Supper club lowdown

Eating out can be a challenging experience when you're a sensitive eater. It's great that more and more restaurants are recognising the demand for dairy and gluten free meals or plant based options, but that's not the end of the potential problems.
For a start, most what's on offer can be a bit dull and boring to be perfectly honest; ordering is easy as there's no choice involved, just the one option! And even in a vegetarian or vegan restaurant, many dishes are deep fried and contain refined or fermented products, so I can still leave feeling rather yuck.

Jane's Place, Hove

I still love going out to eat, though. I'm always hopeful that the choice I order will be super tasty, and won't come back to haunt me later. It's such a pleasure to end the evening feeling satisfied and well - unfortunately  a rarity. It doesn't stop me though, I just suffer the consequences!
My supper clubs, however, are designed with the sensitive eater in mind; everything is 100% plant based, so dairy free for sure, gluten free and yeast free, plus mainly whole food with limited refined sugar and oil, and not a deep fried item in sight! Every dish is infused with natural flavours and I use real produce, not 'fake' foods. I spend hours thinking up exciting dishes that you wouldn't generally find in a restaurant, then trying them out to make sure they taste great. I'm not a professional chef, so the presentation is a bit 'rustic' at times, but that doesn't seem to bother anyone, as the plates always come back empty. Dessert is always particularly popular - conversation pauses for a few moments whilst the first spoonfuls are savoured!
It's not just sensitive eaters that come along, we're open to anyone who wants a good night out! Some guests come as they already eat plant based, some just like good healthy food, others are

curious about vegan food and some are dragged along by their partners (but leave with happy tummies!).If you like eating out and you've never been to a supper club, do try one. Most of mine are held at a lovely atmospheric venue in West Hove called Jane's Place, with a wonderfully friendly host called, unsurprisingly, Jane. Her room can seat up to 12 and she makes everyone feel welcome, whether it's someone new or a regular diner. And it's an eclectic mix of people who come either alone or with a companion to keep them company.

As my passion is sharing the wonderful benefits of the food being eaten, I share a little bit of information about each course. I like to nourish the mind as well as the body! And if anyone is particularly bowled over by one of the dishes, I will share the recipe afterwards, as dining out menus are not well featured in most plant based cookery books.
If you like the sound of a great night out with good food, interesting company in a warm and friendly atmosphere, then my supper club will be right up your alley. Keep an eye on my Facebook page or follow this link to my website for the latest dates and menu - the next one is on 3rd February, so there's still time to book! http://www.thesensitivefoodiekitchen.com/supper-clubs2.html

Christmas balls!

Nuts, cranberries, allspice and cinnamon - amazing Christmas flavours. How about having all that deliciousness bound together into one tasty bite? Well, that's what you get with my raw Christmas energy balls!

Seasonal fruit and nuts

Anyone who has followed my blog for a while knows that I just love energy balls, and make a variety of flavours to suit all occasions, so it only makes sense to have one especially for Christmas. These are perfect if you love a touch of decadence without a dilemma, as these treats taste amazing, but are also good for you too.  A combination of healthy fats and proteins with slow release sugars, these bite-sized goodies just hit the spot with seasonal spices and a touch of raw chocolate too. Perfect for anyone who eats dairy free, gluten free, plant based or just wants a break from refined and processed foods.
I've used allspice alongside cinnamon as it's such a Christmassy flavour. A small dried fruit from a pimento tree, it is a type of pepper with hints of clove and nutmeg. It can actually benefit health as the phytonutrients contained in the tiny corn have anti-inflamatory properties. Allspice can also help aid digestion and absorption of nutrients as well as reduce wind - could be useful after a good helping of sprouts on Christmas Day!
You can use whatever nuts you like in these balls - I've gone for walnuts and almonds, but pecans would add an even extra hint of richness. To keep this a completely raw treat, I've used raw cacao powder, but if you only have normal cocoa powder to hand, don't let that stop you giving these a go, they will still taste gorgeous.
A handful of these popped in a bag make a lovely Christmas gift too - just make sure you give them away quickly or you find the only person receiving the gift of Christmas balls is you!
Enjoy.
Christmas raw energy balls

Christmas balls!

1/2 cup walnuts
1/2 cup almonds
1/2 cup dried dates
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup raisins
2 tablespoons raw cacao powder
1/2 - 1 teaspoon ground all spice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons orange juice or water
desiccated coconut
Place the walnuts and almonds into your food processor and pulse a couple of times to break them down a bit. Add the dates, cranberries, raisins, cacao powder and spices and pulse again a few times, then blitz until combined. Add a little orange juice or water to help it stick together but not too much or it will be too wet and soggy. Take a teaspoon full and roll into a ball in the palms of your hands. Roll in desiccated coconut to cover. Repeat until all the mix is used up.
This is enough for approximately 18 balls.

Christmas preparations

It's that time of year again where we shop until we drop, and eat until we burst! Now we're actually into December, my mind is turning towards Christmas cooking. I love all the seasonal flavours with warming spices, sharp pickles, rich nut dishes and crunchy greens.

Christmas can be challenging if you are a sensitive eater, or are cooking for someone who is. This is not the time of year to miss out! With this in mind, I'm going to be doing a series of blog posts to help you out at this time of year. All recipes are plant based and can be easily adapted to gluten free too.
To start you off, here are some links to existing posts from the last couple of years:
1) A useful nut roast. This is my go-to basic nut roast recipe, simple to make and delicious eaten cold on Boxing Day too. You can jazz it up with some more herbs, or put slices of tomato or mushroom in the middle. A firm favourite with us.
http://foodiesensitive.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/planning-christmas-dinner.html
2) Tasty tarts! I made these last Christmas for one of my supper clubs and they went down a storm. Worth making if you want something a little more innovative than nut roast. Use your pastry of choice - I now make one with minimal fat and will be adding the recipe soon
http://foodiesensitive.blogspot.co.uk/2015/12/i-dont-know-about-you-but-this-year.html
3) The ultimate red cabbage. Perfect for Christmas Day, everyone can eat it and it can be made a couple of days in advance if needed. What more could you want!
http://foodiesensitive.blogspot.co.uk/2015/11/comforting-cabbage.html
4) A lighter dish. When you've eaten so much and are looking for something a bit lighter, this fennel stuffed pepper hits the spot. Sumptuous flavours without the need for a post-dinner snooze, unless you want one of course!
http://foodiesensitive.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/thanks-delia.html
5) Rich paté without the meat. This lentil and walnut paté will hit the taste spot for a Boxing Day spread and no-one will guess how easy it is to make.
http://foodiesensitive.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/amazingly-tasty-lentil-and-walnut-pate.html
Finally, if you have a sensitivity to egg, dairy or fish, don't forget to check that your booze. Many beers, wines and ciders use animal proteins in filtering the yeasty gunk from their products which will then linger in the final product. Check out this old blog post to find out more and I'll be doing a little update with some recommendations - it's a hard life testing these things out for you!
http://foodiesensitive.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/milk-in-wine-surely-not.html
Let the Christmas countdown begin!

