I really like the IKEA veggie balls, it’s great to be able to eat someone cheap and cheerful even though I’m a vegan and a coeliac.
In addition to eating in the restaurant they also have frozen veggie balls available to buy in the shop. They are easy to cook from frozen and pair up well with lots of other vegetables.
I’ve teamed them with fried courgette and greens for a tasty, gluten free vegan one pot.
Rice and rice noodles are a firm staple in a coeliac, vegan diet as versatility is key to keeping meal ideas fresh.
Thinking of fresh, this noodle dish uses fresh fruit and veggies, delicate tofu and sesame for a filling and flavourful meal.
Start by warming sesame oil in a wok and adding strips of tofu. I’ve used the Tofoo brand original for this recipe as it has a firm texture which works well.
Soak rice noodles in boiling water and when the tofu is starting to sear and the rice noodles are soft combine in the wok or pan and continue to cook stirring occasionally.
Whilst this cooks chop the other vegetables. I’m using mango, avocado and sweetheart cabbage. Add the cabbage to the wok a couple of minutes before you finish cooking and stir through a little gluten free tamari to taste. Serve with the avocado and mang on the side and sprinkle with a few toasted sesame seeds for extra crunch. Another delicious and easy dinner.
Edinburgh is one of my favourite cities for so many reasons. One of those is the range of vegan and coeliac options for eating out.
Hula is a juice bar and cafe just off popular Grassmarket and has a wide choice of vegetarian, vegan and coeliac foods. Almost all of which come with or can come with smashed avocado – it’s the dream.
I ate the Vegan Poké Bowl with smoked tofu, rice and quinoa, red cabbage, edamame beans and salad.
I also enjoyed the Ass-Aye-Eee smoothie, it’s the purple drink pictured and includes coconut milk, acai berries and more delicious ingredients. At first I was a little confused about the number of plastic cups and straws being used – until I discovered they are entirely recycled and biodegradable – constructed from plants not carbon!
Beautifully decorated, relaxing and welcoming I’d definitely head to Hula again.
Having discovered how tasty Tofoo branded tofu is I have been rediscovering so many tofu and stir fry recipes. This dish with tamari marinated Tofoo and sesame stir fried veggies is a favourite.
Start by chopping and draining the Tofoo and drizzling with tamari. Clearspring is my favourite as it’s organic as well as gluten free and vegan. Leave to marinate and when ready place under the grill or on a griddle pan and cook the tofu evenly.
Heat sesame oil in a large wok before adding vegetables to the pan. This time I’m using green beans, red onion, pak choi and courgette. I fry for a few minutes so the veg is well cooked bit still crunchy and nutritious.
I love this tasty tofu dish. Hope you enjoy it as well.
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.
Bonfire night is one of my favourite times of the year. As well as being delighted by the seasonal treats at Sheffield Botanic Gardens Illuminations I was also thrilled to find one of the food vans offered gluten free and vegan pizza options.
I had a Veggie Full House on a gluten free base but without mushrooms. The base was delicious and I really enjoyed the combination of vegan cheese, spinach, olives and onions. I’m so glad I found their van!
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.
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.
I was in London yesterday and looking for my go to chain restaurants for lunch. I’m really pleased I didn’t as I stumbled across this gem with loads of vegan and coeliac suitable options.
Cosy and inviting my friends and I enjoyed a few drinks in the sunshine outside before looking at the menu.
I have a lot of allergies, I’m a lactose intolerant, coeliac, I’m allergic to nuts and mushrooms and I don’t eat meat or fish so finding food which won’t make me unwell is often problematic.
I was encouraged by the presence of 4 vegan options on the menu and when I discussed with the staff and the chef they were able to come up with great substitutions for me. I had the veggie chilli with quinoa and sweet potato and a gluten free bread bun toasted with garlic. It was really tasty.
To make lunchtime even better they had some samples of Skollie cider brought in which were gluten free and vegan so they asked me to try them out.
Thanks to Warwick Castle, Maida Vale for a lovely lunch, tasty drinks and a scrabble game!
You can find more details about this lovely pub at http://www.warwickcastlemaidavale.com
I hope you like it as much as I did!
After a few weeks on heatwave it’s almost nice to return to the normal British summertime and enjoy cooler, breezy summer days. It makes it easier to enjoy heartier food and this soup is a meal I’ve missed during the scorching weather.
Perfect as a one pot meal this soup has loads of taste and texture.
Start by preparing and chopping vegetables. I’m using 3 medium carrots, 3 medium leeks, spring onions and garden peas. Place in the pan and cover with warm stock.
As I’m a coeliac I use a gluten free stock base. Kallo have great gluten free options and the vegetable stock cubes are available in low salt too.
Cook the vegetables for approximately an hour and as the stock reduces add cream. I use Alpro soya cream which gives a great taste.
Season with salt and pepper for a very tasty, veggie packed lunch.
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