Category Archives: Vegetarian

Dairy Free, Family Meals, Gluten Free, Recipes, Special Diets, Vegetarian, Weaning, Wheat Free

Imam Bayildi (Baked Aubergine Heaven) Gluten and Dairy free.

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I love aubergines. Which is an odd thing because as a child I hated them, how tastes and times change. This recipe is a particular favourite of mine, not just because it is fragrantly spiced, softly spreadable and tinglingly tasty….but also because of the style of eating. I am one of those types who likes to eat with her fingers so this meal is perfect. What is hilarious, is when my oh so well brought up husband tries to eat it with a knife and fork, now that’s just silly 😉

This recipe takes about 15-20 minutes to prepare the aubergine, then if you make the flatbreads whilst the aubergines bake you can be all ready to eat within an hour of starting. So it’s not super quick, but you could cheat and buy flatbread instead or use pitta.

 

Dietitian UK: Imam Bayildi
Dietitian UK: Imam Bayildi

 

Recipe (serves a family of 4):

Imam Bayildi

2 large aubergines (half a large aubergine does 1 adult in our house)

1 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes

2 tsp cumin

1 tsp coriander

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tbsp tomato puree

1 tsp sugar

dash lemon juice

 

Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 4.

Cut the aubergine in half and use a spoon to remove the flesh, leaving a cavity. Chop up the aubergine flesh.

Heat the oil in a pan and cook the onion for a couple of minutes, then add the garlic and aubergine.

Now add the tomatoes, puree, spices, sugar and lemon juice. Season and let it simmer.

Place the aubergine skins on a baking tray, spoon the mixture back into the skins and drizzle with a little olive oil.

Bake for 30 minutes at Gas Mark 4.

 

FlatBreads:

150g rice flour

2 tbsp dessicated coconut or grated coconut

Water

 

Mix the rice flour and coconut together in a bowl.

Add the water bit by bit and mix to form a dough. I find this easiest after a while to do on a worksurface.

Using a floured surface divide the mixture into 6-8 pieces.

Use the palm of your hand and fingers to flatten each piece to a round.

Cook in a dry pan for a few minutes on each side, the flatbreads should look mottled.

 

Serve the aubergine with flatbreads, use the flatbread to scoop it out or spread it on. Get messy and enjoy.

 

 

Family Meals, Gluten Free, Recipes, Special Diets, Vegetarian, Video, Weaning, Wheat Free

Homemade Pizza vlog made with my Toddler

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We all love a bit of pizza, in our house we make our own pizza – why? Well….

1)I’m wheat intolerant,

2) It’s just healthier,

3) It’s so easy in our bread machine,

4) We can choose our favourite toppings.

5) My toddler loves cooking and this is one recipe she can almost do all of.

Here’s my wheat free pizza base recipe.

Take a look and see us in action making our pizza, this vlog literally made me howl with laughter, I hope it does you too!

 

Baking, Gluten Free, Recipes, Special Diets, Vegetarian, Wheat Free

Lemon Curd Biscuits (GF, Wheat free).

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Super quick and easy to make, if you have kids they will love making these with you. My toddler decided to make “twinkle stars” biscuits, she did the rolling, cutting and pressed the indentation, then filled them with lemon curd after baking. A triumph!

 

Lemon curd gluten free biscuits
Lemon curd gluten free biscuits

Ingredients:

150g Bezgluten flour

50g ground almonds

100g butter

70g sugar

1 egg yolk

 

  • Pre heat the oven to Gas Mark 4.
  • Cream the butter and sugar in a food processor or by hand.
  • Add the egg yolk and mix, then add the flour and ground almonds.
  • Bring the mixture into a dough using your hands.
  • Roll out on a floured surface, roll to about 2 cm thick.
  • Cut out using any shape cutters, then place onto a greased and lined baking tray.
  • Now press an indentation into the centre of the biscuit using your thumb.
  • Bake at Gas Mark 4 for 10 minutes.
  • Leave to cool on the baking tray for a few minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack.
  • Fill the indents with jam or lemon curd.

These taste good and so I doubt they will last long 😉 Enjoy.

Dairy Free, Family Meals, Gluten Free, Recipes, Special Diets, Vegetarian, Weaning, Wheat Free

10 Minute Bean Burgers.

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You know those days when you have a hungry family but haven’t quite had the time to get round to making dinner? I’ll admit I like to be far more organised and in control of meal times but this was just not one of those days.

