as nicely. Stir through during cooking to ensure even cooking and distribution of the flavour. Continue to cook until the noodles are ready and then add the noodles and sweetcorn and continue cooking for a further 5 minutes.

Whilst cooking with the veg the noodles will break a little, in case you haven’t cooked with vermicelli before this is normal. When the noodles have a little colour to them squeeze over the juice of half a lime and cook until evaporated.

Serve and garnish with an extra sprig of fresh mint. Delicious and fresh this is simple and tasty meal and great cold for salads too.Post 41 photo 2

Chickpeas on toast (gluten and dairy free always!)

This is one of my absolute all time favourite midweek recipes – simple and straightforward with a balanced and healthy range of ingredients. The toast gives a good carby base to fill you up after a busy day and the vegetables are brilliant and tasty. Do please be aware whilst dairy free the gluten, wheat and dairy free bread I’m using does contain egg, meaning unlike other posts this meal isn’t vegan.

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Start by heating a teaspoon of olive oil in a large pan, add half a chopped white onion. I actually really like onion so I’m going to leave the onion fairly roughly chopped but I am going to cook it alongside a clove of very finely chopped garlic.

Chop a courgette, again I chop this roughly so the pieces are a little larger than a chickpea and add to the onion and garlic when softened and slightly cooked. At this point I also add a little dried rosemary to give the mix an aromatic hit.

Drain and dry a tin of chickpeas (quickest and easiest midweek chickpea hit is to use the ready cooked option) and add to the pan with the other veg and oil. Keep on a high heat t sauté through. As a lactose intolerant, coeliac, vegetarian with additional allergies chickpeas are a key staple of my diet. They bring high levels of protein, fibre and minerals including iron to my diet.

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Whilst the vegetable and chickpeas are sautéing toast the gluten free bread. I’m using Burgen soya and linseed bread as it is gluten, wheat and dairy free. It is also tasty and fortified with additional omega 3 to boost my joint health which I think is a great idea as osteoporosis can go alongside coeliac disease – thanks Burgen!

Once toasted lay fresh spinach leaves across the top of the toast and then top with the chickpea and vegetable mix. The spinach will wilt down with the heat and adds extra taste to the meal.

Serve and eat warm, hope you enjoy my favourite lazy dinner!

You can check out the gluten, wheat and dairy free breads from Burgen here – http://www.burgenbread.com/glutenfree/soya-linseed/

A slightly different vegan potato salad

Spring is a beautiful time and although it is raining outside my garden is looking beautiful and green. The bright refreshing greens have led me to make a fresh and tasty potato salad full of crunchy greens and of course gluten and lactose free. It makes use of one of my favourite vegan alternative soft cheeses as well. Tasty.

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I start by slicing new potatoes, I’m leaving the skin on as I think it brings some extra taste and texture to a salad and this salad is all about texture and taste! Bring to the boil for approximately 15 – 20 minutes until cooked but not too soft.

Whilst the potatoes are cooking chop green beans into approximately 1cm long pieces and steam gently, I love crunchy green beans so I only steam for 3 minutes. Green beans have high levels of vitamin C, vitamin K and beta-carotene as well as antioxidants and fibre. I’m using a whole pack of green beans as it helps to balance out the carbohydrate in the salad from the potato.

Finely chop a fresh spring onion and have the your tub of sheese, salt and pepper ready to hand!

Once cooked and steamed drain the potatoes and mix with the green beans in a large bowl. Squeeze a quarter of fresh lemon juice into the vegetables to give a tangy kick before adding 2 large tablespoons of Sheese. I’m using the spring onion and cracked black pepper flavour as it is tasty and goes perfectly with the flavours in my salad. Mix through until melted to give a slight potato salad sauce minus the dairy! Season with a few turns of salt and pepper and dress with the chopped spring onions.

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Leave to cool and then serve as a delicious spring salad. This salad is perfect for the picnics and barbeques we have to come as the weather gets sunnier and is also going to brighten up my Saturday lunchtime.

To find lovely sheese please check out the following website – http://www.buteisland.com/

Warm Edamame and Sesame Salad

Easter doesn’t have to be a time for unhealthy eating at all. I’m going to fly in the face of the chocolate trend with a yummy, warm salad packed with veggies and crunchy yumminess.

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Warm a small amount of sesame oil in a pan, once warm add one chopped carrot cut into thin batons and one chopped courgette cut into thin batons. Add a small amount of minced garlic as the vegetables cook to make them taste lovely. After a few minutes add some chopped spring onions and some shelled edamame beans. I love edamame beans and edamame and carrots are a flavour combination I always think a winner.

When cooked add to chopped avocado and cucumber batons and dress with sesame seeds and gluten free tamari. Delicious hot or cold and perfect for some bank holiday vitamins.

