Tag: Vegetables

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. 

Mixed bean gluten-free pie

This is a real treat and a meal I’ve enjoyed making as much as eating. It’s tasty and full of protein. It makes it so easy to live as a coeliac when there are so many amazing alternatives and recipes out there to enjoy. 


I’m using ready made gluten free pastry. Which is great because I’m also having a busy day. I roll out the gluten free pastry and line a quiche dish and blind bake for 30 mins. Blind baking is a term I picked up from the great British bake off, it basically means the pie crust is ready to add the filling. 

Whilst the pie crust is baking it’s time to prepare the filling. Chop an onion, a red chilli and a couple of cloves of garlic and start to cook with a little olive oil. Once the onion is soft and transparent add beans. I’m using borlotti and canelini beans. Continue to fry. Add a tin of chopped tomatoes and continue to sizzle.

When the filling is cooked through add to the pie crust and cook for about 15 minutes. 

Hope you love it.

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.

Gluten Free Pasta Salad

As a coeliac it can be hard to find gluten free pasta which is fairly healthy or in fact tasty. Lots of gluten free alternatives use added sugar to amend the taste. This is why I was so happy to discover Profusion a brand who make gluten free from red lentil flour. Tasty, organic, gluten free and high in protein this pasta is deal for a limited diet.

Today I’m going to make an incredibly simple pasta salad using Profusion Red Lentil pasta. Start by bringing a pan of water to boil and then add the pasta straight to the pan. It is important with gluten free pasta to keep the water boiling continuously or the pasta may break apart whilst cooking.

Continue to cook for approximately 20 minutes and then drain the pasta and leave to stand.

Warm a little olive oil in the same pan used to cook the pasta and add chopped baby plum or cherry tomatoes and a sprinkle of salt. Chop spinach and fresh basil then add both to the pan. Stir frequently and when the spinach is slightly wilted add the pasta and thoroughly mix.

Served either warm or cold this simple pasta salad is delicious and much more healthy than other gluten free alternatives. 

Rainbow Sushi Salad

To go along with tasty sushi dishes I enjoy nothing more than a crunchy, vegan rainbow sushi salad, here are my ideas for a perfect sushi accompaniment.

Ingredients

Shelled Edamame Beans

Sweetcorn

Carrot

Cucumber

Sesame oil

Toasted Sesame Seeds

Gluten Free Tamari

Tofu

Start by griddling the tofu, I like a crispy, crunchy tofu in this salad cooked using sesame oil. Whilst cooking use the time to shell some edamame beans. Peel 2 carrots and then chop into thin batons. Chop the cucumber in the same way.

Add the shelled edamame beans, chopped carrot and cucumber to the tofu and stir in sweetcorn.

Use a teaspoon of sesame oil and of gluten free tamari to make a tasty and appropriate dressing. Stir through the salad and garnish with toasted sesame seeds.

Vegan Sushi


I love sushi, a lot of it is naturally gluten free and vegan so it seemed a good time to share some of my favourites with you all. You will need some tools for shaping the sushi, a sushi rolling mat will help you make the maki – or wraps. A nigiri mould will help you make the rice ball sushi.

Ingredients

Sushi Rice – 60g per person

Sushi Nori

Cucumber

Carrot

Toasted Sesame Seeds

Tofu

Vegan mayo

Radish

Gluten free Tamari

Sesame Oil

You can also use other vegetables including avocado, courgette, pepper

Start by cooking the rice. Unlike other rice it is important you bring the rice to boil quickly but then switch the heat down to a low-medium and simmer for approximately 20 minutes. In this way the rice will absorb the water and when cooked it will be fluffy and perfect for shaping. When coked through drain the water and leave to stand to cool.

Maki

I’m going to start by chatting you through a couple of maki dishes. These are the wraps with seaweed on the outside. Carefully line up your sushi nori (seaweed paper) on the rolling mat. Have the bamboo pointing vertically and, if the nori has perforated lines then ensure these are horizontal. Spoon a layer of rice over the left hand half of the nori and even it out to make sure it is perfectly flat.

