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.

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.

Spicy Candied Walnut Pieces GF SCD

Since the festive season is approaching, I thought I'd share with you our recipe for candied walnuts which feature in my Waldorf Salad recipe. We use the walnut pieces because they're quite economical but if you prefer to use walnut halves, they will look much prettier!

Salted Roasted Almonds GF SCD

This is one of my favourite snacks and it's the simplest of recipes. I LOVE almonds and they're so good for you - good for your immune system, good for your bones, good for your brain, good for your skin and good for your heart!

Stove Top Vegetable French Cassoulet - Suma Bloggers Network GF SCD

I was going to bring you a slow cooked Vegetable French Cassoulet this week for my second contribution to The Suma Blogger's Network but when I reached into the cupboard and brought out my casserole dish I noticed it was cracked so I decided to prepare it on the stove top instead. All is not lost though since one legend of this historical French dish states that it was originally cooked in a cauldron on top of an open fire so perhaps this stove top version has turned out to be authentic after all.

Roasted Cauliflower with Paprika and Oregano GF SCD

I made roasted cauliflower for the family recently and it was so delicious. Cauliflower is trending. Apparently, in 2015, it will become the new kale and deservedly so, I think! For the past few years I have seen cauliflower made into pizza crusts, mashed instead of potatoes, puréed for sauces and roasted whole. It's such a versatile vegetable!

Butternut Squash, Carrot & Quinoa Nut Roast GF

I've been making this awesome nut roast regularly throughout the Summer. Quick and easy to prepare, it's packed full of protein from the quinoa and the nuts and the butternut squash and carrots give it a subtle sweetness as well as a lovely warm, orangey tinge.

A Very Green Salad GF SCD

It's St Patrick's Day tomorrow and this is my contribution to the celebrations. Jam packed full of green veggies and served with an avocado and mint dressing, this salad is the ultimate green salad.

Moroccan Vegetable & Chickpea Burger GF

I've never used harissa before in cooking but that is definitely going to change from now on, what an awesome ingredient!!  Harissa is a fiery, aromatic paste used widely in many North African and Middle Eastern cuisines as a condiment, in stews or even mixed with olive oil as a dipping sauce and the exact ingredients vary depending on the country, region or family tradition.

Grain Free Bhaji Bites GF SCD

I'm a huge fan of Indian food and I particularly adore onion bhajis. My favourite vegetarian Indian restaurant is Prashad's near Bradford and their bhajis are absolutely wonderful. After I created my almond and butternut squash bites, I wondered if I could create a bhaji spiced version of them and these are the result. Flavoured with cumin, coriander, turmeric, garam masala and red chilli these little flavour packed bites truly are awesome!

Roasted Butternut Squash Dip GF SCD

This dip is golden, sweet, smooth and very delicious! I served it with Golden Apple raw crackers and biscuits but the following day I noticed one of my family spreading the little bit we had left on some gluten free bread and making a salad sandwich with it!

Roasted Red Onion and Coquina Squash Soup GF SCD

Compared to butternut squash, Coquina squash is deeper in colour and much easier to peel. An excellent source of Vitamins A and C and rich in phytonutrients and antioxidant carotenoids, this soup is incredibly nutritious as well as being tasty and warming. However, if you can't get hold of one, use butternut squash in this recipe instead because it's also a nutritional powerhouse. 

Caramelised Pears GF SCD

When roasting pears, I've always taken out the core as well as the stem but apparently you can make the pears look much prettier if you just use a melon baller (I couldn't find mine) to take out the core and leave the stems intact. Doing this will create a more "impressive presentation". That said, these are much easier to eat!

Cream of Tomato Soup GF SCD

Growing up we had two kinds of soup, tomato and mushroom and both from a can!  I loved the tomato soup but I haven't had it for years since following a healthier real food diet. So when Sainsbury's sent me a can of chopped tomatoes as part of their support for Organic September, I thought I'd try to create a healthier version of my childhood favourite and I'm so happy with the result!

Blackberry Stuffed Baked Apples GF SCD

I strongly believe that the variety of fruits and vegetables growing on this planet were put here to help cure and prevent major disease. Now blackberries, for example, are little nutritional powerhouses and wild blackberries are high in Vitamin B17 which many believe can help in the fight against cancer. Most of the fruits and berries containing B17 are the sour ones - those that your grandparents used to eat when in season. They are the fruits least likely to be available easily, fruits such as quinces, wild crabapples, gooseberries and elderberries and if you're interested in finding out the other foods containing B17, check out the list here.

Vanilla Cashew Cream GF SCD

Cashew Cream is a wonderful dairy free alternative to cream. On hot puddings it is amazingly delicious and reminds me of custard and it can be used quite successfully in place of dairy cream in many recipes.

Almond & Butternut Squash Bites GF SCD

When Sainsbury's sent me an organic hamper this month in support of Organic September, I was so pleased to find a pack of organic almonds in the box. A fantastic source of Vitamin E, almonds are also rich in essential minerals including phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, zinc and iron. I eat almonds virtually every day. I adore almond milk and love roasting almonds with salt and as you know, I use them to bake cookies and cakes. AND have you tried almond butter? If you haven't then you're definitely missing out!

Mixed Bean Salad GF SCD

I'm always making bean salads, not only are they extremely quick and easy to assemble, they're also full of plant protein and add fibre, B vitamins, iron, folate, potassium, magnesium as well as health promoting phytonutrients to the meal.

Black Bean, Pea and Mint Bites with Raita Dressing GF SCD

I stopped picking the mint from the garden a couple of years ago because whenever I glanced out of the window the local black tomcat was sitting on it. Moving it into a pot didn't help but this year, I've had a plentiful supply from my Mother's garden and we're loving the wonderful fragrance in the kitchen.