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.
I’m enjoying back weekend away for new year and although it’s not a familiar kitchen it’s lovely to spend some time cooking healthy, happy food.
After a day walking a hearty and warming chilli is fab. Start by peeling a large sweet potato. Then chop into slices and quarter leaving you with large chunks of sweet potato. Start by warming some olive oil in a large pan and then saute the sweet potato. Add chopped garlic and red chilli.
After approximately 10 – 15 minutes. Add kidney beans, borlotti beans and canned chopped tomatoes. Stir through thoroughly, switch the heat down and simmer for a further 20 – 30 minutes.
Whilst the chilli cooks it’s time to get the rice on. I’m cooking with long grain and wild rice as I love adding extra textures and different amino structures. Wild rice isn’t a rice at all, it’s a grass and surprisingly high in protein.
The chilli and rice should finish cooking at about the same time so drain off, dish up and enjoy tucking into a well earned, post walk meal. Vegan and gluten free just being one added bonus!
I’m feeling festive… from about October normally and I’ve been practising different gluten and lactose free options for Christmas.
Last month I tried some fig and vegan cream cheese pastry tartlets and this weekend I’ve gone savoury and tried some spinach and “feta” sausage rolls.
As a lactose intolerant coeliac you can imagine my joy when I discovered gluten free, vegan Jus Rol puff pastry in the dairy free section of my local supermarket. At the moment allergens and free from is expanding so rapidly I seem to find something new every time. This pastry is easy to roll out, shape and eat. It’s delicious. It’s such a cheat to use ready made pastry and I’m so happy coeliacs and vegans can cheat too.
Open the pastry packaging, roll out the pastry and let it warm a little after the fridge whilst you prepare the filling.
I say prepare. It’s really not a tricky recipe this one. Wilt 100g spinach. I’m using my microwave steamer for 30 seconds so the spinach softens but retains some substance and doesn’t go watery. Layer the spinach in a line throughout the length of the pastry. About an inch from the edge of the pastry. Then slice your “feta” I am using a vegan Greek style cheese made with coconut milk which is very exciting. I make long slices approximately 5 mm wide. Layer the feta (or substitute) on top of the spinach.
Take the inch of pasty and roll it over the top of the filling and press down firmly. Then roll the filling and pastry over to create a full sausage roll effect.
I use a little soya butter to hold the very top down and then chop the long pastry length into inch long pastries.
Pop into the oven and cook for approximately 30 minutes. This is a really enjoyable and incredibly easy recipe suitable for free fromers and more.
I’m definitely getting in the spirit for the first episode of Great British Bake Off as the new series starts tonight!
As I’m lactose intolerant and a coeliac I don’t tend to do much baking these days but I’ve made a special effort and whipped up some gluten freee, vegan cakes.
I’m lying. I’ve made no effort at all. These cakes came from a ready mix I actually found in Aldi. Betty Crocker Gluten Free Devil Food Cake Mix. The instructions say to mix with eggs, water and vegetable oil but I’ve replaced the egg with vegan alternative before mixing and it’s worked out perfectly.
Following the steps are simple. Mix all the ingredients together and pour into cupcake cases or a greased cake tin and bake for approximately 25 minutes.
Once cooked and cooled I have made my own chocolate icing with Vitalite, icing sugar and cocoa powder. I’ve also topped some with Moomin cake toppers made of rice paper, not all because I ran out though. This box made 24 cakes so I will be tucking in for a while. A perfect accompaniment for when Bake Off starts at 8pm!
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.
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….
This is one of the simplest gluten and dairy free recipes but it is a definite winner. Taking inspiration from a food icon and an every day staple this soup is tasty and delicious.
I start by roughly chopping a punnet of fresh plum tomatoes. I used the mini ones. Although it can be tempting to use the cartons or tins of ready chopped tomatoes I think the fresh tomatoes are worth it as it tastes far better and gives the additional crunch from the tomato seeds.
Pop the chopped tomatoes in a pan with some fresh chopped basil and a little olive oil. Simmer gently on a medium heat for a few minutes until the tomatoes start to soften and release juice. I actually then add the stock cube to the tomatoes and let it start to dissolve in the oil with the tomatoes forming a sort of tomato / stock paste mix.
Then add boiling water and cook on a medium to high heat for approximately 20 minutes. Blitz with a blender to create a chunky hearty soup.
Stir through and serve with a healthy splash of single soya cream, I use the Alpro branded single soya as it’s a little less sweet than some of the others (in my opinion anyway).
Voila, a tasty creamy soup which will be as memorable as Andy Warhol’s favourite brand!
I’ve been whizzing about all over Yorkshire today and am so pleased to have an amazing slow cooked meal to come back to. Yay for slow cookers.
This recipe is really hearty and just what is needed after a busy day. It has a tasty kick with the herbs and is so filling it’s like a hug in a meal. This morning I started by chopping 5 celery stalks, a carrot and half a large white onion, place into the slow cooker and a tin of drained and washed borlotti beans. Borlotti beans are really high in fibre and protein as well as being rich in minerals. I love the smooth but also slightly nutty texture (partly because I’m allergic to nuts and this is close as I can get!!)