Oh so gorgeous lemon and blueberry cake

Over the weekend, I was wondering who decides if it's a special day or week. For instance, last week was National Curry Week, celebrating what has become one of the nation's favourite genre of dishes (and rightly so!). Apparently it was also Humphrey's Pyjama Week. Plus there were special days including World Arthritis Day, World Sight Day and World Food Day, as well as a few others. It was a very busy week!
Of course, these special days and weeks are awareness or fundraising campaigns, often for causes that slip out of the limelight when there is so much going on in the world. On occasion, they're more of a marketing campaign for the companies who sponsor them (cynical head fully on). They also give bloggers something to talk about!

So with all that in mind. let's raise a floury hand and a cup of tea to this week's special week - National Baking Week! Something we can all enjoy with gusto! The popularity of The Great British Bake Off really does show how much we as a nation value cake. There are some truly mouthwatering offerings constructed before our eyes, with sweat, tears and tension folded in for our viewing delight. All we need is smell-o-vision to make it perfect. There's even a GBBO drinking game been devised, with extra shots quaffed for a sunken disaster or soggy bottom (or so my student daughter tells me!).
Cake has always been important to The Sensitive Foodie, and I'm not alone, as my most frequently read posts are baked goodies. Eating whole food and plant based doesn't mean that cake is banished, just adapted - and it still tastes as yummy, if not better.
This lemon and blueberry cake is definitely a winner. It's easy to make and is reliably successful. Plus, with the addition of blueberries, you could claim it's a super food! It works just as well with gluten free flour as normal wholemeal flour, and the coconut sugar adds a certain deep richness you can't achieve with super refined caster sugar.
One thing to watch out for - don't panic if you think the batter is too runny. I think this every time I make it, but it always firms up beautifully with a light, fluffy texture. Just keep the faith and don't panic!
The lemon drizzle on the top is optional, as are additional fruit decoration. It just depends on how fancy you want to be! So have a go, and start National Baking Week off with a corker - make sure you get a slice though before hungry hands get on it!
Lemon and blueberry cake

250g self-raising flour - wholemeal or gluten free blend
1 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt
100g coconut sugar
2 tablespoons maple syrup
220ml dairy-free milk (I use rice milk)
85ml olive oil
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1 unwaxed lemon, zest and juice
100g fresh blueberries
To top (optional)
Juice of a lemon and 2 tablespoons coconut sugar (for drizzle)
extra blueberries and/or raspberries
Grease and line a 2lb loaf tin. Pre-heat the oven to 180ºC. Pop the flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl and mix together well. In another bowl, add the sugar, maple syrup, olive oil, dairy free milk, lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla essence and stir well to combine.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix together well, but lightly so you don't lose all the air bubbles created from the lemon juice hitting the raising agents. Quickly stir in the blueberries, pour into the prepared tin (remember it will be pretty wet), tap on the worktop then place in the oven for 35 -40 minutes until the top is nicely browned and a toothpick comes out clean. Remove from the oven and leave to cool slightly in the tin.
If you're adding lemon drizzle (really worth it) mix the lemon juice and coconut sugar together in a small bowl. Prick lots of holes in the top of the cake, with a toothpick or fine skewer, then pour spoonfuls of the lemon mixture over the top, letting it soak into the holes. Leave to cool in the tin for 20 minutes then tip out onto a cooling wrack, peel off the baking paper and leave to cool completely. Scatter fresh berries over the top, and cut into slices to serve.

Chilli sweetcorn baked polenta

Here's my next instalment of 'what to do with lots of sweetcorn and courgettes at the end of a good summer?' series. This dish is focused on sweetcorn, and is a double corn recipe using both fresh off the kernels with dried and ground corn.
Polenta is one of those products that can delight or dismay, depending on how it's cooked and the texture. I had never really tried it until I went along to an Italian cooking demo whilst living in India. Yes, you read that right! It might sound a bit random, but there was a great Italian restaurant (called Toscano) in the mall next to our housing compound, run by two French brothers. I know you'd expect them to be Italian, but hey, in that's how things roll in the awesome global mix that is Bangalore! It was a bit of an expat retreat serving familiar European dishes with an Indian kick (i.e.; lots of chilli) and pizzas that kept the kids more than happy.
As it turned out, I couldn't actually eat the finished polenta dish they were demonstrating as it contained breadcrumbs, which was a shame but avoiding deep fried food is never a bad thing really. But what I did learn was how to prepare it from scratch and how to maximise flavour without overloading it with butter and cheese, perfect for the dairy free diner.
The top bit of advise, as always, was the simplest - keep tasting until you get it right, and use good quality ingredients. I've since lost the recipe demonstrated that day, but I was so glad to see how to make it, plus I gained valuable tips on what to do, and not do, in cooking demos!
I used to get quite confused about the difference between polenta and the ground maize used for Mexican dishes and featuring on mainly American recipe sites. Basically, polenta is ground cornmeal, just slightly more coarse with less of the healthy outer grain removed, so theoretically should contain more fibre and nutrients, but modern processing methods may make that assumption defunct! In the US, it's often frowned upon as some cornmeal is made from genetically modified corn, plus different coloured corn contains less nutrients. If you want to know more, check out this article to help make things clearer http://www.thekitchn.com/whats-the-difference-between-cornmeal-and-polenta-word-of-mouth-211404
The good thing about polenta is that it's gluten free, so useful if you need to be careful, and still has a useful amount of fibre to help transit the sugar content through. It can be used as a base for other dishes like cakes, bread or crunchy coatings, as well as just made up in it's own right.
The nutrition in this dish really comes from the fresh corn kernels - those bright yellow buttons are packed with phytonutrients that are good for the eyes and contain anti-oxidants, as well as a load of insoluble fibre that the friendly bacteria in your gut just love to munch on. I used this as an accompaniment to a courgette based chilli dish and they complimented each other perfectly, but you could serve it with a fresh salsa, avocado dip or fresh summer green salad - any rainbow dish will do, for lunch, dinner or a snack. So why not give this a try and let the sun shine from your plate!
Baked sweetcorn chilli polenta

2 cobs of sweetcorn
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
200g polenta
750ml vegetable stock
1 heaped teaspoon ground oregano/Italian herbs
1 red chilli finely chopped or 1/2 teaspoon dried crushed chilli
salt and pepper
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast (optional)
Pre-heat the oven to 180ºc. Grab a 23x30cm baking tin, grease and line with baking paper.
Next, cut the corn off the cobs. Heat a dash of olive oil in a medium sized pan and sauté the corn for a couple of minutes, stirring all the time so it doesn't stick. Add the garlic and cook for a minute, then add the polenta and cook for a minute, stirring continually. Slowly pour in the stock, stirring constantly with the heat on low so that it steadily thickens without sticking to the pan. You need to get rid of all the lumps. It's ready when the texture is smoother and no longer grainy. This takes about 10 minutes or so - be patient and have a cup of tea to hand to keep you going! It should become really thick, but not so thick you can't move it around, so add a little more stock if needed, but don't go mad otherwise the mix will be too loose. When you're happy with the texture, stir in the herbs, chill, baking powder and nutritional yeast if you're using. Season with salt and pepper and mix really well to make sure everything is combined. Taste and add more flavour as needed. Your could stir in a little extra virgin olive oil as well at this point but it's not essential.
Spoon the mix out into the prepared baking tin and smooth down the top so it's equally spread out - a bit tricky as it's so sticky. With the recommended size tin, it should be about 5cm thick. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until a dark golden crust has formed. Remove from the oven, rest in the tray for 5 minutes then turn out onto a wire cooling rack to firm up. Once it's cool enough to handle and set, peel off the baking paper and cut into shapes. If it needs warming up, pop back in the oven to warm though for a few minutes and serve. Enjoy!

