Tag: Vegetables

Chickpea and Olive Ratatouille

I’ve soaked lots of chickpeas recently so it’s fair to anticipate chickpea recipes coming up. This dish is a super easy and tasty.

I’m using dried chickpeas so I’ve started by preparing them in advance. I’ve soaked them in water for 8 hours, drained the water off and rinsed and then boiled them in water for 10 minutes to soften fully.

Heat a little oil in a frying pan, add some chopped or minced garlic and then add the cooked chickpeas. Chop black olives, cherry tomatoes and spinach and add to the pan in that order, seasoning with a little salt and pepper. Continue to cook for about 10 minutes stirring frequently and ensuring the juice from the tomatoes speedy through.

This is a really simple and exciting meal and once you have the chickpeas ready it’s great to make as many meals as you can. This is a wonderful coeliac and vegan friendly recipe.

Coconut Curry Tofu with Sushi Rice and Salad

I love tofu. Cooking it with coconut oil and curry powder gives it a great flavour and makes it a centre point of this meal.

Make sure you use a firm tofu, I’m using Tofoo naked as it’s an extra firm and versatile tofu. Chop into small squares and add to a pan with coconut oil, a spoonful of curry powder and a pinch of salt. Fry for approximately 25 minutes turning and stirring regularly.

Whilst doing this prepare the other foods to go alongside. I’m using pre-cooked sushi rice (as it can take a little while to cook and I like it cold too) and sprinkling the rice with sesame oil and toasted sesame seeds.

I’m also using suitable salad vegetables and preparing chopped spinach, chopped lettuce, avocado, cucumber and cashew nuts.

I hope you enjoy the tofu and other vegetables as much as I have.

Redemption, Neal’s Yard

During a recent weekend I’m London I headed to Redemption in Neal’s Yard for lunch and was certainly glad I did. Redemption is a vegan, sugar-free and wheat free cafe with an alcohol-free cafe and bar. For vegan coeliacs like myself it is a perfect spot!

Often when I eat out I either have to adapt an existing menu or have one option to eat so I was totally overwhelmed with the choice available at Redemption. Because I’m also allergic to some nuts and all mushrooms as well as having coeliac disease and lactose intolerance even some vegan and gluten free places can be tough to eat at. It was had to decide on one dish so in the end I went for the Buddha bowl with a selection of suitable tasty treats from the deli. The beetroot humous, the turmeric cauliflower and the vegan mint yogurt dressing made this salad bowl a real treat.

On the side I had some hand cut chunky chips with a mustard seasoning and some spicy mayonnaise.

To follow up I shared a gluten free banana loaf slice served with banana, vegan cream and fresh banana.

I would highly recommend eating at Redemption, either at their Neal’s Yard bar or at the other locations around London. The food is made more enjoyable by the chilled out, light and unpretentious surroundings. It’s a great choice for so many free from diets and tasty for all who visit.

Turmeric tofu curry

When it’s cold outside and there are cold bugs flying around I find that nothing is more welcome than a gently warming curry. This dish combines turmeric, coconut, coriander and light spices to make a bright and tasty meal.

Start by chopping garlic, ginger and chilli and adding to a pan with some warmed coconut oil. Simmer gently so the spices cook and then add chunks of tofu and continue to stir swiftly to cook quickly and evenly.

As the tofu starts to brown slightly add vegetables. For this curry I’m using carrots, yellow peppers and tenderstem broccoli which I’ve chopped down into small pieces. Saute the vegetables with the tofu for a few minutes before adding the liquid.

Add coconut milk to the pan and cover the tofu and veggies. I use Alpro Light Coconut milk which comes in a litre serving as I can use it as a milk alternative as well as in cooking and baking.

Add turmeric and chopped coriander and allow the coconut milk curry to heat up and cook at a medium temperature for approximately 30 minutes.

I’ve served with jasmine rice as to my taste it’s a perfect combination and is light and fragrant. I hope you enjoy this curry as much as I did. It’s a perfect warm up in the winter for my coeliac, vegan diet.

Vegan Sesame Noodles

Rice noodles are a fantastic way to enjoy noodles as a coeliac.

My favourite rice noodles are the ribbon rice noodles so perfect for pad Thai dishes and stir frys. Rice noodles are easy to cook. For the dish I started by soaking dried noodles in boiling water.

Whilst the noodles soak I warm sesame oil in a large pan and add chopped tofu and vegetables and stir fry for 10 minutes although you can continue to cook until the vegetables reach the point you enjoy them at. I like quite crunchy al dente vegetables.

Once the stir fry has cooked drain the ribbon noodles to ensure they are light and flexible and fully cooked. Then add sesame oil to the noodles and stir through.

Serve the tofu, vegetables and noodles and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds. This easy to make meal is perfect for vegan and coeliac diets and you can pick the vegetables you prefer most to include.

Roasted Red Pepper and Chickpeas with Gluten Free Tagliatelle

Eating gluten free and vegan it’s really important to try new combinations frequently and keep dinner ideas exciting. This gluten-free tagliatelle served with roasted red peppers and chickpeas is delicious and a completely new meal for me.

Start by finely slicing red peppers and adding to a roasting tin with precooked chickpeas. For an easy weekday meal I’ve used tinned chickpeas rather than soaking dried ones.

Drizzle with a little olive oil and some salt and black pepper and roast for approximately 30 minutes until the peppers are softened.

Whilst the vegetables are roasting cook your tagliatelle. For coeliac vegans I find the Sainsbury’s Free From Tagliatelle is great. It’s gluten free and milk and egg free without being super expensive. Follow the instructions on the packet, especially the instruction to bring the water to the boil before adding the pasta.

Once the pasta is cooked drain the water and stir through a small amount of free from red pesto, this will stop the pasta from sticking and give a little extra flavour.

Then add the roasted red peppers and chickpeas before serving.

This easy pasta dish has vitamins and lots of protein from the chickpeas. It is a filling and hearty dish that’s perfect for a winter evening after work and is ideal for Veganuary.

Scrambled Tofu and Rosmarinknäcke

Scrambled Tofu is a protein rich, healthy alternative to eggs for vegans and vegetarians.

Start by warming some olive oil in a large pan whilst breaking down the tofu into small pieces.

Add it to the pan and cook for 10 minutes stirring throughout to ensure an even cook. Season with salt and pepper and some rosemary.

As a coeliac I love the Semper gluten-free flatbreads. The RosmarinKnäcke rosemary flatbreads go fantastically with scrambled tofu and I’ve also served with free-from red tomato pesto.

Veggie Balls

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.

Sesame Noodle, Tofu and Fresh Vegetable Bowl – Vegan, Gluten Free

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.

Hula Edinburgh – Gluten free, vegan deliciousness

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.