Tag: healthy eating

Herby Roasted Vegetables and Tofu

This delicious combination of vegetables and tofu make a great lunch or dinner and is incredibly easy to prepare and cook.

I warm a little oil in a roasting tray and add chopped red onion, courgette and fennel. Scatter over plenty of herbs for an extra punch of flavour. I expect used rosemary, thyme and basil, then roast in the oven for approximately 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes add tofu to the roast. I’m using the Cauldron marinated tofu pieces and continue to cook for a further 20 minutes.

I actually don’t think you need to serve this with anything carby or heavy and dish it straight up with a little balsamic drizzle. Another tasty new way to enjoy a gluten free, vegan diet.

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.

Crunchy Vegetable and Crispy Vermicelli

This blog features a number of rice noodle recipes so itwon’t come as a surprise they are one of my favourite foods! This is another classic and I hope you enjoy it.

Chop broccoli, carrot, courgette, red pepper and spring greens and add to a large wok with oil, garlic, chilli and ginger.

Whilst the vegetables cook blanch the Vermicelli in boiling water for approximately 5 minutes. This will soften and cook the noodles whilst retaining some crunch to help them crisp when they are added to the stir fry. Drain and dry the noodles before adding to the stir fry and continuing to cook for a further 10 minutes.

I love the texture of this noodle dish. A perfect meal for all coeliac vegans!

Courgetti Stir Fry and Tofu

I’m going to roll with the gluten free, vegan stereotype and blog about a spiralised courgette recipe! I’m going to do this because it’s so very tasty.

I got my spiralised a few years ago and since then have loved using it to make vegetable alternatives for pasta and noodles as well as using it for salads.

Start this recipe by using 2 large courgettes and spiralising on a medium width.

Then heat up a wok or a large frying pan. For this recipe I use coconut oil to cook with. Add the courgetti and cook on a high heat for about 5 minutes.

The courgette will start to soften and this is the best time to add the herbs. I’m using minced garlic, chopped coriander and lemongrass. I actually keep the lemon grass fairly bitty so I can enjoy the taste and it gives a little crunch too.

I also add beansprouts and continue to cook but on a lower, medium heat.

Whilst the stir fry continue to cook chop the tofu and squeeze any excess moisture out. I do this placing kitchen roll above and below the tofu and adding pressure using a chopping board on top.

Then heat a griddle pan with coconut oil in a high setting. Add the chopped tofu and fry on a high heat for 5 minutes turning the tofu once during cooking to ensure an even cook. Just before the cooking time is up splash the tofu with gluten free tamari.

Serve up the vegetables with tofu topping.

Delicious and easy midweek staple.

Lemon and Rocket Risotto

Risotto is a Sunday night go to in my house. It’s tasty, filling and flexible so you can use whatever veggies you have in the house.

This risotto uses some kitchen staples and is delightful. Start by chopping red onion and garlic then heat on a medical high with a little olive oil. Once the onion has softened add arborio rice and cook in the oil and onion until translucent.

Pour over a cup of white wine and allow to bubble off rapidly keeping the heat high. Then add warm stock. Kallo have a great low salt, vegan and gluten free stock cube which I use as a flavour base for many meals.

At this point squeeze the juice of a lemon and add the zest to the risotto. Turn down the heat and continue to simmer adding more stock as needed. Time for the vegetables. I add super simple veggies with peas and rocket. Cook for a further 15 – 20 minutes and serve warm.

Sunday night perfection.

Garden Secret Spa – GF and Vegan options

I had such a wonderful day yesterday enjoying some relaxation and self care at The Garden Secret Spa at Ringwood Hall Hotel in Derbyshire. I was expecting to have a great time but wasn’t expecting them to be so accomodating around my dietary needs.

I’m a lactose intolerant, coeliac, I’m allergic to nuts and mushrooms and I’m a veggie. So I normally expect a minimal salad or fruit if I eat out. That just wasn’t the case yesterday at all.

All the meals are prepared fresh on site and inspired by garden and herbal foods. For my spa day lunch I tucked into a spring garden salad with vegan substitutes and was really impressed when the chef sourced vegan parmesan to top the meal!

My pudding was also excellent, an ideal lunch for a relaxing day.

Smoked Tofu Salad

I really enjoy tofu and having recently discovered Tofoo Smoked I’m coming up with as many ways I can serve this as possible.

On a warm and sunny Sunday my favourite way to tuck into smoked Tofoo is with a classic salad.

I’ve cooked the tofu with avocado fry-light and grilled for 20 minutes. Served with layered cucumber, tomato and avocado and topped with balsamic this is a beautiful and tasty salad. The tofoo provides essential proteins which are ideal for vegan diets.

Crispy Lemongrass Salad

During hot weather I find myself eating a lot a salad. Many folks find salad quite full but I love different vegetables and flavour combinations. This warm salad is a perfect evening meal on a warm summer evening.

Ingredients

Baby cabbage

Pak choi

Orange and yellow peppers

Sugar snap peas

Broccoli

Lemongrass

Lemon

Garlic

Ginger

Coriander

Gluten free tamari sauce

Coconut oil

Start by preparing the flavours, I use a garlic mincer to prepare garlic and lemongrass and I grate ginger and chop the coriander finely.

Nextheat a little coconut oil in a wok and add the sliced peppers and broccoli once warmed to temperature. Once the vegetables are in I add the herbs and spices so they can absorb into the vegetables during cooking. Stir fry for 5 minutes before adding the sugar snap peas and continuing to stir fry for a further 5 minutes. You can increase the cooking time but I like my veg pretty crunchy.

Whilst the veggies are cooking I lightly steam the cabbage and Pak choi to make a leafy base.

Serve with a slice of lemon and a drizzle of gluten free tamari for a zingy finish. This is a wonderful salad full of flavour and far from boring. Ideal for vegans, veggies, coeliacs and everyone else besides!

Gluten free, vegan Vietnamese rolls

Although I have a very restricted diet due to coeliac disease, allergies and veganism I always wonder why people think I can’t get variety in my food. I love trying new things and thanks to travel, the internet and of course immigration we have so many different cuisines available in the UK.

Today I have used Vietnamese roll rice papers to create beautiful gluten free, vegan rolls using crunchy fruit and vegetables. I found the rice paper rolls in the world food section, the ones I am using are produced and exported from Vietnam but looking online I see the Blue Dragon brand are gluten free and widely available.

They may look like a fancy or time consuming meal but really this is so simple. Start by prepping the vegetables and chopping into baton shapes. I used 2 large carrots, a large avocado, half a mango and half a cucumber in mine and this made 10 super filling rolls.

Then fill a large mixing bowl with warm water. Take one of the dried rice paper sheets and soak it in the warm water for 15 – 20 seconds. It’s important the sheet is submerged or only one side will start to dissolve. The rice paper should become really pliable and flexible once it’s been held in the water.

Spread it out on a dry surface and the. Stack your choice of raw vegetables into the middle of the roll in a rectangular shape. Now comes the folding! I’ve found that it’s best if you fold in the edges that would be the short sides of the rectangle first and really press them down tightly to the vegetables. Then fold in over the paper left on the longer sides and wrap them around.

Repeat these steps as many times as you need to for the perfect number of rolls.

Served with a little sweet chilli sauce or gluten free tamari for dipping these are a healthy, easy treat to help you increase your raw veg intake. So tasty!