Tag: Vegetables

Gluten free, vegan Christmas pasta

I am one of those people who LOVES Christmas. As soon as the leaves turn and the nights stat drawing in I start humming festive jingles and yearning for mulled wine and cosy fluffy socks.

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I’m getting in seasonal spirits today and cooking a delicious Christmassey pasta full of tasty flavours and using some new exciting ingredients.

As a coeliac with lactose intolerance, plenty of allergies and a vegetarian outlook Christmas can be a time when I watch other people eat and feel left out. To be honest I think everyone will want to join me when they see this dish. It’s also incorporating one of the new coconut-milk based cheese alternatives Sainsbury’s has introduced recently.

Start by finely chopping a butternut squash, placing into a roasting pan with a little olive oil and some chopped sage and roasting for approximately 1 hour. Butternut squash is a great Christmas flavour as it is sweet and rich. I always feel butternut squash to be quite luxurious, no matter how frequently I eat it! Once roasted place to one side and allow to cool.

I’m cooking this dish using a maize based gluten free penne but it will work equally well with gluten free gnocchi, spaghetti, or in fact in a risotto –one for me to try another time! Cook the pasta and drain. Stir the cooked pasta in with the roasted squash over a low heat and season with a sprinkle of salt, pepper and fresh sage. Once evenly distributed I am then adding my super exciting ingredient. Chopped vegan Wensleydale with cranberries. Continue to stir as this melts through forming a very light sauce.

Once melted through serve immediately. The combination of squash, sage and cranberries is an incredible Christmas taste, in fact it’s getting me in the mood already… I can hear Home Alone films and Monopoly calling me….

Shakshuka and Lemon Beans

The majority of my recipes are vegan but this does feature egg. If you do eat egg then it is super tasty and filling.

Before I cook the shakshuka I’m going to prepare a simple bean salad with lemon. Firstly chop and steam a handful of fine green beans. I use a microwave steamer and only steam for a minute as I like vegetables crunchy and full of nutrients. Add these to cooked butter beans. Butter beans are really high in protein and low in fat. They are a great healthy carbohydrate option. 

Mix the beans together and drizzle with fresh lemon juice, olive oil and some chopped basil. This simple healthy salad is a perfect accompaniment to the main dish. 

Next start on the shakshuka. Shakshuka is a middle eastern baked egg dish with vegetables. I start by chopping courgette, onion and red and green peppers finely. Fry in a little olive oil with chopped garlic and chilli stirring constantly. When the vegetables are cooked stir through chopped tomatoes and allow to simmer. At this stage I also add basil and oregano to flavour. This makes a beautiful ragu. 

Once the ragu is cooked and has thickened crack an egg right on top. I would use one egg for every person eating the meal. Cover the pan and continue to cook. It will take about 15 minutes to completely cook the eggs. I have seasoned the egg yolks with salt and pepper. When beautifully cooked all that’s left to do is serve and enjoy. 

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.

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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!

Radish and tofu salad

I often organise lunches for my working week in advance. Making sure I have time to prepare healthy, fresh food and that I can plan a balanced diet to suit my needs. 

 If you have read my earlier post I prepared sesame crusted tofu pieces which are really tasty. I’m using these pre cooked tofu chunks as an integral part of my salad. 

I add chopped green lettuce, steamed baby pak choi, chopped cucumber and some tasty, sharp radish. 

Simple and delicious I am already looking forward to Monday! 

Sesame crusted tofu and garlic greens

After time away it’s lovely to have a couple of days to relax before heading back to work on Monday. I’ve spent my Saturday relaxing with my cats and getting lunches ready for work and for eating tonight with a glass of wine. 

I’m currently tucking into an incredibly simple, protein packed and tasty dish with subtle yet distinctive flavours. 

I start by preparing tofu. I’m using Cauldron Tofu and chop into approximate squares. Grill with sesame oil for approximately 10 minutes before flipping the squares over and then sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds before grilling for a further 10 minutes. This creates a toastoy sesame crust on your tofu. Incredibly delicious and full of healthy oils. 

To accompany this excellent tofu I’m cooking garlic greens. Rolling with the sesame theme warm half a teaspoon of sesane oil in a pan and then add batons of chopped orange pepper, courgette and baby pak choi. Stir through minced garlic (as much as you like – I’ve used a whole teaspoon as I am a garlic fiend!) Then add a few drops of gluten free tamari. Continue to cook for 10 – 15 minutes and serve with the tofu. I’ve also accompanied the dish with fresh, steamed edamame and sea salt. Yay for Saturday night dinner time. 

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.

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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.

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.

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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.