So with a toddler as my trusty sous chef we set to work concocting this recipe, it literally took us 15 minutes together to make…so I’m thinking without a toddler that would be 10 minutes 😉

 

Ingredients (Serves 4 adults):

2 tins of kidney beans

2 grated courgettes

100g breadcrumbs (gluten free if needed, I used Bezgluten’s as they kindly sent me some)

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp cumin

2 tsp oregano

1 egg

 

Mash the bean with a potato masher, ours ended up as a chunky mash.

Add in the grated courgette and breadcrumbs, spices and herbs. Give it all a good mix.

Beat the egg and add that in.

Finally shape into patties and place on a greased tray.

They can be frozen at this point and then cooked from frozen at Gas Mark 5 for 25-30 minutes.

If not, cook for 10 minutes at Gas Mark 5.

 

Dietitian UK: 10 minute Beam Burgers ready to cook.
Dietitian UK: 10 minute Beam Burgers ready to cook.

Serving Suggestion:

Try these with potato wedges and stir fried veggies or in a roll with salad and salsa.

Dairy Free, Family Meals, Gluten Free, Recipes, Special Diets, Vegetarian, Weaning, Wheat Free

Hearty, Warming Minestrone Soup

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It’s officially cold, freezing, cold here. In fact it’s snowing! Here’s my perfect snow day soup recipe. It’s packed full of veggies to boost that immunity, the beans are filling and satisfying,  and being a soup, it’ll keep you warm. The pasta makes this a complete meal so no bread is needed. Great for feeding hungry families and using up left over veggies.

Dietitian UK: Minestrone Soup
Dietitian UK: Minestrone Soup

 

Minestrone Soup Recipe:

1 medium onion finely chopped

1 tbsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic crushed

2 large carrots diced

1 tin chopped tomatoes

1/2 small cabbage shredded

2 mugs water

1 tin beans

1/2 mug pearl barley

1 tbsp tomato puree

pinch mixed herbs

seasoning

Thin vermicelli Pasta

  • Finely chop the onion and sweat in the olive oil. After a few minutes add the garlic and carrot, cook for a few minutes then add the chopped tomatoes.
  • Add the shredded cabbage and the water.
  • Next mix in the beans, pearl barley, tomato puree and herbs.
  • Bring to the boil and let it simmer for 30 minutes. Add more water if needed.
  • Season to taste and add the pasta. Cook for a few more minutes and serve.
Dairy Free, Family Meals, Gluten Free, Recipes, Special Diets, Vegetarian, Wheat Free

Making Fresh Gluten/Wheat Free Pasta

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Back in the days when I could eat wheat I loved fresh pasta. It was a quick, easy meal that delighted my taste buds. I even got given a pasta machine by my mother-in-law one Christmas so I could make my own. Typically shortly after that I found out I couldn’t eat wheat. Boo.

I’ll admit, I didn’t venture into making my own wheat free pasta until a year ago, I so wish I had played around with this earlier as it really is easy. Literally flour in a bowl, add eggs, a drizzle of oil, mix. Roll, cut and cook. So simple a toddler could do it…..

 

Why not try my Buckwheat Ravioli Recipe Pasta Recipe, my Courgette Lasagne or make the meat Lasagne.

 

 

Baking, Family Meals, Gluten Free, Recipes, Special Diets, Vegetarian, Wheat Free

Homemade Healthy Breakfast Bars (gluten free, wheat free).

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I’m a huge fan of breakfast. If you’ve gone all night without eating then surely your body needs some food. It makes sense. It picks up your blood sugars, boosts your energy levels and wakes you up! Eating breakfast has been linked to improving your concentration levels, your memory and aids in weight loss. If you have a healthy breakfast that fills you up it should limit the need to snack on biscuits mid morning.

BUT…. we all have those mornings when we just don’t have enough time. You sleep through the alarm, you forgot to iron your top the night before, the cat is sick on the kitchen floor, the phone rings…. you know what I mean. Rather than go without breakfast try making these babies.

The oats are low in glycaemic index (fullness power), the sesame seeds provide calcium, the dried fruit is packed with iron, the nuts give protein, vitamin E and can help to lower LDL (bad) cholesterol.

Recipe:

125g oats

25g sesame seeds

50g sunflower seeds

25g linseeds

50g flaked almonds

150g chopped dried fruit (raisin, apricots, prunes for example)

1 tsp cinnamon

100g honey

60g butter

1 egg

  • Preheat the oven to Gas 3
  • Mix the dried bits together (oats, seeds, nuts, fruit, cinnamon).
  • Melt the honey and butter in the microwave on in a pan.
  • Mix it all and add the beaten egg to bind.
  • Bake in a lined and greased tin for 20-25 minutes.
Dietitian UK: Baking Breakfast Bars
Dietitian UK: Baking Breakfast Bars
  • Slice up whilst warm but leave in the tray to cool before removing.

