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Homemade Vegan Chocolate

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In the downtime between Christmas and New Year I am going to put a lovely gift to good use and tell you all about it.

Following an illness last year a severe lactose intolerance is one of a few triggered dietary requirements. I’ve been veggie for years but always still enjoyed chocolate and cheese which I have really missed in the last year, over Christmas when I have seen so much food eaten and not been able to share in family and friends meals it has really been quite tough. Imagine my delight then when on Christmas day I unwrapped a vegan chocolate making kit. That’s right. A VEGAN CHOCOLATE MAKING KIT.

Choc Chico’s does state on the box it is for children but I plan on having a great time away.

The kit contains 100% organic ingredients and has pure cocoa butter, cocoa powder, natural fruit based sweetener and also 3 whole cocoa beans.

You start by melting the cocoa butter over a bain marie so it can heat through gently. When fully melted remove the bowl from the heat and gently mix with cocoa powder and sweetener.

The great thing about making your own chocolate like this is you can add your own flavouring and paying homage to festive flavour I have added dried cranberry and poured the chocolate into small paper cases with cranberry at the bottom and topped with a single cranberry.

Leave to set in the freezer and all sorted. A fantastic, fun to make chocolate gift which is much, much tastier than most vegan chocolate.

My favourite spot for a bowl of (rice) noodles

Before diagnosis as a lactose intolerant Coeliac I tended to eat most frequently at small and independent cafes and restaurants. I still like too but it can be a lot harder however one of the most amazing places I have found I can eat is at Wagamama’s.

A few weeks after diagnosis I had quite an exhaustive internet search for restaurants I could eat at safely. I found it really difficult because balancing Coeliacs’s disease, lactose intolerance, vegetarianism and an allergy to nuts and mushrooms makes it really difficult to find options. What I love about the Wagamama website is you can select multiple filters and allergies to do a really thorough search.

Since diagnosis in April 2015 I have eaten at Wagamama’s quite a number of times and discovered that Wagamama’s managers attend training on allergy and dietary requirements to allow them to advise carefully and accurately on what dishes could be suitable and what could be substituted. Always ask for the manager when they sort you a seat and explain you could do with a glance at the allergy menu

I personally love the Yasai Itame (which I have without mushrooms, it is a rice noodle soup (good for the Coeliac’s and full of veggies and tofu to pack me full of protein and vitamins. Tasty and perfect.

Living in Sheffield I’ve been quite a few times to the Meadowhall branch where Hayley the manager is amazing for dietary requirements and allergies, even brining me a free pudding to try after checking it was OK for me!

Tasty, easy to find in most towns and a total treat for Coeliacs, Vegans and anyone really with any dietary needs. Post 27 photo

Lemon, pea and mint risotto

I absolutely love Christmas and a little bit of winter hibernation but occasionally I get a craving for light summery food in the depths of all the darkness and today I have decided to give into that craving with a tasty and light summer risotto.

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Risotto is a great go to dish for coeliacs as it is filling, tasty and really simple to cook. Start by chopping 1 white onion and lightly frying in a large pan with a small amount of olive oil, once softened add the risotto rice. I add a couple of handfuls for 2 people but I do have fairly small hands!

Allow the rice to fry with the onion, it will absorb some of the oil and the liquid from the onion which will turn the rice slightly translucent and demonstrate it is ready for the next stage. I personally don’t think you need alcohol to make a risotto and that it tastes just as nice without but as I have an open bottle in the fridge I pour over a small amount approx 100ml of white wine – I’m using a nice vegan Chablis – yum yum. When you pour over the wine the rice will sizzle and the liquid will fry off really quickly. Next comes the stock, I make up a total of 2 pints of stock using Kallo vegetable stock cubes, I like the lower salt option they offer as well as the fact they are suitable for coeliacs and vegans – great. They do contain celery which is quite a high allergen though so be careful.

Allow the risotto to continue to cook, adding stock slowly as it is absorbed by the rice. Once all the stock has been added and the risotto has simmered its way to perfection add a cup of frozen peas which will defrost as they cook. At the same time I add lemon juice. It’s important not to overdo the lemon juice, I squeeze about half an unwaxed lemon directly into the pan. I then add chopped mint however, according to your own taste you can add chives instead. When all the liquid has simmered off and the rice is perfectly soft just serve and garnish with a sprig of mint. Perfect to banish the cold at this time of year and transport you to the Mediterranean coast – if only!

Sweet potato, carrot and yellow split pea tagine with gluten free cous cous

Fighting off flu and October sniffles makes today a great day for a lunch full of delicious veggies and vitamins. I love warm and spicy food and today I’m going to mix up a traditional tagine with autumnal vegetables.

