Tag: dairy free

Carrot, orange and chilli soup

Orange is such a happy colour. I’m channelling that happiness into this soup which is packed with vitamins as vitamins also make me happy. 


Carrots are high in vitamins A, K, many if the B vitamins and of course vitamin C. They also contain antioxidants which help to refresh and cleanse. Start by chopping carrots and place into a pan or slow cooker. Chop an onion and add this into the pan. 

Red chilli is recommended as a good to help reduce inflammation, pain and support cardiovascular health. Add chopped red chilli to the soup. Cover with boiling vegetable stock and add 100 ml of pure orange juice. 

Bring back to the boil and then turn down the heat and simmer. Cook for approximately an hour or until the vegetables are soft and easy to blend. Blend the soup and serve. 

Baked Sweet Potato topped with Curried Chickpeas

Sweet potatoes are a great alternative to a baked potato, they are much higher in fibre and lower in fat and carbohydrate. They also get you a good hit of vitamins A and C. I love them and topped with a tasty, veggie dish they are excellent. 

Prick the potatoes a couple of time and pop in the oven at 200 degrees. It will take 45 minutes – 1 hour to cook and whilst it is you can cook up a delicious, hearty filling. I’m making a curried chickpea topping. 

Start by chopping a white onion and a courgette. Add to a frying pan with a little coconut oil, or for a lower fat alternative use fry light. Cook until soft and the onion is transparent. 

When the onion and courgette is cooked add spice. I’m adding chopped garlic, chopped red chilli and coriander. Then add drained chickpeas and continue to cook on a high heat. 

Once the chickpeas are chewy and cooked pour over a tin of coconut milk. I’m using light coconut milk. Turn the heat right down and cook slowly until it forms a light sauce. 

Once the sweet potato and the cuurry are cooked, dish up and enjoy. I’m serving with a spoonful of Alpro soya yoghurt –  coconut flavour of course! Hope you love it. 

Yo! Sushi

It can be surprisingly scary to eat out with dietary requirements. When you have several it can be really daunting so it was lovely to eat at Yo! Sushi in Meadowhall Sheffield where the lovely manager Kate helped me out with tasty free-from recommendations. 

I’m a lactose-intolerant, coeliac, vegetarian and have allergies to mushrooms and nuts so I can feel like a pain when I do eat out. The manager at Yo! Sushi is also a gluten free vegan and was able to make substitutions and recommendations. 

One of my favourite dishes even before I was diagnosed was the Kaiso salad. This is a salad of seaweed and carrot with a sesame dressing. To make the Kaiso salad celiac friendly make sure you have it prepared without the kaiso sauce, I’m happy to report it is just as delicious without the sauce. Yo! Sushi makes you feel really secure eating with allergies because as well as picking dishes off the belt you can also order dishes and they will make them to suit your needs perfectly.

Maki is a key sushi dish and one that I make at home when I make from scratch; it’s never as neat as the maki at Yo! though. I’ve tucked in happily to the avocado maki and the cucumber maki, which were both made without mayo to ensure the vegan credentials. The manager bought over a bottle of guaranteed gluten free soy sauce as an accompaniment so I didn’t have to miss out on any of the flavour.

My final dish was a recommendation from the manager (by the way she is called Kate and is brilliant – would very much recommend to any free-fromers or coeliacs in Sheffield looking for a nice meal). She organised for a hand roll to be madefrom scratch with suitable ingredients – it was absolutely lovely and made my night. 

It feels so nice tucking into lovely food and also feeling normal whilst you eat out. Definitely two thumbs up for Yo! Sushi.

Carrot, coriander, coconut and chilli soup

I’ve been fighting off flu all week so too boost my immune system I’m making a fantastic soup with all the nutrients too keep me going. Tasty as well. 

I start by peeling and chopping 8 good sized carrots. I chop roughly because I’m going to blend the soup later and also I’m a bit lazy when I’m poorly. I’m popping these into my slow cooker as I’m going to embrace the easiest way of cooking today. 

Carrots are a great ingredient for any illness fighting food. They are high in vitamins including vitamin C. 

Add a handful of finely chopped coriander. This will give the soup and aromatic and warm taste that will make the soup delicious as well as a good aid to fighting off any bugs or viruses.

A couple of finely chopped red chillis (I am including the seeds for an extra hit) will help clear sinuses and add a hit of warmth to the soup. 

Add a can of light coconut milk and some warm water until the carrots are just covered and then pop the slow cooker on to do the hard work for you. 

When the carrots are soft blend the soup and serve warm. Tasty perfect for seeing off seasonal illnesses. 

I love olive risotto

I really do. Olives are one of my favourite foods. I’m actually away staying in a beautiful coastal cottage in Scotland so this meal has been selected for it’s ease of transport as well as it’s indulgent and tasty nature. Also perfectly filling after a busy day of walking.


For this recipe you will need an onion, black olives, green olives, sundried tomatoes, arborio risotto rice, stock cubes and a little oil (tip. I’m using the olive oil from the jar of tomatoes)

Start by heating a little of the oil in a large pan. Chop the onion finely and add to the heated oil. Once the onion has a slightly translucent look about it add two handfuls of arborio rice and continue to cook. Stir continuously and keep looking for it too to translucent. 

This is the point at which you would often add wine. I’m on holiday so today I’m drinking the wine and the risotto can have the stock instead. I made up just over a pint of vegetable stock using Kallo vegetable stock cubes. They complement the taste being lower in salt and they maintain the gluten and dairy free nature of the dish. 

Add stock and allow to bubble away and simmer quickly. Add stock each time the liquid has simmered off for approximately 20 mins. Whilst the risotto cooks slice the olives and sundried tomatoes. After the rice has started to soften add the slices and continue to cook for a further 20 minutes. 

Once cooked this dish is perfect to tuck into straight away. Mmm. Lovely olives. 

Shakshuka and Lemon Beans

The majority of my recipes are vegan but this does feature egg. If you do eat egg then it is super tasty and filling.

Before I cook the shakshuka I’m going to prepare a simple bean salad with lemon. Firstly chop and steam a handful of fine green beans. I use a microwave steamer and only steam for a minute as I like vegetables crunchy and full of nutrients. Add these to cooked butter beans. Butter beans are really high in protein and low in fat. They are a great healthy carbohydrate option. 

Mix the beans together and drizzle with fresh lemon juice, olive oil and some chopped basil. This simple healthy salad is a perfect accompaniment to the main dish. 

Next start on the shakshuka. Shakshuka is a middle eastern baked egg dish with vegetables. I start by chopping courgette, onion and red and green peppers finely. Fry in a little olive oil with chopped garlic and chilli stirring constantly. When the vegetables are cooked stir through chopped tomatoes and allow to simmer. At this stage I also add basil and oregano to flavour. This makes a beautiful ragu. 

Once the ragu is cooked and has thickened crack an egg right on top. I would use one egg for every person eating the meal. Cover the pan and continue to cook. It will take about 15 minutes to completely cook the eggs. I have seasoned the egg yolks with salt and pepper. When beautifully cooked all that’s left to do is serve and enjoy.