Eat food you love that loves you back
It’s nearly a year since the Covid19 Pandemic forced us into a series of lockdowns. With many of our normal every day activities taken away, there’s been a surge in home activities. Ranging from gardening, home exercise classes, learning a language to an increase in baking. One of the most prominent ones – certainly on social media – has been bread making. Continue reading “Your daily bread”
Having an intolerance to yeast means that most bread items are off the menu for me. Yeast pops up everywhere in most cuisines, so finding an alternative can be a challenge – and rather restrictive. Continue reading “Sweet potato flatbread”
It’s Shrove Tuesday – Pancake Day. Of course, pancakes are not just for one day of the year – that would be too sad – but it’s a good day to post about them! In fact, it’s only now that I realised I haven’t shared my favourite pancake recipe – it’s time to remedy that!
February is a funny month. Spring is on the way but the weather can be so harsh, as if winter doesn’t want to let you go just yet. The icy cold winds of the last few days here in the UK are the perfect example of this! Continue reading “Barley and roasted squash stew”
This is the time of year when we could all do with a bit of sunshine – certainly for those of us in 
Northern Europe! Grey cloudy days mixed with showers and the odd downpour mean we don’t get to see much blue sky and sun. We know it’s there, that sunny days are on the horizon (hopefully!), and it’s a joyous treat on those occasions when the clouds clear and golden beams shine through. Continue reading “Spicy squash rice”
No matter how much you enjoy cooking, there’s always the times when you just want something quick and easy that doesn’t keep you tied to the kitchen whilst it’s cooking. Particularly on those busy weekdays. Even though we’re still in lockdown and not physically going anywhere, I’ve found my weekday evenings seem to be just as busy with online meetings, webinars or social chats.
I love parsnip soup. And I love cauliflower soup. So it only seemed like a natural progression to try the two together. And it was definitely worth doing!
When cooked, parsnips are naturally ‘creamy’ – and so is cauliflower. When cooked and blended together, it creates a lovely rich and unctuous texture that is wonderfully comforting, perfect for those grey January days.
I’ve used both a curry powder mix that contains turmeric as well as a little additional turmeric. This is to ensure that as well as super tasty, this soup also gives the immune system a bit of a helping hand.
Turmeric is a beautifully golden yellow spice (or root rather) that contains some powerful medicinal compounds that have been well researched for their positive effects on both the body and the brain. The main compound studied is curcumin, although there are many more within turmeric that all work together as a team, so as always, trust nature and consume turmeric as a whole rather than an individual compound.
To maximise absorption of these helpful compounds, it’s best to consume alongside some black pepper (for the compound piperine that massively aids absorption) and a little fat. As you know, all my food is cooked without oil, but I have included some almond milk plus I like to garnish my soup with a drizzle of cold-pressed flaxseed oil. This provides some healthy omega 3 fatty acids and helps absorption of the turmeric compounds.
This soup keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days plus it freezes well, so you can make a big batch and have portions on hand when you need a tasty lunch that will hug you from the inside out! Enjoy.
If you’ve been feeling a big sluggish and weighed down by heavy seasonal treats and comfort food, then this delicious winter salad might just hit the spot for you. It’s easy to make and full of fresh, seasonal ingredients that will delight your tastebuds and give your body just what it needs on a dull, January day. Continue reading “Orange and pomegranate salad”
It’s only a week until Christmas Day! Have you decided what you’re having for Christmas lunch this year? It could well be nut roast – and why not? It’s delicious. Especially if you jazz it up a bit with a filling, like this stuffed nut roast recipe. But what if you fancy something a bit different? Or can’t eat nuts? What else can you make for that special meal?
This super tasty roasted squash and lentil filo swirl might just hit the spot for you. The soft and flavoursome filling contrasts perfectly with the crunchy flaky filo on the outside. And it looks dead posh too, even though it’s pretty simple to make.
To make this recipe easier, it’s a good idea to roasted the squash ahead of time so it’s ready for when you want it. And to make it even easier, you don’t even need to take the skin off. Peeling squash is just all too much 😉 It’s enough to wash the skin, then slice, remove the seeds inside and cut into chunks to tip into a roasting tray. Simple!
I’ve used filo for this tasty swirl as it contains only a few ingredients and is easy to use. But if you’re gluten free, it’s not ideal. You can buy it, but it’s hard to find. And you can make it, but it’s pretty tricky!
As an alternative, you could use bought gluten free pastry either short crust or puff pastry. But these can contain higher levels of saturated fat or animal fats, which again is not ideal. So an alternative is to use a large cabbage or winter greens leaf. Yup you read that correctly! It’s not as crazy as it sounds, honest!
Remove the inner stem and lightly steam for a couple of minutes. You want it to soften but not cook. Refresh the leaf in some cold water, pat dry, then place some of the filling on one side and wrap it up in to a little parcel. Secure with some thin strips of leek or a cocktail stick. This can then be baked in the oven. It’s not a swirl, but it still tastes fab!
Of course, this recipe can be made any time of year – it’s not just for Christmas! But if you do make it for Christmas Day, I hope you enjoy it with all the normal trimmings. Do let me know how you get on!
I do love a vegetable that’s adaptable, something that can be used in all sorts of dishes both sweet and savoury. And sometimes in surprising ways. Pumpkins and squash definitely hit that criteria. In beautiful shades of orange, these lovely gourds maybe be harvested in autumn, but can last all through the long winter. Continue reading “Sweet pumpkin pie”