Courgette loaf - sweet not savoury

I read an article recently in which a 'celebrity baker' scoffed at those who include fruit and vegetables as a key ingredient in their cake. Well, I have to disagree, even though I'm not a professional baker! Some of my favourite bakes include a good helping of veg - sweet potato chocolate brownies, carrot cake and my new favourite, courgette loaf. They may have a different consistency to your traditional baked cake (watching Great British Bake Off, I'm in awe of their delicate crumb!), but I like a sweet treat that's gooey, substantial and full of goodness, so veg in cake is just fine by me.

So as part of my mini-series on what to do with the mass of courgette around at the moment, here's a great little cake to try for afternoon tea. Well, it's more of a loaf, similar to banana bread than a Victoria Sponge, but nevertheless it's still cake in my book! It is dense, but in a sticky, satisfactory way, reminiscent of bread pudding but a million times lighter!
The benefit of using veg or fruit in baking is added moisture; the potential problem with courgette is that they are 95% water, which could make your cake a soggy, heavy disaster. To prevent this, just squeeze some excess water out of the courgettes once they're grated. You could do this through a clean tea towel, but it's a bit messy and you can end up spending ages picking up bits of courgette from odd places (or maybe that's just me....?). An easy way is to pack it into a measuring cup or small pot and press it down so the water rises to the top and then drain that off, holding your hand over the top. Don't take off too much though, otherwise your cake will suffer.
This cake really is super healthy - it's dairy free, can be gluten free, plant based, contains minimal refined sugar and is packed full of lovely nutrients and fibre. On top of that, it is also refined oil free, the apple sauce replacing the oil in this instance. Not that fat is bad, far from it, but refined oils such as sunflower or vegetable oils take their toll on our cellular health and so should be minimised as much as possible. To add a little fat into the mix, pop in some chopped walnuts or pecans - the flavour, texture and nutritional value will be happy if you do!
The downside of cutting out refined products in this cake is shelf life - oil and sugar act as preservatives, so best keep this loaf in the fridge and use it up within 3 days. Mind you, once you taste it, that won't be a problem! Enjoy.
Yummy courgette loaf cake

2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
6 tablespoons water
240g wholemeal/spelt/gluten free flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 medium courgette, grated (small)
100g coconut sugar (or other minimally refined brown sugar)
160g apple sauce
10mls lemon juice
50g raisins and/or chopped walnuts
Place the ground flaxseed and water into a bowl and mix well. Put to one side to thicken - this is your flaxseed 'egg'.
Pre-heat the oven to 180ºc. Grease a 2lb loaf tin and line with baking paper.
Place the flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon into another bowl and mix well together. Add the sugar, lemon juice and apple sauce to the flaxseed mixture and stir well, then add the courgette and stir again. Pour the wet mix into the dry mix and quickly combine together - don't over mix. Stir in the raisins and nuts (if using) and pour into the prepared loaf tin. Tap the tin on the worktop to level and stop the raising agent working too quickly, then pop in the oven.
Bake for 25 mins then check - the loaf should be slightly risen and lightly browned on top. Stick a skewer or cocktail stick into the cake - if it comes out coated with mixture, pop back into the oven for another few minutes until done. Remove from the oven, leave to cool for 10 minutes or so, then tip out onto a cooling rack, carefully peel off the baking paper and let it cool completely.

Sweetcorn and courgette fritters

Sweet corn and courgettes are right in season at the moment, and it's a bumper crop. I love sweetcorn. Ripened during the long sunny (hopefully!) summer days, fresh corn is so sweet and succulent it's a joy to eat. Sometime it can be hard to buy unprepared cobs in the supermarket, so I like to get my sweetcorn elsewhere - farmers markets or shops, greengrocer or veg box schemes are all good sources of cobs still covered in their husks. That way you get to unwrap them, revealing the vibrant yellow kernels voluptuously packed in tight, clinging to the side of the cob, ready and waiting to be eaten.

Courgettes are prolific this time of the year, especially if you manage to beat the slugs and snails to grown them yourself, or if you get a veg box delivered. Although they tend to be available most of the year, I prefer them at this time as they tend to be less watery and more flavoursome. Not that I used to like them - whether it's my tastebuds that have changed, or it's the courgettes, but I used to find them bitter and quite unpleasant. That all changed when I went on honeymoon to Egypt (a few years ago now!). The hotel's restaurant always had a buffet style service, and courgettes were served in a huge vat, just lightly cooked with nothing added. It wasn't just the cooking that was light - the courgette skins were a really pale green, almost white, as if they had been bleached by the searing dessert sun. And maybe the sun also altered the flavour, as these had all the courgette taste, but none of the bitterness. Suddenly I was a courgette fan.
Which is a good thing, as they are packed full of super nutritious goodies like vitamin C and potassium as well as fibre, and of course lots of water. They are really useful veg to have around as they can be used in a whole range of dishes, either as a base ingredient or the main star.
But no matter how much I love both sweetcorn and courgettes, when there's a lot of them about at the same time, it can be a challenge to find new ideas to use them. So to help out, I'm going to do a few extra posts over the next few days with some ideas for you to try.
The first are these gorgeous sweetcorn and courgette fritters. Now fritters are not usually on the menu at home as traditionally they contain milk, eggs and are fried in loads of butter or oil. But after a little playing around, this recipe still deserves the title of fritter even though it's dairy free, gluten free, plant based and baked so oil free too. The good news is that they taste amazing, and are gulped down in a flash at home - phew! Great for a light lunch served with a zingy dip or served up with different vegetables or salads to make a more substantial main meal.
To make these fritters beautifully caramelised without frying, I use a silicon baking mat instead of an oiled baking tin or pan frying. Whole healthy fats are really good for us, but refined oils are not as their altered molecular structure can be harmful to our bodies, and cooking oil at high temperatures affects that structure even more. The silicon baking sheets cook everything really well and still gives a gorgeously browned outside, plus nothing sticks - very clever! It's an essential item in my kitchen cupboard now and would highly recommend them.
So if you fancy 'frittering' away a little time, give these a go and see what you think. There are loads of flavour combinations you could use - let me know if you try something new.
Baked sweetcorn and courgette fritters (makes 12)

1 large cob of corn, cooked
1 medium courgette, grated
3-4 spring onions
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 small red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped (optional)
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
6 tablespoons chickpea (gram/besan) flour
1 tablespoon polenta
1 teaspoon baking powder (gluten free if needed)
90mls dairy free milk
Pre-heat the oven to 180ºC. Place a silicon baking mat onto a large cookie tray. Place the grated courgette into a sieve and press out some of the fluid (not too much as it will contribute towards the total fluid content). Place the squeezed courgette, sweetcorn, spring onion, garlic and chilli into a bowl, mix well and put to one side. In another bowl, mix the gram flour, polenta, seasoning, baking powder and ground flaxseed together. Pour in the dairy free milk and whisk together to form a batter. Leave for a few minutes to allow the flaxseed to swell and absorb some of the liquid.
Tip the veggie mix into the batter and mix well until everything is combined and holding together well on a spoon (i.e. not too runny). If your mix is a bit thick, add some more dairy free milk, if it's too runny, add a little more chickpea flour. Let the mix sit for a minute or two.
Dollop a heaped spoonful of mix onto the prepared baking tray and spread out a little with the back of the spoon. Repeat until the mix is used up. Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes or so until the top has set. Flip the fritter over and cook for another 10 minutes until the base is browned. Serve with freshly made chunky cucumber guacamole (link here soon).