I’d reccommend wrapped a couple in foil ready to take as you dash out the door. If you don’t eat them for breakfast then they also make a great snack.  My toddler loves them!

Dietitian UK: Breakfast Bars
Dietitian UK: Breakfast Bars

 

You can make as many variations on this as you are creative – change the fruit, the nuts, the seeds etc… let me know how you get on!

Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Nutrition Education, Vegetarian, Wheat Free

Dates Anyone?

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Gotta love a bit of dried fruit, especially when it’s on a market and there is such a choice!

Date flesh is low in fat and protein but rich in sugars, mainly fructose and glucose. They are a high source of energy, as 100 g of flesh can provide an average of 314 kcal – so watch those portion sizes. Aim for 1 handful as 1 portion. Dates also contain selenium, copper, potassium, and magnesium, B vitamins and Vitamin C.  Dates are a good source of antioxidants, mainly carotenoids and phenolics.

Dietitian UK: Date Anyone?
Dietitian UK: Date Anyone?
Gluten Free, Recipes, Vegetarian, Wheat Free

Red Onion Marmalade

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There are some things in life that just work together. Rice and curry, rhubard and custard, scones and jam and one of my favourites: Cheese and Chutney. Earlier this year I made the most delicious Sri-Lankan Spiced Plum Chutney which has definitely aged beautifully. Today inspired by a pile of red onions I got up early (thanks to the little one) and we set about making this delight. It’s pretty quick to make and only has a few ingredients (if you have the onions you’ll probably have the rest too).

We’ve made ours as Christmas gifts. I’m planning on making a few homemade hampers for friends: chutneys, jam, biscuits and truffles perhaps. Makes a great present for anyone on a special diet as it’s gluten free, wheat free, egg free and nut free 😉

Recipe:

9 red onions

4 cloves garlic

dried thyme

50g butter

1 tbsp olive oil

4 tbsp white wine vinegar

4 tbsp balsamic vinegar

4 tbsp white sugar

4 tbsp dark brown sugar

Salt

 

  • Peel and quarter the onions, peel the garlic, then either finely chop or use a food processor to do this for you.
Dietitian UK: Chopping red onions for Red Onion Marmalade
Dietitian UK: Chopping red onions for Red Onion Marmalade
  • Heat a large pan, add butter and oil, then cook the onions and garlic for 5 minutes.
  • Add the vinegar and sugar, stir well and bring to the boil.
  • Reduce the heat to a simmer and leave for about 30 minutes until it thickens.
  • Taste – add more sugar/vinegar to taste and add salt to taste.
  • Pot up in sterlised jars. These quantities made about 6-7 jars.
Dietitian UK: Red Onion Marmalade
Dietitian UK: Red Onion Marmalade
Although this can be eaten straight away it’s a lot better if you keep it a couple of weeks first. I can’t wait to eat mine!

 

 

Family Meals, Gluten Free, Recipes, Vegetarian, Weaning, Wheat Free

Aubergine Bake for an Aubergine Addict.

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It’s no secret that I LOVE a good bargain, last week I picked up Aubergines for 10p, yes you read that right. I’d been saving them and ruminating in my mind about what I should do with them and then got inspired by a chef friend. So here is my aubergine bake.

Ingredients (serves 4):

2 aubergines

1.5 tins chopped tomatoes

3 cloves garlic

1 onion

1 stock cube

1 tbsp tomato puree

1 tsp sugar

Dried mixed herbs

Mozerella

 

Recipe:

  • Slice aubergines lengthways into long slices. Drizzle with a little oil and then cook on a griddle pan or under the grill for a few minutes on each side.
Dietitian UK: Griddled Aubergines
Dietitian UK: Griddled Aubergines
  • Whilst the aubergines cook, put the tins of chopped tomatoes into a pan with garlic, chopped onion, dried mixed herbs,  stock cube (gluten free if required),  tomato puree, sugar and plenty of black pepper.
  • Bring to the boil and simmer the sauce for 15 minutes so it reduces and thickens.
  • Spread a layer of aubergine in an ovenprood dish, top with the sauce and then repeat the layers – a bit like a lasagne.
  • Finally top with mozzerella.
  • Bake for 30 minutes at Gas Mark 5.
Dietitian UK: Aubergine Bake
Dietitian UK: Aubergine Bake
  • Serve with pasta and a green salad. YUM.
What’s your favourite Aubergine recipe? Please let me know, I’m an aubergine addict!