Small Plates, Brekkie, Snacks

Beetroot Hummus

Delicious hummus, both chickpeas and beetroot are high in Iron, so if you are low in Iron, this is for you, so make sure you include this in your regular diet. Chickpeas are also high in protein.

• 3 Beetroot
• tin Chickpeas
• 2 dessert spoon tahini
• 2 cloves garlic
• Squeeze lemon juice
• salt
• 100ml Olive oil, add extra until you have a decent consistency

1. Quick and easy beetroot hummus, well it is once you have roasted the beetroot, or you can buy ready cooked, but not as tasty!!
2. Remove the skins of the beetroot, cut into four and Oven roast 180c for 40 minutes, or until soft.
3. Once roasted and cooked, put all the ingredients into a blender. You may need to add a little water or extra oil, if it is too thick. Mint is a great herb to add to this dip.

Corn Fritters

This is basically a pancake mix with corn. I absolutely love them and they are good even with GF flour!!

• 1 Spring onion
• Tsp Chilli
• 2 tsp Chilli chutney
• 100g Gf flour
• 1 Egg
• Approx 250ml Lactose free milk
• 75g Sweetcorn or more if you fancy
• Few sprigs Coriander

1) Chop onion, add chilli, chutney, corn, coriander and sieved flour. Add egg , slowly add milk and whisk, keep adding milk until the batter is a reasonable consistency to ladle into a frying pan

2) Lightly oil the pan and heat, then ladle into rounds in pan. Fry for a couple of minutes on each side.

3) These can be served immediately and any left can be frozen. I have served with poached egg, sweet chilli sauce and coriander.

4) For the poached egg, boil water in a saucepan, you should have small bubbles, so when just simmering, add the egg. Use a slotted spoon to turn the egg over and over, to combine the white. Take about 30 seconds to a minute to cook.

Granola

Ok, this has been something that I have been buying and now I have made it, love it and believe it’s better than shop bought and cheaper, especially if you normally buy gluten free. You can of course change any of the ingredients for items like dates, cranberries, maple syrup.

• Tsp of each: Cinnamon, mixed spice
• 4 cups Oats
• Handful Raisins
• 2 dessert spoon Desiccated coconut
• Handful Mixed seeds
• 1 dessert spoon Linseed mix
• Handful chopped mixed nuts
• 2 dessert spoon Honey
• 2 dessert spoon Coconut oil

1. Heat oil and honey
2. Mix all other ingredients together, add heated oil and honey and mix well
3. Lay out on a baking tray on parchment paper and cook in oven 150c fan/170 normal for about 20-25 minutes, stirring once.

Keep in airtight container

Jam and Peanut French Toast

It’s a great start to the weekend or even a gloomy Monday! Nutritious, delicious and very filling. It can be done in many ways, but adding some fresh fruit is a great way to add nutrients and start your day.

1. Take two slices of bread, put thin amount of jam on one and peanut butter on the other
2. Whisk one egg, little almond milk and a dash of vanilla extract into a bowl
3. Heat a pan with a little oil and take the two slices and soak in the egg mixture on both sides
4. Cook in the pan on both sides until browned. Serve with fruit, yoghurt and a drizzle of honey

Avocado on Toast with Feta

Quick simple, great for breakfast or lunch.

1. Spread 1/2 avocado on toast, add chopped tomatoes, small amount of vegan feta, basil and a dash of sweet chilli!!

Pear Pancakes

Just another sunday and another pancake, loved these because i was basically using up fruit, so had a double dose of vitamins first thing and it kept me full until lunch.

• 100G flour (GF can be used as an alternative)
• 1 Egg
• 300ml Milk (lactose free or alternative, like coconut or almond)
• Spoonful honey
• Pear, sliced
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• Handful of mixed fruit
• Spoonful yoghurt and nuts to serve

1. Use the standard pancake mix, with 100G flour, 300ml milk and 1 egg and whisk
2. Rub sliced pears with cinnamon, you can add a tsp of cinnamon to the pancake mix as well.
3. Heat frying pan, fry off the pears, with the honey. Put aside in a separate bowl.
4. Add oil to pan and add a ladle of pancake mixture, lay the pears into the mixture, cook on one side, then flip over and cook the other side.
5. Serve with extra fruit, yoghurt and flaked almonds.