Summer crumble comfort

Some may call us brave, others foolish, but we have just been away on holiday for two weeks, leaving our teens at home to fend for themselves. It's not the first time we've done it, but certainly the longest. And with great relief, they managed just fine - the house was still standing, no difficult to explain holes in the wall or dangling radiators (it's happened before!) and pretty tidy too - how wonderful!

The only thing that needed immediate attention turned out to be the freezer - the door had been left open a bit so it was over-iced and a couple of things had started to defrost. No big problem that's for sure, especially when those two items were a container of cakes and a bag of rhubarb - they just needed to be eaten :).
The biggest issue about being home turned out to be the weather! Not that it had been perfect in the Alps, but I had got used to a large amount of very hot sun, and now suddenly it was grey, dull and definitely wet, enough to put the damper on anyone's holiday spirits. Comfort food was needed and that bag of rhubarb was begging to be made into a crumble. As it is still summer, no matter what the view out the window may say, I wanted to add a suitable seasonal element and the tub of gorgeously sweet strawberries I'd picked up hit the spot. Some may say that rhubarb and strawberry are an odd combination for a crumble, but they go together perfectly as the sweetness of the glorious strawberries means you need less sugar to soften the tart rhubarb, just as long as the strawberries are properly grown and flavoursome. I wouldn't make this with insipid out-of-season watery berries that's for sure.

Crumble is a fantastic dessert - easy to make and (nearly) everyone enjoys it. Traditionally though, it's not the best for those who need to eat dairy or gluten free, or for anyone looking to lose weight due to the large added sugar content. Fortunately, it's easy to give it a make over! I use a mixture of (gluten free if necessary) oats and gluten free flour for the topping with a smidge of coconut sugar to help with the crunch. Cinnamon aids with sugar absorption and so a teaspoon added into the topping not only benefits the body, but tastes amazing too.
Both rhubarb and strawberry are fabulous nutrition wise, packed full of anti-oxidants, phytonutrients and various vitamins. Strawberries are an amazing source of vitamin C in particular.
So why not give this a go - everyone will agree on the flavour, the only debate will be custard, ice cream or cream to top it (dairy free of course!).
Rhubarb and strawberry crumble

4-5 stalks of rhubarb
150g strawberries
1 tablespoon coconut sugar
2 tablespoons water
85g oats (gluten free if needed)
70g plain flour (wholemeal/gluten free)
2 heaped tablespoons dairy free spread (Pure/Vitalite etc)
1 tablespoon coconut sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pre-heat the oven to 180ºC. Chop the rhubarb into chunks, slice the strawberries in half (if big) and place in a medium sized oven-proof dish with the coconut sugar and water. Ensure everything is mixed well together.
Mix the oats, flour, coconut sugar and cinnamon together, add the dairy free spread and rub in using your finger tips until it's blended in and small chunks stick together (you can do this in a food processor if you don't want crumble mix up your nails!). Sprinkle over the top of the prepared fruit and pop in the oven for 20 minutes or so until the fruit bubbles up a bit and the top is lightly browned and firm.
Leave to rest for a few minutes then serve with whichever accompaniment you choose. Enjoy!

Chocolate refrigerator chunks - dairy free of course

There are times when only chocolate will do. But when you're eating dairy free, you can't just grab the first bar you find. Then if you're eating gluten free and want to cut out the junk and eat more whole food, then things get even more complicated. By the time you actually find something that meets the criteria and hits the spot, life has moved on and you don't really want it anymore! Which is great for the waistline, but frustrating for the tastebuds! Or worse, you succumb and eat something that makes you feel dreadful.

There are more and more dairy free chocolate brands available to buy, usually in the supermarket free from section or a health food shop, but they can be expensive and you don't really know what's in them.
You could make you're own chocolate of course - something that I do want to do. I even have a friend

who teaches it, but still haven't made it to a class. Fortunately, I have an easy solution to chocolate bar frustration that's really quick to make and tastes amazing - chocolate refrigerator chunks.
The recipe of these came together after I was bought a solid chocolate 'cake bar' from a healthy food stall - a long, mars bar sized chunk filled with nuts and dried fruit. Having not consumed a decent chocolate bar for a number of years, it was quite a revelation, but so rich and filling that I couldn't finish it all, despite a seriously concerted effort. Having made great changes to the way I eat, it really was just too much for me - shocking!
Whenever I munch my way through a new food or dish, I'm always analysing it's make up and trying to decide how to recreate it myself. Realising that this would be simple, I grabbed the dairy free chocolate drops and got to work.
The actual content of the bar is totally up to you - whatever combination of dried fruit, nuts or seeds you like. These little goodies bring in the healthy bit by introducing fabulous fibre as well as an assortment of essential fatty acids, minerals and phytonutrients. You could even add puffed rice or buckwheat, or some gluten free granola to give it another dimension.
So why not give this a go and create your own individualised chocolate chunk that just hits the spot!
Chocolate refrigerator chunks

250g dairy free chocolate
2 tablespoons coconut oil
250g of chopped nuts, seeds and dried fruit
(my favourite combo is pecan, raisin, cranberry, pumpkin and flaxseed)
Pop the dairy free chocolate and coconut oil in a medium sized bowl. Place it over a small pan of simmering water and stir whilst it melts to combine. Remove from the heat and stir in the nuts, seeds and fruit combo you've chosen - mix well.
Tip the mix into a prepared tin (*see below), cover with a freezer bag and place in the freezer for a couple of hours to set hard. Remove from the freezer, tip out of the tin onto a board and chop into chunks (careful of your fingers though as it's pretty hard). Place chunks into a pot and leave in the fridge until you're ready to eat them (if you manage not to eat them all during the chopping process). Enjoy!
*I have found that disposable flan dishes are the best mould to use, and as it's easy to remove when frozen, you can reuse them a number of times. If you don't have any, just line any tin with foil to help you remove it later - don't use cling film though, unless you want it as part of your chocolate chunk!