When you have a layer of rice on the left half of your nori layer a line of chopped  veg right in the middle of the rice. I’ve used carrot and cucumber but you can also use avocado or courgette. As long as the veg is soft enough to cut though in one go you will be ok to use it. You can also sprinkle over toasted sesame seeds or a thin layer of vegan mayo. I like Mayola as a good vegan brand.

Use the rolling pad to roll over the top of the rice on the left of the nori, if you roll over in one go it makes a nice even wrap. Press hard and use your hands around the mat to gently squeeze into shape. Then use the mat to roll the remainder of the nori around the sushi.

When rolled remove from the rolling mat and chop widthways down your maki roll. If your nori has come with perforations you use these as your chopping guide.

Serve with gluten free tamari and enjoy.

Nigiri

The nigiri is in someway easier to shape than the maki sushi. One tp is to brush a small amount of sesame oil along the bottom clip in part of the mould. This will mean that when shaped the nigiri won’t prove tricky to remove from the mould.

Nigiri can be quite freestyle, you can layer veg or tofu at the top and then fill the mould with rice, or you can fill the mould with rice and layer the bottom with vegetables.

I’ve made nigiri using cucumber, radish, tofu, toasted sesame seeds. When layered and moulded remove the bottom of the mould and place gentle pressure on the top of the mould to remove the nigiri.

Hope you enjoy making sushi, it can be a great date afternoon and a tasty, healthy lunch ideal for coeliacs and vegans.

 

 

Vegan, gluten free Shepherd’s Pie (My Christmas dinner special)

It’s early December and as I am hosting Christmas at mine this year I am having a practise run of Christmas dinner. My husband is cooking for himself and the meat eaters and I am doing a special dish for myself and my vegan sister in law.

As a lactose intolerant coeliac it can feel hard at Christmas, you can definitely feel left out when it comes to advent calendars, mince pies and Yorkshire puddings. This dish will almost definitely have everyone feeling jealous of me though.

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Ingredients

2 medium sweet potatoes

1 cup dried brown lentils

1 cup dried red lentils

1 brown onion

3 cloves garlic

Chopped sage

2 Kallo French Onion Stock Cubes (gluten free and vegan)

1 tablespoon Pure Soya Bread

Start by chopping the onion and garlic cloves and adding to a large pan with the dried lentils and 2 Kallo French Onion stock cubes and cover the ingredients with boiling water. Kallo stock cubes are fantastic as they are gluten free so they tick all my coeliac boxes. The French Onion Stock cubes are excellent for soups and gravy which is why I’m using them in this dish.

Switch the hob to a medium heat and cook at a simmer the lentils and onion  in the stock for approximately 1 hour 15 minutes. It’s important to monitor the levels of liquid during cooking. I have had to top up with additional water as the lentils absorb water.

Red lentils will breakdown and lose their shape but the brown lentils should retain their distinct has the consistency of gravy with cooked lentils and onion. It’s important the consistency is quite thick as this mixture is the base of the shepherd’s pie. (see photo below)

Whilst the base of the pie is cooking peel and chop the sweet potatoes and cover with boiling water. Cook for approximately 20 minutes until the sweet potatoes are soft and ready for mashing. It’s important not to over cook the sweet potatoes as they do fall apart much more easily than potato and can lose their nutrients. Although you could use other potato I’m choosing to use sweet potato because they are higher vitamins including vitamin A, C and B6 as well as being full of minerals and potassium. Sweet potatoes are also lower in carbohydrate and one of your 5 a day. In addition they taste great.

Once cooked drain the sweet potato and pop back into the pan with the tablespoon of soya butter and the chopped sage. Mash using either a masher or a fork.

Line a baking dish with a thick layer of the lentil mix, even the mix and then top with a layer of the sweet potato / sage mash. When the layers are even use the fork to create smooth lines which will add crunch when cooked.

Cook in the oven at a temperature of 200 for 30 minutes.

Once cooked this shepherd’s pie is perfect as Christmas dinner. Sweet and festive with the sage and sweet potato topping and with a rich base and garlic. This is home made, vegan and gluten free comfort food at its best.

Truly cannot wait for Christmas now.

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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.