The Hanoi Bike Shop – Glasgow

Another weekend away last weekend and I stumbled across a fantastic Vietnamese restaurant full of yummy food which meets all my many dietary requirements – I was in gluten free, lactose free heaven.

The Hanoi Bike shop is tucked away just off Byres Road in the West side of Glasgow close to the beautiful Gothic buildings of the university. Full of character, warm and friendly this is a great place I would really highly recommend to everyone – coeliac or not!

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Before booking a table my sister and I popped in to explain dietary requirements (coeliac, lactose intolerant, nut and mushroom allergies and no meat or fish can be tricky even for the best!) In addition to providing us a full menu they gave me a Gluten free and Vegan menu so we cross reference dishes which featured on both, I was really surprised to hear there were quite a few I could choose from. They then jotted down all my requirements, made a note against the booking and made the chef aware in advance. Brilliant service equals happy Nat.

When we arrived to eat the staff double checked dietary requirements and sat me close to the kitchen – it’s quite a small place but it’s full of life and near the busy vibrant pass is a lovely place to be. As well as gluten free and vegan menu’s they have gluten free and vegan drinks and cocktails highlighted too. I tucked into an amazing spiced gin cocktail; gin, chilli, lemon, coriander – wicked combination and made the difficult decision of what exactly I wanted to eat.

As it was hard to decide my sister and I shared a few dishes. The Hanoi Bike Shop actually make all tofu on site meaning it is beautifully fresh and creamy, I loved the sweet potato, tofu and coconut hotpot – I could have eaten it forever. On the side was a minty vermicelli rice noodle salad, a stunning flavour combination that was so fresh which I’m definitely going to try to replicate, though I don’t imagine I could get it anything like so perfect. I also had braised Vietnamese greens with a gluten free tamari . The sides are huge and definitely good sharers.

Throughout the helpful Hanoi Bike Shop staff checked the food was great and I was happy, I was so busy eating I could hardly answer as my mouth was so full all the time.

The Hanoi Bike Shop is an absolute must for any coeliac, vegan or in fact anyone in Glasgow to check out, I had such an amazing time, probably worth the trip just for an amazing meal.

http://hanoibikeshop.co.uk/

Gluten Free Cafe, Norwich

Visiting my sister in law last weekend I popped across a lovely surprise in the heart of Norwich when I found The Gluten Free Cafe just around the corner from Norwich Castle.

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Caramel Soya Latte and Gluten Free Ginger Cake – so naughty

All the food and drinks sold are 100% gluten free and they have a great shop upstairs with a variety of gluten free products available.

Being quite a frosty morning I was ready for a warm coffee and was really pleased to see that although the primary focus is gluten free the cafe offered a wide choice of milk and milk alternatives including soya and coconut as well as lactofree milk and milk products as well. It’s really great to find so many options available for allergy, intolerance and ethically limited diets. Caramel soya latte all the way for me.

They also served a range of different meals, cakes and take away lunches as well. I’m actually lactose intolerant and have a couple of allergies as well as coeliac disease so I still needed to check the ingredients but the owner had a file with all the products served in and their full ingredients. The ginger cake is perfect and went nicely with my coffee whilst my husband and sister in law did tuck into some chocolatey delights.

In the shop there were a range of gluten free alternative and naturally gluten free products. Quite a few are items you can find in the supermarket free from aisle but others are harder to find or more unusual, gluten and dairy free Worcester sauce is something I’m hoping to get stuck into soon. The edamame spaghetti is lovely too.

Speaking to the owner I learnt that she and many members of her family have coeliacs disease which is what inspired her to set up, she started with just a shop and the cafe is a new venture opened in January 2016.

It’s definitely well worth the visit any time you are in Norwich and great to support them in their venture, hopefully one day it will lead to many more gluten free cafe’s around the UK in the future.

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Sesame carrot salad

I’m also whipping up a colourful, tasty and Thai inspired salad ready to put on a smile on my face come Monday lunchtime. As a lactose intolerant coeliac nipping out of the office at lunch to find food can be pretty difficult so I always take a healthy meal with me.

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This dish is full of gorgeous flavours and simple as anything. Being full of antioxidant properties as well as Vitamins A & K and lots of fibre carrots make a brilliant salad base. Carrots also bring a crunchy focal point to a salad and really make this meal. I’m using my spiraliser just to make it more attractive and exciting to eat. If you have a spiraliser peel 2 medium carrots and spiralise, if not peeling and the grating or chopping carrots into batons will have a similar effect.

Although obviously not suitable for soya allergy sufferers I absolutely love edamame beans and they are a great source of protein and fibre and I add a liberal handful of shelled edamame beans to the salad.

Top your salad bowl up with sweetcorn and add a couple of sliced spring onions. I serve this salad with sesame seeds and a gluten free tamari. I love the Clearspring gluten free tamari as it is organic and great for my body as well as the earth. I can’t wait for Monday lunch time now!