Tag: free from

‘All in one’ coconut, lime and green vegetable curry

Curry is a Saturday night staple in our house and I love that I can cook a super healthy meal that feels like a real treat. Perfect for coeliacs and vegans like me to boot! 

This meal is delicious and uses some of my favourite ingredients.


Start with a big pan, as the ‘all in one’ may have suggested I actually include the rice in the curry even though I cook it separately initially. That’s why you will need lots of space. 

I use a little Fry light in the bottom of the pot and start to warm on a med high setting. Add chopped red chilli and garlic to start a base and once the chilli and garlic start going add half a chopped white onion. 

The versatility of ingredients you can use in a curry is one of the reasons I love it so much. Today I’m using chopped courgette, mange tout, chickpeas, broad beans and broccoli. Following the ‘all in one’ approach I add all the vegetables into the pot and continue to cook with the garlic and onion in the oil for approximately 5 minutes.

Whilst the vegetables are cooking put some brown rice on to cook. 

Squeeze the juice out of 2 limes into the vegetable pot and then add coconut milk. Turn the heat down to a low medium and leave to simmer for about 30 minutes. In this time the brown rice will have cooked. Drain the rice thoroughly and add to the curry pot. 

Stir the rice through the curry and continue cooking for a few minutes. Now the best bit. Dish up and tuck in. I hope you enjoy my super healthy Saturday treat as much as I do.  

Egg fried noodles

Although not vegan this dish it is still lovely. It’s a simple Sunday tea time and is full of veggies and protein. 


I rarely eat eggs and when I do I make sure I have free range, local and organic eggs so the well being of the hen is paramount. 

Start by cooking the noodles, I’m using King Soba gluten free noodles. They are made from pumpkin, ginger and rice abd they cook in just 6 minutes. I love cooking with these noodles as they bring a depth of flavour to the dish you don’t always get with plain rice noodles. 

Whilst the noodles drain pop a wok onto the hob with a tablespoon of sesame oil. Add asparagus, sugar snap peas, chopped spring onions and tender stem brocolli and stir as the vegetables cook. Cook for a few minutes before adding the drained noodles.

Whisk an egg and clear a space in the middle of the wok, pour in the egg and stir swiftly whilst keeping the heat on high. 

Continue to cook for a few minutes and add gluten free tamari (I’m using the Kikkoman brand). 

When cooked serve with a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds. This meal is crunchy, healthy and enjoyable. Happy food Sunday. 

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.

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. 

Fennel Risotto

As a teenager I was very lucky to have three special guinea pigs in my life called Pip, Derek and Russell. They lived at my now husband’s house and they used to go crazy for fennel. It was their favourite treat and they would squeek and squeek for more fennel-ey goodness.

POst 52 photo

Fennel is also good for humans as well as guinea pigs, it is rich in vitamin c and has reportedly be found to help reduce inflammation and even the risk of cancer. It is also high in dietary fibre which promotes digestive health. What a little treasure of a plant fennel is.

Today I’ve used fennel  in a Italian dish, where is traditionally used quite a lot and made a tasty risotto.  Ideal for coeliacs as risotto is naturally gluten free.

To start I have chopped a whole fennel, as with a carrot I have removed the very bottom of the fennel and also the top stalks and the leafy bits too. Then I chop the fennel first into slices before chopping cross ways to give roughly centimetre length chunks. Also chop half a large white onion and place both into a large frying pan with olive oil.

Once the fennel and onion has soften and cooked add the risotto rice directly into the pan, stir frequently and continue cooking until the rice has turned translucent. Often risotto is cooked with wine. I’ve actually skipped the wine on this occasion as I think it can work just as well with stock and I like the fennel flavour to really come through. When the risotto rice has cooked until translucent pour over boiling stock. As with many of my recipes unless I’m making my own vegetable stock I use Kallo stock cubes as they are gluten and lactose free, vegetarian and they do a low salt stock cube too. Continue to cook adding hot stock and stirring continuously.

The cooking should take approximately 20 minutes from when you first add the stock but with risotto you can cook to taste as some people like an al dente risotto and others like the rice much softer. When cooked and ready to eat I season with a little black pepper. I don’t add salt as even the low salt stock cubes will contain enough salt to season for my taste.

A perfect gluten free, dairy free meal which will please both human and guinea pigs alike!

New York (free from options)

I’ve been off to New York recently to celebrate the wedding of a lovely friend, although it’s taken me away from my kitchen and blog I’ve had a lovely time and found some really tasty treats whilst I was away. 

Having quite a lot of dietary issues (coeliac, lactose intolerant, allergies to nuts and mushrooms and no meat or fish) I always get a feeling of deep dread whenever I go away and have to hand over control of my diet. Knowing how badly things can go wrong makes it hard to relax and enjoy my time away. 

I actually found somee brilliant places to eat whilst away. From takeaway lunches to high class meals I found that a lot of places were able and happy to go out of their way to cook me something delicious. 

One of my staples for the time I was in New York was Pret A Manger. I love Pret in the UK anyway but in the US I found I could have 2 of their hearty salads. One was a falafel, hummous and pomegranate mezze salad featuring amazing gluten free falafels and the other was a quinoa and avocado salad. These were perfect as I was trying to pack in sightseeing and activities and I could easily eat on the go. 