Learning and teaching enthusiastically

When I started eating a dairy and yeast free diet 7 years ago, it was really tough! For a start, trying to get my family and friends to stop fretting about my food choices was hard, and cooking food that kept everyone happy was a challenge. I was starting from scratch with many recipes, trying to work out how to adapt them successfully (there were more than a few failures, that's for sure!). And as for eating out, well that was like being in an episode of Fawlty Towers at time, without the canned laughter and funny bits.
Then just to make it even more complicated, we moved to India, where many of the 'free from' items

we relied on were not available, and finally going mainly plant based, which really freaked some people out. Never knowingly normal!
I've learnt a lot on my food journey, and continue to learn all the time, and indeed still making changes - you may have noticed more gluten free recipes appearing recently. There's been a few mistakes, some frustration and the odd tantrum (whose, I'm not saying!). But I don't regret it, and I don't even miss my old favourite foods any more, as I have loads of new favourites instead, that don't leave me unwell or in pain. Plus there's so many 'side-benefits' to eating a whole food plant based diet, like glowing skin and hair, and effortless weight loss. There's continual discovery and experimentation going on in my kitchen, less cookery rules to follow and a budding array of new restaurants and cafes to visit, as suddenly eating plant based is 'in'.

One of the things I love about my journey, is sharing the benefits with other people so they can start their own healthy food adventure, only with less hiccups - that is why I created my Eat Well, Live Well course. Packed full of the valuable information, short cuts and tips I have learnt over the last few years, I just love seeing others become enthused and enjoying the changes in their own lives, or someone close to them. And because it's not just about learning information, but enjoyment too, I always include a full lunch (or supper) as part of each session, and provide a full recipe folder of over 60 dishes to follow. In fact, one recent participant only cooks from my folder, which is quite a compliment.
Covering diverse subjects like nutrition 101, social norms, how to bake amazing cakes and gut bacteria, the Eat Well, Live Well course is a 5 week spring board into never looking at food the same way again. The next cohort starts this week in Hove on Thursday 9th June, so time is short to get on board before the summer break - email me if you want to join us karen@thesensitivefoodietichen.com. If you can't come along and join the fun this time, there'll be other opportunities, including an on-line version that should be available from September. Exciting times!

Chia-up - breakfast cheer

Getting a good breakfast can be a challenge at times, especially if you're short of time or have run out of inspiration. It's easy to get stuck in the same routine, grab the nearest empty calorie cereal or, worse, have nothing at all.
Breakfast really is the most important meal of the day - your body has been fasting over night and needs good fuel to get it going again. And it doesn't have to be boring, even though cereals and toast sometimes seems like the only things to have. When you're eating a dairy or gluten free diet, you do need to get a bit imaginative at times.
There's loads of different things on offer to power you up for the day - just because you don't have time for a full English (or it's veggie equivalent!) doesn't mean you have to miss out.
Planning the morning meal is as important as any other during the day, so keep ahead of the game, and if mornings are a rush, prepare it the night before.

This chia breakfast bowl is one of the recipes that features in my Eat Well, Live Well course, a five week foray into the world of eating a whole food plant based diet. It's so simple to make, tastes fabulous and is packed full of amazing nutrients and fibre that will keep you going all the way to lunch. Because of it's high fibre content and lack of refined sugar, you won't get that sugar dip mid-morning.
Chia seeds are part of the 'in crowd' at the moment. But rather than just another nutrition fad, these tiny little black seeds really are worth the hype. Just a couple of tablespoons gives you 5g of protein, 11g of fibre and are a great source of plant based omega 3 fatty acids. There's also fabulous amounts of calcium, manganese, magnesium and phosphorous, plus zinc and vitamins B1, 2 and 3. Not only that, there are loads of anti-oxidants that help munch up free radicals that damage our bodies and contribute towards the ageing process.
The fibre content of chia seeds is amazing - not only will it help keep you full for longer, it helps keep your gut happy, providing food for the friendly bacteria deep down that aid digestion and absorption of nutrients, but also keeps our guts a healthy and happy place. And the nutrient profile of these seeds is perfect for bone health - a clean source of protein and lots of calcium, magnesium and phosphorous, all essential to keep bones healthy and strong.
This chia breakfast bowl only takes a couple of minutes to make before you go to bed;  the chia seeds swell up in the milk overnight, so when you grab it in the morning, it's all thick and gooey, and ready to get you going. There's all sorts of toppings you can add - hemp seeds, fruit, coconut etc

- or just eat it as it is. On the photo, I've added some ground hemp seed with goji berries and passion fruit. So think ahead, and have a chia-full day!
Chia seed breakfast bowl
1 small banana
2 tablespoons chia seeds
200mls dairy free milk of choice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Mash the banana in the bottom of a bowl. Pour the chia seeds in then add the milk. Stir in the cinnamon, then place in the fridge overnight. Add your toppings of choice in the morning, and enjoy!

Mighty fine Sunday pie

Four days down in the veg box challenge and we are gradually munching our way through the gorgeous produce that arrived on Wednesday. The squash has all gone, as have the carrots and the cherry tomatoes. There's still a couple of onions though, most of the leeks and mushrooms, the lettuce, one parsnip and a handful of chard as well as potatoes.
So to Sunday dinner - what to have? There's plenty of curry leftover from Saturday night, but those big fat juicy leeks are just begging to be eaten, so it just has to be a leek and mushroom pie.
I know some people aren't keen on pie, especially as a thick layer of butter pastry can result in a serious case of indigestion afterwards. But I've always been a fan, and ended up missing out for a while when I first went dairy free. It then got more complicated when I went plant based and then nigh on impossible when I went gluten free. But where there's a will there's a way, and a desire for pie can overcome all obstacles!
Ever since grain was milled, people have made some sort of crust to stuff a filling into! First it was more of bread or pancake. Then the Greeks developed pie pastry, and the Romans started documenting pie recipes. Apparently the most popular recipe was called 'placenta' - somehow that doesn't sound too appealing to me........
Pie has been a feature of British cuisine since Roman times, and take different forms all round the world. We noticed the Aussies are particularly fond of pie when we were over there at Christmas, and I always think of Twin Peaks when anyone has cherry pie!
For a plant based pie filling, in my mind there is no better than a simple leek and mushroom one, especially if they are firm, nutty chestnut mushrooms, which is fortunately what was in the veg box. They go together brilliantly with tarragon and a creamy sauce, making such a delicious filling you might just prefer it to a meat pie!

You may not think of leeks as being particularly special, but being part of the allium family they are packed full of phytonutrients such as flavonoids and polyphenols that help protect and support our blood vessels and help protect against oxidative damage and stress. And mushrooms, although in lesser amounts, have a whole range of vitamins and minerals, particularly selenium, and lots of fibre. On top of that, they produce their own natural antibiotics that can help boost immunity.
I made my own pastry for this pie as I haven't found a gluten and dairy free alternative in the shops. If you're ok with shop bought pastry, then go ahead and use it if making it is not your thing - JustRol is dairy free and definitely easy to use. I've not included my recipe for gluten free pie pastry here - I'm well chuffed with it though, and will save that for another day.
To make the creamy sauce, I kept it really simple and used some soya cream -it works brilliantly and is no hassle. If you don't do soya, then there are some other dairy free creams on the market such as oat or rice. You could of course make a white sauce, but I was too busy making rhubarb crumble (dessert is most important!).
For a complete Sunday night feast, our pie was accompanied by crushed potatoes (mash with skins on!) and some steamed cabbage, admittedly not from the box, but perfect anyway.
Mighty fine leek and mushroom pie

4 medium leeks, washed and trimmed
150g of chestnut mushrooms (more if you have them)
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 1/2 teaspoons tarragon, fresh or dried
1 carton dairy free cream
salt and pepper
1 portion pastry, enough for a double crust
Pre-heat the oven to 180ºC. Slice the leeks and mushrooms, then heat a dash of olive oil in a large pan and sauté the leeks for a few minutes, then adding the mushrooms. Cook for a couple of minutes, then add the garlic for a couple more. Pour in the cream, add the tarragon and seasoning and simmer until everything is cooked through. Let it stand for a few moments.
In the meantime, divide your pastry in two and roll out the first half and cover the base of a pie tin or dish. Wet the rim with a little water. Then roll out the second half of the pastry, making it big enough to cover the top. Spoon in the leek mixture, then place the pastry on top, pressing the edges together. Make two small slits in the middle to allow the steam to escape, brush the top with a little water or dairy free milk, place on a baking tray and pop in the oven for approximately 20 minutes until the pastry is firm and light brown (remember you might not get this brown with gluten free pastry). Remove from the oven, let it sit for a couple of minutes then serve and enjoy!