Start by peeling and roughly chopping 2 large sweet potatoes, 3 medium carrots and 2 medium white onions. Sweet potatoes have high levels of Vitamin A and C as well as minerals which help boost immune systems and all round health. As a coeliac sweet potatoes are a great and filling food as they help to bulk up dishes whilst avoiding gluten and carbohydrate. Much healthier than normal potatoes. Pop all the chopped vegetables into a tagine with olive oil and plenty of coriander, chopped garlic, chopped red chilli and some ginger and cook for 90 minutes or more. To ensure an even roast and coverage I stir the herbs and vegetables a few times whilst cooking. These vegetables can easily be cooked to the same effect in a slow cooker making it a great option for an easy midweek treat.

Yellow split peas contain high amounts of dietary fibre and protein whilst being low in fat and cholesterol. They are again full of vitamins and have a yummy, buttery taste. Whilst the vegetables is roasting cook yellow split peas in a pan, once water has been brought to the boil add the split peas and simmer for 30 – 40 minutes. Once cooked drain off the yellow split peas and stir through into the tagine and continue to cook.

I have really missed cous cous since I was diagnosed as a coeliac so I was really pleased to find a gluten free substitute at our local Asda. The gluten free cous cous is made from maize semolina and really easy to cook, just 5 minutes and some boiling water and it is ready to serve with our tasty tagine. Mmmm. Happy October everyone.

Mexican Vegetable Salad with Spicy Sauté Potatoes and Minted Bean Rice

Haven’t blogged for a little while, mainly because I have been hibernating away and tucking into gluten free yummies to build up my winter stores. I love this time of year!

Tonight I am making a real feast of yummy tasty food which will as always be gluten free, lactose free and vegan with lots of flavour and vitamins to keep you going through the winter.

To get things started I’m putting miniature new potatoes on to boil in one pan and rice in another, this will mean the base foods are cooked and ready to get some taste into. Whilst these are cooking I’m going to make the salad.

Although I love to use local foods I definitely won’t be doing that in my salad which has a definite Mexican feel with chilli and avocado. Start by heating a small amount of olive oil in a large frying pan, add garlic and chilli and then add chopped courgette, red and yellow peppers, tomatoes, sweetcorn and small amount of pure tomato puree so these can sizzle and cook. Whilst cooking chop lettuce, rocket and avocado and put into a salad bowl. When the vegetables are lightly cooked and warm add into the salad ready to eat. Avocado is great for vegan and coeliac diets as they are full of vitamins and high amounts of calcium, they are a source of healthy fat and are super tasty as well. Full of brightly coloured vegetables this meal will make even the most Autumnal evenings feel full of sunshine and will boost your immune system and vitamin intake.

Once the potatoes are cooked I’m going to make use of the same pan used for the vegetables to sauté them in a little oil, garlic and chilli. It will only take 10 minutes to cook but continue to stir all the way through the cooking to ensure the potatoes are evenly cooked. These are really indulgent and a great way to get a coeliac carb fix without resorting to gluten free alternatives which can be full of sugar.

The final dish I’m serving tonight is the rice and beans, once cooked drain the rice thoroughly, in a large bowl I mix through with drained and ready cooked beans. I’m going to use a mixture of cannellini, edamame and borlotti beans as well as some sweetcorn. To dress the rice and add extra flavour I add chopped mint and squeeze lime juice over the rice which will give it a lovely zesty kick. Serve all together and dig in to a real festival of gluten free, vegan flavour. These dishes are brilliant for sharing with friends and family too.

Sweet Potato and Vegetable Soup

This is a great sweet potato soup full of goodness to warm your body and soul. Sweet potatoes are a brilliant, filling and yummy vegetable. They contain a lot less carbohydrate than standard potatoes, meaning that less is converted to sugar during digestion. Sweet potatoes are high in Vitamin A, Vitamin C and antioxidants and minerals. Sweet potatoes are a really good base for soups as they are starchy enough to really thicken the soup up but still really tasty and full of goodness.

Start by chopping 4 medium sized sweet potatoes, I actually leave the skin on for this recipe as it is full of extra nutrients and as I’m going to whizz the soup up with a blender it will all blend up too. Add to a large pan and then roughly chop 2 large vine tomatoes, 1 orange pepper and 1 red pepper and add to the pan. The main flavour in this soup is the sweet potato which is yummy and creamy but the added vegetables add a great amount of depth to the flavour.

I am a little bit in love with rosemary, it is one of my favourite herbs and I think it makes everything taste better but it does go really well with this soup and make an aromatic autumnal flavour. I grow rosemary in my garden and add a sprig straight in at this point. Cover with approximately 2 pints of boiling stock, either homemade or to make sure it is suitable for coeliacs and veggies double check all the ingredients on ready made stock cubes; Kallo do a great range.

Cook on a medium heat for about an hour or until the sweet potatoes are breaking apart and then blend with a handheld blender and serve hot. It’s delicious.

Mulled Wine Chutney (Gluten Free and vegan too!)

I was lucky enough to be given a huge bag of home grown apples straight out of my next door neighbour’s garden and decided to get some chutney cooked as way to make sure the apples last through the winter.

Last time I made chutney was before I was diagnosed as coeliac and I used to make onion and apple chutney with a malt vinegar but I’ve found a delicious way around this and made a much tastier chutney than I had ever thought about before. As I’m unable to use malt vinegar I substituted with red wine vinegar which got me thinking of one of my festive favourites… mulled wine….

