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.

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.

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.

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!

The SCD for Autism and ADHD

In the last 9 years since we started the miraculous Specific Carbohydrate Diet which, I can honestly say, has healed my son's Crohn's Disease, I've noticed that awareness of this diet for treating IBD has grown quite significantly. However, the fact that a completely dairy free version of this diet has been hugely successful in treating children (and adults) who suffer from autism and ADHD is less well known.

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!

Grain Free Lemon Birthday Cake GF SCD

We enjoyed having visitors to stay this weekend and we celebrated my son's birthday with a simple to make birthday cake. Simple because I didn't really want to spend all my time in the kitchen given the limited amount of time we would have together. That said, as you probably know if you're on the SCD, a considerable amount of time is always spent cooking!

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!

Freezing Herbs and Other Uses For Ice Cube Trays

Sainsbury's are currently promoting and encouraging people to get the most out of their freezer and have assembled some great ideas, inspiration and practical tips for simple freezer solutions as well as some recipes to help you get the most out of your freezer.  All this information is over at Sainsbury's Love Your Freezer Hub. Here there is a section called "8 ingenious uses for an ice cube tray" and I'd like to add another idea to this section ... freezing herbs in an ice cube tray.

Brussels Sprouts with Chestnuts, Red Onion and Mushrooms GF SCD

This is a perfect Thanksgiving or Christmas side dish. Low in calories, Brussels Sprouts are packed with nutrients. High in Vitamins C and K, they also contain generous amounts of Vitamin A, Vitamin B6, folate, potassium and manganese. The perfect flavour combination of the chestnuts and mushrooms and the sweetness of the red onion when combined with these wondrous little green vegetables creates a dish which isn't just OTT healthy, it's fabulously tasty too.

A Vegetarian SCD Christmas

I thought a few of you may be interested in some of the food that was eaten over the Christmas fortnight this year when we were catering for someone on the Specific Carbohydrate Diet. It was interesting to see some of the food he created too.

Stuffed Peppers with Cauliflower Rice - Suma Bloggers Network GF SCD

I'm so excited to have been asked to be part of the Suma Bloggers Network and delighted to be able to share my first recipe as part of this network with you. Since I love to experiment with grain free cooking so that as many of my recipes as possible are suitable for the Specific Carbohydrate Diet, I've used cauliflower rice in this recipe instead of ordinary rice. I've been making cauliflower rice for some time now but apparently, cauliflower rice is going to be one of the trendiest foods of 2015, have you tried it yet?

Vegetarian Gluten Free and Grain Free Christmas GF SCD

Christmas is nearly here so I thought I'd share with you some of the recipes which seem to be most popular around Christmas time. I'm way behind with my planning and cooking this year, I hope I manage to have everything done in time but this post will help me to find all the food I need to prepare.

Vegetable Pot Pie GF SCD

There's nothing better than to come home to a warming and comforting pot pie, especially during the cold Winter months. This grain free vegetable pie features a crumbly crust made from almond flour and extra virgin olive oil and a selection of winter vegetables bursting with colour and taste all immersed in a sweet onion and herb gravy and not a grain in sight.

Coconut Cream Ice Lollies or Popsicles GF SCD

Since the weather has been so beautifully hot, I thought I'd share my dairy free and much healthier version of the milk ice lollies which used to be a huge hit with my children ...and with me!