Friday night rainbow savoury pancakes

Friday night dinners have to be quick and easy, just because it's Friday, really! Rainbow pancakes are ideal as they are super tasty and don't take much time to make.
So what was used from the veg box? One of the carrots (I'm gradually making my way through them), a handful of chard and then the cherry tomatoes, not for the pancakes but roasted on the side - oh and they tasted sublime!

For the sharp eyed, you'll notice there is an interloper in the veg ingredients - I snuck in some sweet potato, not just for the gorgeous colour but to use as a binding agent. Once steamed and puréed, sweet potato goes a little gloopy, and works brilliantly helping to hold everything together in gluten free plant based recipes. They also contribute towards the texture and can be added in surprisingly well to a variety of recipes - anyone tried my sweet potato chocolate brownies.....?
The other key ingredient in the pancakes is the flour - for this particular pancake I've used chickpea flour (otherwise known as besan or gram flour). I first discovered this flour when living in India, and find myself using it more and more, simply because it's amazing! First it has a strong flavour so contributes a savoury taste. It's packed with minerals, particularly magnesium, B vitamins and is a great source of protein and of course fibre. Finally, it's gluten free and really adaptable for all sorts of recipes. Don't try to lick the bowl though, as it tastes pretty foul when raw!
To finish off the dish, I made a spinach and walnut pesto sauce as it needed a little something on the side, and that's what I had in the fridge!
So give this a go - it takes about 20 minutes in total if you already have some sweet potato pureé to hand. Enjoy!
Rainbow savoury pancakes

1 cup chickpea flour/besan/gram flour
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
pinch salt
200ml water
1 medium carrot, grated
2 small sweet potatoes, steamed and mashed
handful chard
handful parsley, chopped
salt and pepper
cherry tomatoes
olive oil
First, heat the oven to 180ºC, place the cherry tomatoes still on their stems into a baking tray with a splash of olive oil and pop in the oven to roast for 15 minutes or so.
Wash the chard and separate the stem and leaves. Finely chop the stem and put to one side. Place the leaves into a frying pan and dry fry for a couple of minutes to remove some of the water. Leave to cool.
Whilst the tomatoes are roasting, make the pancakes. Place the flour, turmeric, baking powder and salt into a bowl and mix together well. Add most of the water to make a thick batter. Stir in the sweet potato, chopped chard stems, chopped chard leaves, grated carrot and parsley and mix together really well until everything is combined. Add a little more water if needed. Season with salt and pepper.
Heat a drop of oil in a pan and dollop 2-3 spoonfuls into the middle, spreading it out to make a large pancake. Cook for a couple of minutes until starting to brown, then flip and cook the other side. Slide out onto a warm plate and repeat until all the mixture is used up.
Cut each pancake into fours, then serve with the roasted tomatoes and some pesto or sauce of choice.

Wednesday night parsnips

I do love a good parsnip! And the ones that turned up in the Riverford veg box yesterday were voluptuous and ready for some action.
The usual route (or should it be root ;)) for any parsnips that enters the house is spicy parsnip soup, swiftly followed by a roasting. Simple but packed with flavour. But this weeks veg box contained a parsnip recipe that I hadn't tried before - skordalia - so the fate of the gorgeously creamy roots was sealed.
I had never heard of skordalia before, but apparently it's a side dish from Greece traditionally made with potatoes; Bob the Riverford chef had substituted parsnips for the spuds, and it does taste might fine.
As with most recipes I come across, it did need The Sensitive Foodie touch to make it dairy and gluten free; I also used whole almonds and chopped them as I like to have my nuts with optimum fibre content and I substituted flaxseed oil for the olive oil to increase the omega 3 content. I used Mrs Crimbles breadcrumb mix as that was open, but have notice that Waitrose now do their own gluten free breadcrumbs, which are completely rice based. Of course, if you're ok with wheat and gluten, then go for normal fresh breadcrumbs as I can imagine they make the dish even more thick and gloopy.

The final product was seriously gorgeous, and would go perfectly with a nut or lentil loaf and a pile of roast potatoes. Not that's what we had for dinner! But the quiche was still good with it!
You may not think of parsnips as a 'healthy food' but, as with all veggies, they do having surprising nutritional benefits. For one they are a great source of soluble fibre, so keep our guts healthy and won't upset those with IBS too much. They also have a good amount of vitamin C, potassium and B vitamins, which are all needed for cell activity. There's even a reasonable amount of manganese as well as a whole range of phytonutrients that are thought to have an anti-inflammatory effect and help protect against certain cancers. Not bad for a simple root vegetable!
So here is the recipe - there was a little left over, so I'm looking forward to lunch!
Parsnip skordalia (Riverford recipe with Sensitive Foodie adjustments!)
500g parsnips

400ml dairy free milk
1 bay leaf
2 cloves garlic, peeled
30g gluten free breadcrumbs/fresh breadcrumbs
handful almonds, chopped
juice of 1/2 lemon
glug of flaxseed oil/olive oil
salt and pepper
Peel and chop the parsnips into small chunks and pop into a saucepan with the dairy free milk, bay leaf and garlic cloves. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer with the lid on for 15 minutes or so until the parsnip is soft and mushy. Turn off the heat and leave to cool slightly.
Strain the parsnips and garlic but reserve the milk. Discard the bay leaf. Pop the parsnip and garlic into a food processor with a little of the cooking milk and blend until smooth. Add the almonds, breadcrumbs and some salt and pepper and blitz again for a moment to combine everything together. Add the oil and lemon juice and blitz briefly. Check the flavours and consistency and add more seasoning. milk or lemon as needed. Serve and enjoy!

Veg box challenge

I love getting my Riverford veg box every Wednesday! Unless we're over run with potatoes or artichokes, I never look at the box contents on line, but wait to be surprised when the box arrives. It might help planning if I checked, but I love a bit of creativity and spontaneity, particularly if there is a vegetable that I'm not particularly familiar with, or that's not a bit hit with the family. And cooking dairy free, gluten free and plant based just makes the challenge a little more interesting!

I've been getting a Riverford organic veg box for a long time now, apart from when we were in India - bit too far for them to deliver! I did, however, find a local one whilst I was there, which presented an even bigger challenge at times.