So here goes, my never made before, made up as I cook mulled wine chutney!

I start by peeling and then cubing approx 15 medium and large sized cooking apples, straight into a huge pan. I would love to have my own jam pan and one day I will invest but for now I’m just using a normal big pan, if you have a jam pan do get the use out of it though. Then coat the apple in 500g of brown sugar (I know, but I never said it was a healthy recipe!) stir the sugar through the apple.

Then zest a lemon and a Clementine, I don’t have a proper zester so I use a teeny cheese grater and grate peel into the apple mix. Give the lemon a good squeeze to get some of the juice in there and then segment the Clementine you have zested, as well as a second Clementine and add all the segments in. This will give the chutney a delicious, slightly citrus note which will go really well with the other flavours.

Raisins are a controversial chutney ingredient, some people love raisins in chutney and other people are much less keen. I’m in the first camp so I’m going to pop in 250g raisins in as I love the squishy, tasty mouthful when you hit a raisin.

Pour over 750ml of red wine vinegar which should cover the mixture in the pan and stir thoroughly, pop in 2 whole cinnamon sticks and it is time to get cooking.

Start by turning the heat up to a high setting as to break down the fruit and get a good thick consistency you will need the mixture to bubble. After about 20 minutes when the mixture has begun to bubble turn the hob to down to a low setting (I used setting 2 of 9) and then allow to simmer with the lid on. My chutney then took another 3 and a half hours to cook on the low heat until it hit the right texture for me. You should notice the apple begin to break down and it will become a rich, thick, warm red chutney, make sure you taste the mixture about 2 hours in so you can check it isn’t too sour.

When cooked it’s important to transfer into jars and seal pretty quickly as the heat will create a vacuum which will allow the chutney to store through the winter. I’ve tucked into mine already with some delicious gluten free crackers and I am one happy coeliac with a tummy full of yum.

Warming winter parsnip soup

It is a rainy and chilly September day here in Sheffield so I am cracking into a yummy, hearty and tasty soup which is perfect to warm you up and fight off autumn sniffles. All the vegetables are easy to buy locally or even grow if you are slightly more capable in the garden than I am!

Start by chopping 2 small white onions, as this soup uses a blender I just peel then quarter the onions then pop into a large pan with a teeny amount of olive oil, switch the heat up to medium high setting and then add 4 sliced small potatoes (small normal potatoes not baby or new potatoes!) let the onion and potato heat up and cook a little, whilst they do crush 2 cloves of garlic and some red chilli (you can use as much or as little as you like dependant on how spicy you like your meals).

Add the garlic and chilli and continue to sauté for a couple of minutes so the potatoes become soft and much more easy to cook. Garlic and chilli are great for winter foods as not only do they warm you right up but have brilliant health properties. Garlic is helps to improve your body’s absorption of iron which is excellent for Vegans and Coeliacs alike and especially for those of us who are both. Garlic is also known to boost cardio and circulatory health and is a good source of selenium. Chilli contains huge amount of vitamins including vitamins A, C and E and is great for fighting congestion – nature’s alternative to a lemsip!

Next slice 2 large parsnips and 2 medium sized carrots and add to the pan with 1 and a half pints of boiling water and a stock cube, Kallo do great gluten free, vegan stock cubes which I am a little in love with…

Turn the heat down to a medium setting and allow to simmer until all the vegetables are soft which usually takes between an hour and an hour and a half. Blend the soup using either a hand held or stand alone blender.

I love this soup just as it is but if you prefer a more aromatic flavour chopped coriander is a really tasty addition. Alternatively if you like a creamy soup a little soya cream will change things right up.

Carrot and Coriander Soup with Hearty Lentils and Rice

In the Autumn I love to eat nice, warming soups full of flavour and veggies. I know it’s not technically Autumn yet but with a slight chill in the wind I’m going to tuck in and enjoy a nice September-ey soup.

Essentially this recipe is for an amazing and tasty carrot and coriander soup but packed full of protein with some tasty lentils.

Finely chop 2 sticks of celery and 4 medium carrots and place in a pan with a handful of chopped coriander and about a pint and a half of boiling water. Bring to the boil on a high heat and when boiling switch down to a medium heat and simmer for 20 – 30 minutes. Although it is easy to cook the carrot and celery much quicker on a high heat the length of time simmering allows the coriander to break down and the flavour to really take hold.

Once soft and well cooked add lentils to the soup. The great thing with this recipe is you can use any lentils of your choice, I’m using red lentils as I really love the way the break down whilst cooking and make the texture of the soup really thick and creamy. Continue to cook, I use a medium heat and cook for approximately 45 minutes. Another great way to bulk this up for winter and autumn evening meals is to add rice, add rice at the same time as the lentils and cook on a higher heat to ensure the rice is cooked through, you may need to add more boiling water as it cooks on a higher heat.

One more perfect, tasty, vegan and coeliac soup.