Tag: crueltyfree

SHED at the Cutlery Works Sheffield

I love finding new places to eat out and when I visited Cutlery Works Sheffield I found quite a few! Cutlery Works is a food court with shared eating space and a number of independent small food kitchens. For once it was lovely to be a coeliac vegan who was actually spoilt for choice as a number of the kitchens offered suitable food and allergy signage was great.

In the end I opted to order from SHED, a plant based kitchen on the first floor towards the far end bar. SHED had quite a few options I could choose from and were really helpful when I spoke to them in person about allergies and dietary requirements. I had an antipasto board to start (the homemade lemon and sesame seed humous is delicious).

For my main I tucked into this delicious green Buddha bowl curry. I really liked the inclusion of wild rice and the fresh vegetables were lovely in the curry and had enough crunch to feel nutritious.

As well as a choice of places to eat there are a few bars, smoothie and coffee options available. Much too full for a smoothie it was definitely a gin day and the Boseden Rose is a lush floral accompaniment to a beautiful veggie meal.

Oumph! Salty and Smoky

I have a new (not so secret) favourite food in the Salty and Smoky flavoured Oumph available at Tesco in the UK.

Fod those of you who haven’t come across Oumph! before it a high protein soya alternative that you can cook in next to know time. I’ve tried different flavours including chunky and kebab but the Salty and Smoky is a firm winner in my eyes.

Cooking from frozen with a little oil in a wok or frying pan this is a really swift and easy food to cook. It’s been forming a good central point for much of my “quick tea” meals recently.

In the dish pictured above I’ve added kale and some leftover braised red cabbage to the Oumph! as it cooks in a wok and served it up.

Be on the look out for more recipes featuring Oumph! as I’m quite a fan.

Smoky Swede and Beans

I really like the combination of sweet flavours with the smoky taste of paprika. This dish serves up both and is a really tasty, as well as cheap vegan and gluten free meal in the long months after Christmas.

I think swede is really underrated and often we forget how versatile it is and only think of it as an addition to mash or stew. This roasted vegetable and bean dish makes the most of the swede’s sweet flavour and soft texture. And as large British swede was on offer in the supermarket the swede I used for 4 servings was only 59p!

Start by preparing the vegetables. Use a vegetable peeler to remove the hard green and purple skin from the swede and then chop into batons. Similar sizes to carrot sticks. Pop into a roasting dish and into the oven at 200° with some oil. Personally I’ve used a little of the Fry Light Avocado oil for this roast but you can amend to your taste. Roast for 20 minutes before turning the swede and adding slice red pepper, yellow pepper and red onion. Stir through so the vegetables are even coates in oil and season with a generous sprinkle of paprika and a little cayenne pepper before returning to roast again for a further 25 minutes.

At this point you can add your beans for the last 15 minutes of the hour long roast. I’ve used black eyed beans as they have a hearty flavour and work really well in smoky dishes. I’ve also used ready to eat black eyed beans from a tin for bonus lazy weekend points! Add the beans and stir through the vegetables before finishing the roasting.

This meal is so tasty and so simple to make. A great way to use swede in vegan and coeliac diets.

Cherry and Coconut GF, Vegan Pancakes

These are amazing. I’m going to admit straight up here that these are a packet mix and not from scratch. But what a brilliant, tasty and easy packet mix it is and easy to add flavours to.

Made by Sweetpea Bakery this gluten free pancake mix has vegan instructions for cooking. I’ve use Alpro Coconut Milk and added to the mix with egg replacement and dried cherries. This gives the pancakes a fruity, coconutty taste. Whisk all the ingredients together well before adding to a pre heated pan with oil. Cook until bubbles appear on the top and then flip over for an even cook.

I like that even with the coconut and cherries the pancakes are not too sweet.

I’m going to be trying these pancakes again with different flavours and thoroughly recommend you do too!

Vegetable Miso Soup

January is a time when many of us embrace a healthy detox. Miso soup is a great way to do this. This tasty staple of Japanese foods is becoming more widely available and I love using the Yutaka Miso Paste in cooking.

Yutaka Miso Paste is vegan, gluten free and high in protein so it’s ideal for detox times. Also it’s really easy to use.

For this soup I finely chop vegetables, I’ve used celery, carrot, spring onion and broccoli florets. Add the vegetables to a large wok and saute with a small amount of sesame oil. I only cook for a few minutes as I love this with crunchy vegetables. Then add a large tablespoon of Miso paste and some boiling water. Turn down the heat and continue to cook for a further few minutes.

Serve up and enjoy. A great low calorie as healthy soup for January detox.

Sweet Potato and Aduki Bean Thai Burger – Vegan and Gluten Free

It’s Veganuary and I’m loving all the new food and drinks available at the moment! I’m actually going back to an old classic tonight and making vegan burgers with sweet potato and Aduki beans.