Poached Egg with Salsa

Great for breakfast or lunch, this flavoursome meal will fill you up and awaken your tastebuds, especially in the morning! Simple Egg on toast, with a salsa on the side, adding to your five a day.

• 2 Eggs per portion
• 50g corn, I have used frozen
• 4 Mixed cherry tomatoes
• 30g vegan feta, cubed
• toast
• Few leaves Basil
• Tsp chilli or more if you like it spicy
• 2 tsp sweet chilli sauce

1. Get your toast ready!
2. Heat through the corn, with a little chilli. You can also try with a tsp of paprika (optional).
3. Chop the tomatoes, feta and basil in a bowl and toss with the corn and chilli and season.
4. Poach the egg, how I do this is get your water boiling, as when you drop your egg into the pan, it will reduce the temperature. I also do not put too much water into the saucepan. Hey there are lots of tricks out there on how to cook a poached egg, like using an egg ring or using vinegar. Personally I do not like the taste of vinegar on my egg. So simply drop egg into the just boiling water, which will then be simmering. Use a spoon, to spin the egg, which makes the egg white come together whilst cooking.
5. Serve salsa and egg and drizzle with a little sweet chilli.

Homemade Beans

Delicious lunch alternative!! Full of protein and they taste amazing! Was so happy with this one. Make a bigger batch and mix them through pasta for a second meal. 2 serves

• Tin butter beans
• 2 tablespoons brown sauce
• 1/2 tin tomatoes
• 6 cherry tomatoes
• Tsp turmeric
• 2 tsp Smokey paprika
• 1 clove garlic
• Tsp chilli
• Handful coriander

1. Fry off the chopped garlic, chilli and spices.

2. Add the tomatoes and a tin of water, together with the brown sauce and cook down.

3. After about 20 minutes, add the chopped tomatoes, coriander and beans. Season and cook for another 10 minutes.

4. If the sauce cools down and becomes too thick you can add some extra water. When you taste the sauce, if it is a little too spicy, you can add a little more brown sauce! Or more chilli if it is not hot enough.

Fluffy Pancakes – Spiced pear and apple

• 100G flour (GF can be used as an alternative)
• 1 Egg
• 1tsp baking powder
• 300ml Milk (lactose free or alternative, like coconut or almond)
• Spoonful honey
• Pear, peeled and diced
• Apple, peeled and diced
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp mixed spice
• 1 tsp ginger
• Handful of raspberries
• Spoonful yoghurt and pecans or pistachios to serve

1. Use the standard pancake mix, but this time add a tsp baking powder, with 100G flour, 300ml milk and 1 egg and whisk
2. Peel and dice both the apple and pear, I used a bramley apple, as I had one left over, but you can use an ordinary eating apple, it may take a little less time to cook down though. Mix the spice into the fruit and add a tsp brown sugar.
3. Heat frying pan, fry off the pear and apple, with a little oil and add the honey. Put aside in a separate bowl.
4. Add oil to pan and add a ladle of pancake mixture, cook on one side, then flip over and cook the other side.
5. Serve with the fruit, yoghurt and pecan or any other nuts, I have used pistachios.

Sticky Coconut Rice

I love sticky rice. I had it when travelling in South East Asia. So although I was unable to get the same glutinous rice, I have done my research and Jasmine rice is a firm favourite for this. So you need to use the right quantity of rice to coconut milk. One serve

• Half cup jasmine rice
• One cup coconut milk

1. Rinse the jasmine rice in cold water

2. Contrary to how I have made rice before, you have to put the rice in cold water. Bring to the boil and cook until coconut milk is absorbed and rice cooked. This took about 15 minutes.

3. You can serve like this or add some desiccated coconut.

Mushroom Filo rolls and Vegetable Filo rolls

Well I cannot quite call these spring rolls, as they are not deep fried as I do not have a frier, so they are oven cooked, but they are very similar and still taste great. You might want to make them a little smaller, but I am hoping with a little more practice, they will come out better next time. My love of Asian food, inspired me to start expanding my dishes. They taste great with the flavour of the red curry paste added.