In my opinion, organic vegetables not only taste better, but being grown more naturally in cared for soil means they contain more nutrients, less chemicals and are better for the environment. And I know that everything grown is as local to the UK as possible, not flown half way across the world, and is therefore fresher and more vibrant.

So when I get asked "what do you eat in a normal week, then?', my answer is that it depends on what's in my veg box! And as I've been a bit lax with the blogging recently, I've decided to do a blog a day for a week, all about what I've made with the veg from my box.

This weeks gorgeous delivery was waiting on my doorstep earlier. We've got potatoes, carrots, onions, fat leeks, parsnips, chard, cherry tomatoes, mushrooms, a huge sweet mama squash and a couple of vibrant green batavia lettuces. Nothing surprising or unconventional this week, so not too difficult to think up some yummy dishes. I'm thinking parsnips for tonight's dinner - tomorrows post will tell you all about it!

Chewy tropical squares

I'm quite fond of January, even though I know many people loathe it. The seasonal celebrations may be over, but it's my birthday this month so there's still an excuse to party. New Year resolutions have been made, and broken all too quickly, and everyone seems to be on a diet; not me though, as I've found eating plant based and whole food means I never have to diet again (apologies for any smugness). There are some advantages of having a dairy and yeast intolerance, you know!

In the dieting world, sugar is getting a good bashing at the moment, and rightly so. Not that all types of the sweet stuff should be banished forever - how sad that would be - only the highly refined and processed sugars that do nothing but hit our pleasure centres at full force. Whole unrefined sugars (in reasonable amounts) are well suited for humans; we love the sweet stuff as our cells, particularly our brains, use it along with oxygen to carry out millions of different processes that keep our amazing bodies functioning. Refined sugars, though, give us too much too quickly, so the body ends up overcompensating, then plunging us into sugar dips - we've all had them, the shakes, the sweats, the panic and irritability that can only be assuaged with half a packet of biscuits. 

Complex, unrefined sugars release their glucose more slowly, keeping everything on a much more even keel and minimise brain panic when it feels it's running low on fuel. Moving to complex sugars, like using dates in desserts instead of caster sugar, may be less satisfactory on the taste buds in the short term, but this will change after only a few weeks, and suddenly refined sugars taste unbearably sweet and unmanageable in large amounts. 

These chewy tropical squares make a great sweet snack if you are trying to reduce your refined sugar intake but love something sweet. Packed full of complex unrefined sugars as well as filling proteins and fats, they tick all the healthy boxes but taste just a little decadent too, plus they're gluten free. Perfect for kids on the go, pre or post exercise or just because you feel like it, they're really easy to make and keep well for about 5 days in an airtight container (if they last that long without being gobbled up).

So give these a go, the perfect January treat, hitting the sweet spot but making you feel good inside too. 

Chewy tropical square

100g dates, chopped

100g dried apricots, chopped

50g dried mango or pineapple, chopped

100mls orange juice

150g ground almonds

100g whole almonds

100g mixed seeds (pumpkin, flaxseed, sunflower etc)

2 tablespoons desiccated coconut

pinch of salt
2 tablespoons maple syrup (optional)

dairy free spread or coconut oil for greasing

Grab a 20cm square baking tin and lightly grease with the spread or coconut oil. Pre-heat the oven to 180ºc. Put the dates, apricots and mango or pineapple into a bowl with the orange juice and soak for 5 minutes or so. Transfer to a blender, add the whole almonds and pulse a few times to break the fruit and nuts down, but retain some texture (i.e.: you don't really want mush!). 

Tip the blended mixture into a bowl and add the remaining ingredients apart from the maple syrup (if using). Press firmly into the lightly greased tin, pushing it up to the edges and flattening well, then bake for 20 minutes, or until the top starts to look golden. Remove from the oven, and brush with the maple syrup to give it a slightly sweeter kick if needed (optional). Mark out 9 squares with a sharp knife, then leave to cool in the tin.

When cooled, turn out onto a board and cut into squares. Enjoy!

Christmas chestnut tartlets

I don’t know about you, but this year seems to have gone by so quickly! Christmas is nearly upon us once again. By now, most people have the decorations up, the presents bought (or maybe not!) and know who’s cooking that amazing festive feast on Christmas Day.I usually cook up a flavour-packed nut roast as my plant based alternative to turkey (see http://foodiesensitive.blogspot.com.au/2012/12/planning-christmas-dinner.html for a good basic recipe). Some may say it’s not the same, but a special feast is what you make of it, not necessarily what tradition dictates! If you so desire, there are some tasty meat-alternatives out there such as the Vegusto rustic roast (made with wheat protein) or Tofurky (wheat and soy protein), but they’re not my kind if thing, even before I went gluten free. Eating plant based and wholefood is about packing in real food, not processed products infused with a variety of chemicals.

This year though, I wanted to create something slightly different, something sumptuous and packed with Christmas flavours. And what's more Christmassy than chestnuts and cranberries? So I put together this gorgeous little tartlet for my December supper club, and have to say am rather pleased with the results. 

Chestnuts are an underrated nut! Lower in fat and higher in starches than most nuts, they are popular with those who believe that low fat, high carb is the way to lose shedloads of weight (remember Rosemary Conley's Hip and Thigh diet??). Although this approach is no longer de rigueur and despite their low fat content, they're still good sources of mono-unsaturated fatty acids, but also fibre, manganese and vitamins B and C. 

Cranberries are well known for being good for bladder health, and dried can be as good as fresh, although some of the vitamin C is lost. The problem is that sugar is often added to make them more palatable, but a small amount is fine. Just try not to nibble the rest of the packet whilst you're cooking!

The filling is also gluten free, so as long as you use gluten free pastry as well, then you've got a fully free from dish (unless someone has a nut allergy!). I'm currently experimenting with gluten free flours - with this dish, I've found a pastry made with brown rice flour works the best, but that's another blog post!

So why not give this a go? It does take a little time, but can be made in advance then reheated when you're ready, giving you more time to open presents and drink bubbles! Merry Christmas!

Chestnuts, cranberry and mushroom Christmas tartlets (makes 6)

1 portion shortcrust pastry (homemade, Just-rol, gluten free)

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 large red onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, crushed

260g chestnuts (I used 1 ½ packs of Merchant Gourmet whole chestnuts)

3 medium carrots, grated

2 teaspoons thyme

1 pack parsley, stems separated from leaves and finely chopped

3 tablespoons dried cranberries

200g chestnut mushrooms, finely chopped

tamari

salt and pepper

2 tablespoons dairy free cream cheese or non-dairy cream

To make the filling Heat the olive oil in a pan and sauté the onion and thyme until the onion is soft (if it starts to stick, add a little water. Add the garlic and cook for a minute. Add the carrot and chopped stems of the parsley, mix well and cook for another minute. Stir in the chestnuts and mushrooms and cook until the fluid from the mushrooms has evaporated. Add the cranberries, a few dashes of tamari and season with salt and pepper. Stir in the cranberries then add the cream cheese/non dairy cream and chopped parsley leaves and cook for another few minutes until it all comes together. Taste and add additional seasoning and tamari as needed. 