These ingredients are perfect for slow cooking as they will soften and taste delicious. Add 3 cloves of finely chopped garlic, chopped parsley and chopped coriander to flavour the stew. Pour over a pint and a half of stock. I use Kallo Vegetable stock cubes as they are gluten and dairy free – great for lactose intolerant coeliacs!
Then I popped the slow cooker on, headed out for the day and came back to a perfect tasty tea. Yummy.
Mint isn’t a taste you would necessarily associate with the warmth of chill but served the right way it really is ever so tasty. I love noodles and being a coeliac this means rice noodles. I’m using vermicelli rice noodles in this dish as they are really tasty and just right in this fresh and light dish.
Place the dried noodles in a large dish and pour over boiling water, I then leave to stand to cook the noodles for 5 minutes as I don’t like them over cooked. Whilst the noodles are in the water warm a teaspoon of sesame oil in a large wok or frying pan and add chopped red chilli, lemongrass, garlic and chopped mint. This creates a fab base of flavour which will be added to with a hint of lime juice shortly.
Chop a whole yellow pepper into thin long slices and add to the oil and spices to stir fry. Shortly after add a carrot and a courgette prepared finely so it will cook quickly, I invested in a spiraliser a little while ago so I’m using spirals of courgette and carrot but if you don’t have one batons or finely cubed veg will cook just as nicely. Stir through during cooking to ensure even cooking and distribution of the flavour. Continue to cook until the noodles are ready and then add the noodles and sweetcorn and continue cooking for a further 5 minutes.
Whilst cooking with the veg the noodles will break a little, in case you haven’t cooked with vermicelli before this is normal. When the noodles have a little colour to them squeeze over the juice of half a lime and cook until evaporated.
Serve and garnish with an extra sprig of fresh mint. Delicious and fresh this is simple and tasty meal and great cold for salads too.
Another weekend away last weekend and I stumbled across a fantastic Vietnamese restaurant full of yummy food which meets all my many dietary requirements – I was in gluten free, lactose free heaven.
The Hanoi Bike shop is tucked away just off Byres Road in the West side of Glasgow close to the beautiful Gothic buildings of the university. Full of character, warm and friendly this is a great place I would really highly recommend to everyone – coeliac or not!
Before booking a table my sister and I popped in to explain dietary requirements (coeliac, lactose intolerant, nut and mushroom allergies and no meat or fish can be tricky even for the best!) In addition to providing us a full menu they gave me a Gluten free and Vegan menu so we cross reference dishes which featured on both, I was really surprised to hear there were quite a few I could choose from. They then jotted down all my requirements, made a note against the booking and made the chef aware in advance. Brilliant service equals happy Nat.
When we arrived to eat the staff double checked dietary requirements and sat me close to the kitchen – it’s quite a small place but it’s full of life and near the busy vibrant pass is a lovely place to be. As well as gluten free and vegan menu’s they have gluten free and vegan drinks and cocktails highlighted too. I tucked into an amazing spiced gin cocktail; gin, chilli, lemon, coriander – wicked combination and made the difficult decision of what exactly I wanted to eat.
As it was hard to decide my sister and I shared a few dishes. The Hanoi Bike Shop actually make all tofu on site meaning it is beautifully fresh and creamy, I loved the sweet potato, tofu and coconut hotpot – I could have eaten it forever. On the side was a minty vermicelli rice noodle salad, a stunning flavour combination that was so fresh which I’m definitely going to try to replicate, though I don’t imagine I could get it anything like so perfect. I also had braised Vietnamese greens with a gluten free tamari . The sides are huge and definitely good sharers.
Throughout the helpful Hanoi Bike Shop staff checked the food was great and I was happy, I was so busy eating I could hardly answer as my mouth was so full all the time.
The Hanoi Bike Shop is an absolute must for any coeliac, vegan or in fact anyone in Glasgow to check out, I had such an amazing time, probably worth the trip just for an amazing meal.
Visiting my sister in law last weekend I popped across a lovely surprise in the heart of Norwich when I found The Gluten Free Cafe just around the corner from Norwich Castle.
All the food and drinks sold are 100% gluten free and they have a great shop upstairs with a variety of gluten free products available.
Being quite a frosty morning I was ready for a warm coffee and was really pleased to see that although the primary focus is gluten free the cafe offered a wide choice of milk and milk alternatives including soya and coconut as well as lactofree milk and milk products as well. It’s really great to find so many options available for allergy, intolerance and ethically limited diets. Caramel soya latte all the way for me.
They also served a range of different meals, cakes and take away lunches as well. I’m actually lactose intolerant and have a couple of allergies as well as coeliac disease so I still needed to check the ingredients but the owner had a file with all the products served in and their full ingredients. The ginger cake is perfect and went nicely with my coffee whilst my husband and sister in law did tuck into some chocolatey delights.
In the shop there were a range of gluten free alternative and naturally gluten free products. Quite a few are items you can find in the supermarket free from aisle but others are harder to find or more unusual, gluten and dairy free Worcester sauce is something I’m hoping to get stuck into soon. The edamame spaghetti is lovely too.
Speaking to the owner I learnt that she and many members of her family have coeliacs disease which is what inspired her to set up, she started with just a shop and the cafe is a new venture opened in January 2016.
It’s definitely well worth the visit any time you are in Norwich and great to support them in their venture, hopefully one day it will lead to many more gluten free cafe’s around the UK in the future.
littlefruitbat.com 