My favourite meal during my time in New York was at the restaurant at The Museum of Modern Art. I had had some good recommendations to go and I enjoyed a market greens salad and a cauliflower and raddichio side, both super tasty and pictured below.

I’d also been concerned about food at the wedding events but was nicely surprised. The day before the wedding my friend’s held a brunch at the renowned Waldorf Astoria. My non allergy and meat eating husband lived tucking into many, many pastries. The fruit platters were beyond anything I had imagined and I still want to know what some of the fruit I ate was. I was also impressed with the food at the wedding reception. After attending the ceremony in central park we then went to The Park, a venue incorporating an old speakeasy in the lower west side. It was fabulous and as well as enjoying a big apple and kale starter and a sweet potato red curry I also enjoyed a number of gluten free cocktails – heaven. 

I really enjoyed the food during my trip and hope you find lots of deliciousness if you ever visit too. 

Avocado and Potato Salad

Avocado’s are a tasty addition to a summer salad. Although high in fat and calories they are also rich in nutrients and fibre as well as being linked to the reduction in heart disease risk in recent research. Winner.

Post 51 photo

Healthy fat sources are also important in a vegan diet.

This salad uses a base of cooked potatoes and really simple seasoning to provide bulk but not take away from flavour.

Start by chopping new potatoes into cubes and cook in a pan of boiling water for approximately 12 minutes.  Drain and leave to cool. Chop an avocado into quarters and add to chopped lettuce, cucumber and spinach. The spinach will provide extra iron, calcium and folic acid. Perfect to help keep coeliac teeth and bones healthy.

Mix the cooled potatoes, avocado and salad. I garnish with a simple seasoning of olive oil, salt and black pepper. Allowing the natural salad flavours to shine.

Chard and Asparagus Summer Perfection

Summer vegetables are a real delight. I love when they are fresh and you can taste the summer sunshine in every little leaf. This salad contains quite a few bright and seasonal greens and was inspired by my lovely friend Jo who brought me a bag full of homegrown yesterday. Thanks Jo!

Post 50 - chard and asparagus salad

I’m having this salad as my evening meal so I’ve started by steaming chopped new potatoes for a carby base. Potatoes offer a good gluten free carb for coeliacs and although it’s important not to over indulge carbohydrate is still a key part of a balanced diet.

I’m also steaming fresh asparagus and florets of broccoli. Broccoli contains an incredibly high amount of calcium which is key for coeliacs in preventing or reducing the chances of osteoporosis .  I also think broccoli is also really under used. It’s got a real stigma of “meat and 2 veg” that just feel boring and unhealthy. I love using broccoli as a key ingredient and this dish certainly does that.

When the potatoes, asparagus and broccoli have cooked place into a large salad bowl and mix through fresh chard which will wilt amongst the warm vegetables. I also add a handful of chopped black olives.

I have seasoned this dish but only really gently as the peppery chard has a beautiful flavour enough as it is. Drizzle with olive oil, a pinch of sea salt and black pepper and serve warm for the taste of summer on a plate.

As I write I’m tucking into this salad with a glass of dry white wine and although summer in Sheffield may be more thundery than sunny this dish can outshine all the rain outside.

Quinoa and Green Bean Salad

Quinoa is a great grain. It’s naturally gluten free, packed with protein and full of dietary fibre. These tiny little power balls also have lots of calcium and vitamins. They are a real superfood. Not only are they so good for you but they are really tasty too. I’m making a quinoa and green bean salad to take into the office for a mid day pick up.

Post 49 Quinoa and Green bean

Quinoa is really easy to cook, pop the grain directly into a pan full of boiling water, turn down the heat and simmer for approximately 15 minutes. When cooked drain and leave to stand to cool down.

I could eat green beans all day and I think that steamed, crunchy green beans go down a treat in this quinoa salad. Before steaming I chop the green beans and then steam for just 30 seconds in a microwave steamer.

Chopped black olives and cucumber add more crunch and texture to this salad and I like to serve with a drizzle of balsamic glaze (and yes I’ve drizzled in a heart shape). When I tuck into this salad at lunch time in the office I always get jealous looks from colleagues with crusty sandwiches. Being much healthier makes you much happier.

Mediterranean Tofu and Chickpeas

It’s been a little while since I’ve posted any blogs about my coeliac, lactose intolerant journey of food discovery. Although I’ve not been posting I have been trying some new and exciting dishes and foods to broaden my horizons and engage my taste buds so I hope you enjoy the next few posts.

Post 48 - Tofu and chickpea salad

As a lactose intolerant vegetarian it can feel hard to pack lots of protein into my daily routine. This warm salad is fantastic and packed with protein. Start with tofu. Made from soya milk tofu is a fab source of protein. Soya proteins are actually considered to actively lower cholesterol making this possibly the healthiest protein you can find! It also contains all 8 of the amino acids found in protein giving you a complete protein fix. For this I’m using the Cauldron ready marinated tofu I used in my green bean recipe. Warm the tofu in a pan with a small amount of olive oil.

This is where the double protein fix comes in as I then add chickpeas to the tofu; chickpeas are a substantial diet staple for many people, including myself. They contribute towards your 5 a day whilst providing protein and being very low in fat. Sauté the chickpeas with the tofu and season with cracked black pepper.

After approximately 5 minutes of cooking the tofu and chickpeas will be ready, stir through with chopped cucumber, black olives and tomatoes for a Mediterranean flavour. Mmmm.