Pre-heat the oven to 180ºC. Roll out your pastry of choice to about 1/2 cm. Place a tartlet tin on to the pastry and cut around it with a 1 ½ cm extra rim. Remove the tartlet tin and carefully pick up the cutout piece and flip it over into the tin. Press the pastry into fit, pinching any breaks together and trim the edges. Brush with some dairy free milk or a chickpea flour wash (mix a tablespoon of chickpea flour with some water to get a milk-like consistency). Repeat the process until all the pastry is used (should be enough for 6).  Place the tartlet tins on a baking sheet and place in the oven for 6 minutes.

Remove the pastry from the oven then fill with the mixture. Put the tartlets back into the oven and bake for another 10 minutes or so until the pastry feels firm and the top of the tartlets starts to brown slightly. Remove from the oven, leave to cool slightly so you can remove the tartlets from the tin without burning yourself and serve with all the Christmas veg. This works well with onion gravy with some redcurrant jelly stirred in, although I used homemade rosemary jelly - yum!

Autumn apple cake

After a rather dull and soggy end to the summer, it's turning out to be a gorgeous start to autumn.

With the leaves just beginning to turn, I'm looking forward to a stunning colourful autumn display.
Despite the cooler summer, fruit has been in abundance this year. As well as a great first year crop of raspberries and gooseberries, my apple and pear tree have been laden with gorgeously tasty fruit.
Globalisation means that apples are now available all year round, shipped from the other side of the world to meet our all year round demand. But nothing beats the flavour, or density of nutrients, as a locally grown, freshly picked apple. There are so many varieties of home grown apples - 2,200 according to this article http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2011/mar/14/apple-britain-gala-traditional - but only a few available in our supermarkets, which is a real shame. I was most annoyed the other day to find only one type of British apples available for sale, despite the fact it's the UK apple season. There were many other bags of apples, but none were even from Europe.
Because of it's popularity, it's easy to see apples as a mundane, non-impressive fruit. In fact, apples are a powerhouse of nutrients that help us to stay healthy, but it's the type of fibre that's particularly interesting. Research shows that the insoluble fibre in apples, particularly the pectin, feeds the friendly bacteria that live inside our guts. These helpful chaps not only help digest and absorb food, but keep our gut linings healthy and provide protection from the harmful bad bacteria.
It appears that cooked apple is even more effective than raw, although eating raw is also good. And when paired with cinnamon, cooked apple is even more beneficial. This is great news, as suddenly puddings are a health food! Well, as long as they're not packed full of sugar and fat!
Traditionally, cooking apples like Bramleys, are used for crumbles and pureés, but I tend to use eating apples instead, as you don't have to add sugar to make them more palatable. So you could add apple  and cinnamon pureé to some dairy free yoghurt for a simple dessert, or dollop a spoonful in your porridge in the morning.
This cake is also another way of getting the goodness of apple, whilst enjoying the comfort of a mighty fine cake. As I'm using eating apples, the skins can be kept on as they become soft when cooked. This not only makes it quicker to prepare, but retains many of the super-healthy phytonutrients that live just under the skin. The apples are naturally sweet, which means you don't need to add as much sugar to the mix. I'm using coconut sugar as much as possible now, as it's a less refined and provides a deep, luxurious flavour. As it's so dark brown, it doesn't really work in a light sponge cake, but is perfect for this kind of gooey deliciousness.
So why not give this a go at the weekend? Your tummy and your tastebuds will love you for it!
Autumn apple cake
1 1/2 cup self raising flour (gluten free if needed)

1/2 cup coconut sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup organic rapeseed oil
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup dairy free milk
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
3 eating apples - 1finely chopped, 2 sliced
extra coconut sugar
dairy free spread
Pre-heat the oven to 180ºc. Grease a loose-bottomed cake tin with the dairy free spread, then line the base with greaseproof paper. Grease the paper again, and sprinkle the extra coconut sugar over the base to cover lightly. Arrange the sliced apples on top in a circle, covering the whole base. Grab two bowls. In one, add the oil, water, dairy free milk, lemon juice and vanilla essence, and whisk together to mix. In the other, sift the flour, baking powder and cinnamon, then stir in the salt and coconut sugar. When you are ready, pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir quickly to combine, but don't over mix. Add the chopped apple and mix gently. Your batter will be quite thick. Spoon into the cake tin, taking care not to disturb the arranged apple slices on the bottom. Tap the tin on the work top before placing in the oven. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the top is firm and a skewer comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then remove onto a cooling tray, carefully peeling off the baking paper so your apple arrangement remains intact on top.
Eat warm, or cool completely; it's great both ways. Enjoy!

Tasty tapas tasting!

For someone who loves lots of different flavours, and wants to try everything on the menu, tapas is perfect for me! But when you have to avoid dairy and (now) gluten, and chose to eat plant based, the choices in a restaurant are often limited to one, if I'm lucky.

So you can imagine my delight to discover that Iydea, one of may favourite eating places in Brighton, was opening a restaurant offering vegetarian and vegan tapas. And even more delighted when I managed to get my hands on two free passes to be trial tasters of their dishes. Yummy food for free - who could resist?

If you've not come across Iydea, then I urge you to go. Even if you're not plant based, the food is delicious and healthy, plus very reasonably priced. They have two sites, one in Kensington Gardens in the North Laines, the other in Western Road. Service is canteen style and the atmosphere friendly and relaxed, with the menu changing daily. They have a wonderful array of salads, and you can choose a hot main with two sides and two toppings, and not want to eat for the rest of the day! The Western Road site has more space and includes an upstairs seating area - this is the location for the tapas bar, rootcandi.

As it stands. this is the only vegetarian tapas bar in the UK, and only one of two in Europe, the other being in Barcelona. So it's a pretty unique set up. There's a large choice on the menu; you can order just one or two single dishes or the set menu, designed for two people. And going more upmarket, rootcandi is full table service and licenced (I had an amazing vodka cocktail!).

The set menus offer you slightly better value than ordering individually, and are separated into three helpful categories. There's 'Preston', which was vegetarian, 'Stanmer' was vegan and 'Queens'  was gluten free, so all food choices were covered. Having said that, talking to Steve the owner, they were aiming to go completely plant based, so the menu items may well get updated. We went for 'Queens', although I was eyeing up the 'Stanmer' on the next table! The choices on the menu are eclectic, ranging from crisp courgette tempura (yum!), to a sharp tomato salad and rich roasted aubergine to a gorgeous lentil cake. All the flavours were there and a little spice too. Everything is presented on a specially designed rotating dish stand and whilst we easily ate everything up, it was plenty and I felt contentedly full afterwards.

Not full enough to avoid pudding though! These are not included as part of the tapas menu but, hey, it's pudding and where there's vegan and gluten free options, they just have to be tried! I had this gorgeous poached pear with a lovely dairy free ice cream, and Steve (my husband not the owner!) went for a trio of fruity sorbets - delicious!

Rootcandi is open Tuesday to Saturday evenings from 6pm and Sunday from 12 onwards. We will definitely be going down again soon - probably this week now, as my appetite has been whetted again just writing this! Do go along, and try this unique dining experience for yourself and see how tasty plant based food can be.