As I’m trying to shop with less packaging and from zero waste stores where possible I’m purchasing more dried beans and pulses and then soaking or cooking them before use. These Aduki beans are one example of products I’m getting dried. It’s really simple to bring them to a usable state and I’ve done this with approx 250g Aduki beans by popping them in the slow cooker for about 6 hours on a low heat.

The next job is to prepare the sweet potato. To make 6 burgers I chop the sweet potato into pieces about an inch or so wide and bring to the boil. Personally I am a fan of the extra nutrients and the added texture so I leave the skin on but if you prefer a smoother texture peel them too. Boil for 15 – 20 minutes and then drain off and allow to cool for a little while until you can easily handle the potatoes.

Once cool add a tablespoon of soya butter to the sweet potatoes, this will assist with the mashing. Also add your flavours. I used minced garlic, lemongrass paste and chopped spring onion to give it a Thai feel as well as a little salt and pepper. Using a potato masher crush the sweet potatoes, seasoning and onion until well mashed.

Then add the cooked or tinned beans. Stir through the mash so the beans are evenly distributed. After this form the mix into patties. I find the thinner patties cook a little better. Place into a cooking pan lined with a little oil. I’ve used coconut oil as I think it goes perfectly and then cook for 40 minutes at 200.

I’ve served these delicious homemade burgers with salad. A yummy vegan and gluten-free option ideal for keeping us healthy and well fed in January.

Pesto Stuffed Butternut Squash

A seasonal favourite of mine is roasted butternut squash. This stuffed squash with pesto and vegetables is a perfect festive main course for vegans and is gluten free so perfect for me as a coeliac too.

Start by preparing the squash. Split it evenly down the middle and clean out the seeds and pulp.

Cross the butternut squash with a deep knife which will allow the squash to roast consistently. Drizzle with a little cooking oil and basil and pop into the oven for approximately 45 minutes on a high heat.

Whilst the squash is roasting I cook the vegetable stuffing and pesto mix. Chop courgette and peppers into fine squares and cook in a frying pan with pesto. I use the Sacla free from red pesto as it’s free from gluten and dairy. Cook for about 20 minutes and then add the vegetables to the squash, packing out the seeds area and topping the whole squash. I then add vegan cheese (Sheese is my favourite brand) and return to the oven for a further 15 minutes.

I’m really looking forward to tucking into this over the Christmas period and hope you enjoy it too.

Sweet potato and coconut stew

I’m going to make no apologies for enjoying cooking nice food, especially if it can be easy to prepare as well as delicious!

My slow cooker comes in very handy making easy and delicious happen at once. This stew is incredibly simple to make and really healthy and filling.

Add chopped sweet potato, carrot, green beans and spring onions to the slow cooker.

Flavour with chopped chilli and garlic as well as ground turmeric. Cover the vegetables with coconut milk. As I like a lighter stew I use Alpro Coconut Milk with Rice rather than coconut cream or milk in a can.

This is a great all day slow cook on a low heat, perfect for when you get home after a busy day. Coeliac and vegan friendly this kind of easy meal fits my life and diet so well.

Red wine and red onion risotto

Risotto is one of my go-to dishes and is perfect for a cold evening. This risotto with warming red wine and tasty flavours is ideal for when winter really sets in.

Start by sautéing a chopped red onion in a little oil or frying spray, once the onion has softened add arborio rice and continue to cook on a high heat until the rice takes on a translucent appearance. Then it’s time for my favourite bit; where you add the wine! I’ve given my risotto a generous helping of Rioja and allowed it to sizzle off quickly.

Once the wine has evaporated turn down the heat and add hot stock. I always use the low salt Kallo stock cubes to make up my stock. It’s a real staple in my coeliac, vegan pantry!

Cook for a further 20 – 30 minutes adding chopped baby tomatoes mid way through cooking and when the liquid has evaporated and the rice is nicely cooked serve with a little basil to flavour. Serving with a big glass of wine also recommended.

Butternut Squash and Spinach Lasagna (gluten free and vegan)

I’ve really missed lasagna since discovering I was a coeliac and until today had never attempted homemade lasagna.

I’ve used Waitrose gluten free lasagna sheets. Blanch the sheets in boiling water for 3 – 5 minutes before structuring the lasagna as it does cook differently to gluten pasta.

I’ve layered spinach, roasted butternut squash (which I roasted with olive oil and sage) then top with the lasagna sheets. I use a ready made free from bechamel sauce by Le Conserve Della Nonna which is free from dairy and gluten and then too with Sheese grated mozzarella shreds. I then repeat these layers again. Then bake for approximately 40 minutes.

I think the filling has really contributed to the success of this lasagna, I’m going to try different free from bechamel sauces with this recipe but overall I’m pleased.