• Dried Porcine mushrooms
• Chestnut mushrooms
• Cabbage
• Carrots
• Red Capsicum
• Vermicelli noodles
• Filo pastry
• Shallots
• Oil
• 2 Tsp red curry paste
• 1 clove Garlic
• 1 or 2 Tsp Ginger
• Fresh coriander
• OVEN 200c/ 180c fan

1. Firstly take two sheets of filo and cut into four. Use two small sheets for each roll, so each two sheets will make 4 rolls.

2. Brush oil on the outside of the two sheets of filo, set aside.

3. Cook the vermicelli noodles in boiling water for a couple of minutes and put the dried mushrooms into half cup boiling water.

4. For the vegetable roll, chop all vegetables and add half the shallot, ginger, garlic, half the shredded cabbage, all of the sliced carrot and all of the sliced capsicum to a pan and fry off for a few minutes, with a little oil. Make sure you thinly slice the vegetables, to make the rolls small and thin. Add a tsp red curry paste. You can add more paste if you like a lot of punchy flavour. Season. Add coriander to taste. Set aside in a bowl.

5. For the mushroom roll, chop garlic, cabbage and remaining mushrooms. Fry off the same as above and add red curry paste and coriander.

6. Now take two mini sheets, a handful of either mushrooms or vegetables and place at a corner in a roll shape. Roll one triangle edge and fold the two other corners in. Roll into a roll shape. Ensure the end is stuck down with a little oil.

7. Do the same for each roll.

8. Cook in the oven for about 15-20 minutes, Served with some sweet chilli sauce.

Coriander Rice

Quick and easy, simple accompaniment for any curry or asian dish. Just a little bit different and as I love coriander, this was a great rice to serve.

• 1/2 cup wild rice per serve
• 1 clove garlic
• handful coriander (to taste)

1. Rinse rice off under cold water, in a sieve.
2. Chop and fry off the garlic in a little oil and add the rice, and coat in oil. Add a cup and a half of water. Cook for about 20 minutes, then mix through the coriander.

BBQ Cauliflower

Well these were a little bit of a friday night special. They are so good, mainly probably because of the sugar, but the homemade BBQ sauce was excellent. Definitely make a large batch of the cauliflower. You can of course buy BBQ sauce, either way they were fantastic.

• 1/2 Cauliflower, cut into florets
• 100G GF Plain Flour
• 120ML lactose free milk
• tsp garlic powder
• Bowl of BBQ (see sauces page for homemade version)

1. Sieve the flour into a bowl and add the garlic powder and milk and combine together.
2. Dip the cauliflower florets into the mixture and bake in the oven for 15 minutes on 220C / 200C Fan oven.
3. Take out of the oven and dip in BBQ sauce and cook for another 5 minutes. Serve with more sauce.

Cabbage and Leek

This simple side dish is quick and easy to prepare. Full of fibre to help the body break down other foods. Cabbage also contains a high amount of Vitamin C and potassium.

• 1/4 cabbage
• 1 corn on cob or cup frozen corn
• 1 leek
• Tsp chilli

1. Just chop vegetables, cut the corn off the cob and fry off in a little oil, add the chilli. Season and serve

Hassle back potatoes

I think these are one of my favourite ways of cooking potatoes. It is amazing how just putting little slits in the top of the potatoes makes them so delicious. They soak up the oil, which makes them so flavoursome. Topped off with a mix of herbs, smoked paprika and garlic powder. I oven cooked them on 200c /180c fan for 35 minutes. Be careful though, as you wont be able to stop eating them!

• New potatoes
• Spoonful of smoked paprika, garlic powder and mixed herbs
• Oil

1. Put slits in the top of the potatoes, drizzle on oil. Mix the rest together and sprinkle over the top. Cook and serve

Orange and cinnamon porridge

Another great breakfast, which you can make the night before. I thought it was strange at first having cold porridge, but now I absolutely love it. There are so many variations to this and I do generally make it the night before, so that the porridge can absorb the milk.

• Orange
• Tsp Flax seeds
• Tsp mixed seeds
• Tsp marmalade
• Tsp cinnamon
• Tsp Ginger
• 1/2 cup porridge
• Cup milk (I use lactose free)
• Tsp peanut butter
• Cube ginger chocolate
• Dollop coconut yoghurt

1. Place the porridge, spice and milk into a bowl and cover for the next day, or leave for an hour to absorb the milk.

2. Add the remaining ingredients, grate over the chocolate