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

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.

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.

My Favourite Superfoods - Walnuts

Monkey nuts were one of my favourite snacks as a child but walnuts only ever made an appearance at Christmas in the bowl of mixed nuts on the table. I remember that they were the easiest nut to crack! But what a mess they made, tiny bits of shell flying all over the sparkling white tablecloth. Actually, walnuts aren't nuts, they're drupes. Drupes are fleshy fruits where the fruit surrounds a shell with a seed inside but unlike other drupes like cherries and peaches for example, we eat the seed of the walnut fruit instead of the flesh itself.

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!

Suma Blogger's Network - Chocolate Coated Almond Flapjacks GF

I haven't been able to discover why the British call oat bars "flapjacks". All I know is that these sweet and utterly moreish bars made with oats, golden syrup, sugar and butter become incredibly popular in the 1920s following the long period of rationing during the First World War. It is believed that they became known as "Flapjacks" in the 1930's sometime but in the US, the word "flapjack" refers to a pancake and these are nothing like a pancake!

Roasted Sweet Potato Wedges with Black Garlic, Chilli & Rosemary GF

Have you ever cooked with Black Garlic? I  tried this black garlic from Sainsbury's but I had to do some on-line research first to find out what it was and what best to use it in. Initially I used it in some hummus - big mistake!  It tasted awful! So, intrigued to find vegetables that would compliment the strong bitter-sweet flavour, I reckoned that sweet potatoes or butternut squash might be a good bet!

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!

My February 2015 TVK Box

I took these pictures on the same day I received this Vegan Kind box because I didn't trust myself not to open everything in one go and eat them on the very same day! Such an awesome selection this month, I just couldn't wait to get stuck in!

Savvy Spreads and Coconut Chocolate Cream Biscuits GF

Award Winning company Savvy Spreads recently contacted me to ask if I would like to taste test their range of 100% natural ingredients spreads. Based on traditional Mediterranean preserve recipes and made with only the finest pure, natural ingredients (and organic where possible), I was happy and curious to try them out. Curious because I wondered just how these sweet spreads would taste like when one of the main ingredients is tahini!

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.