Onion Bhajis GF

When I first ate onion bhajis, I was genuinely surprised by how delicious they were. I'm not overly fond of spicy food but once I'd tasted these mildly spiced, golden bites of joy, they swiftly became a huge favourite. I posted an onion bhaji recipe a few years ago but I now tend to make this version since we always have ginger and coriander in the fridge. However, since both recipes have their merits, I've decided to post this recipe in addition to my original one rather than updating the original post.

Tropic Skincare Review

As you know, I don't usually review non-food items but I'm truly in love with these wonderful products from Tropic Skincare. I've only been using them a couple of weeks yet my skin is definitely beginning to feel so much softer and far more nourished and hydrated.

Strawberries and Cream with Toasted Macadamia Nuts - Suma Bloggers Network GF SCD

Strawberries and Cream is such a simple Summer dessert yet it's the most perfect, in my opinion. But when you're following a dairy free diet what's the best alternative to cream? Vanilla cashew cream ticks all the boxes and it's quick and easy to make so long as you have a blender. Since we're still in the midst of strawberry season, I decided this recipe would be ideal for my contribution to the Suma Blogger Network this month.

Some Really Lovely Olives - A Quick Review

I used to be extremely envious of people enthusiastically digging into a plate of olives with their little wooden cocktail sticks because I vehemently hated them, both the texture and the taste, and I really couldn't see what all the fuss was about. However, moving forward a few decades, I've forced myself to eat them and now, I can quite happily state I adore olives.

Vegetarian SCD Food

If you're a vegan or vegetarian the SCD (Specific Carbohydrate Diet) may seem quite daunting but with a bit of creativity and support from those around you, it's not as difficult as you may think. To give you further encouragement, I thought you might like to take a glimpse of some of the amazing food my son and his girlfriend have recently prepared for themselves

Homemade Spice Mixes GF SCD

If you're wondering how to make your own spice blends to avoid all the nasty fillers and preservatives often included in prepared spice mixes, it's a very simple process and once prepared they can be kept for up to 3 months in a dark place. If we're cooking for the SCD we always make our own, just to be on the safe side, even if the ingredients on the jars and packets don't state any additives.

SCD Ice Cream

Did you know that you can create soft, velvety, easy to scoop SCD ice cream from SCD Yogurt Cream? By adding natural fruits and nuts to flavour the yogurt cream, along with a little honey, it's possible to recreate all your favourite flavours. Now it's getting warmer in the UK, I've been reminded of the ice cream recipes I created a few years ago so I've gathered them together in one post so you can find them more easily.

Hasselback Courgettes or Zucchini with Basil Oil GF SCD

These tasty baked hasselback courgettes (zucchini) make the perfect vegetable side dish especially if you're cutting back on carbs or following the SCD. I tried to get hold of some round courgettes but unfortunately I couldn't find any which is a shame because I think these would make the perfect replacement for hasselback potatoes.

Cashew and Sunflower Bites - Suma Bloggers Network GF SCD

These spicy, grain free, gluten free, paleo and vegan cashew and sunflower bites have been on my to do list ever since I enjoyed a fantastic lunch at Kupfert and Kim in Toronto a year ago.

How to Replace Ingredients and Adapt Recipes For Grain Free Diets and the Specific Carbohydrate Diet GF SCD

When embarking on a grain free diet, don't throw away your recipe books because it really is quite simple (with a little trial and error) to convert your favourite recipes and make many of them suitable for a grain free diet. When I first started cooking for the SCD, I was quite overwhelmed by it all but it didn't take me long to learn the "rules" and I've listed a few ways that we have converted our favourite recipes below.

A Few Things I Like - 3

It's been a while since I posted and I'm looking forward to sharing some new recipes with you soon but today, I thought I'd share with you some more of my favourite things.

My Recent Likes and Dislikes

I just thought I'd write a quick post about some of the things that have been making me happy lately and some of the things that have made me cross. I'm on the way to recovery now but I'm still on my crutches and it's been a very frustrating 6 months. I'd never have imagined that a simple task of bringing in some washing from the garden would result in several months of chaos. I'm so grateful for all the support from friends and family and I'm now exercising to make my leg strong so I can learn to walk (and cook) again. I'm even looking forward to doing the laundry, would you believe it! So here goes...

蛋 饺 - Egg Dumplings for Chinese New Year's Eve GF SCD

Chinese Dumplings

Happy Chinese New Year! Did you know that this year is the Year of the Monkey? The Chinese Zodiac, known as Sheng Xiao, is based on a twelve-year cycle and each year in that cycle is related to one of the following animal signs : the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog and pig.

Pear and Ginger Pudding GF SCD

A few years ago I shared this recipe as part of the Seasonal Real Food Blog Series on Recipes to Nourish.  At the time I made this grain free dessert with pears but the combination of apples and pears together works beautifully and if you pop in some berries, the nutritional value of the pudding increases in leaps and bounds. Ginger has exceptional healing properties and is also well known for its powers in aiding recovery from colds and flu making it an ideal choice as a spice in cooking at this time of year. Plus, it's so warming and comforting.

My Favourite Superfoods - Cauliflower

What makes the simple cauliflower a superfood? Do you even like it or are you getting a little tired of seeing it popping up everywhere? Lucky for me, I've always adored the taste and texture of cauliflower, it was even considered to be a treat. But when I was growing up it was only ever cooked in season and not every day of the year. These days, the reliable Autumn cauliflower seems to be taking on much more of a starring role in the kitchen from making minor appearances in breadsticks and cakes to completely pushing the mighty old spud off stage.

Happy New Year 2016

 

Do you make New Year's resolutions? I don't see the point in them any more and why make resolutions to begin on the 1st of a new year. Why not today or tomorrow? In the past when I've made New Year's resolutions, I've never managed to stick to them for long and I've realised that, to some extent, they can actually cause some stress and anxiety and that's no way to start the New Year! However, I do try to set some goals but I don't set firm rules since I know they won't always work out.