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Chewy oat cookies

These cookies can make even the most hardest cookie-haters and meat-eaters stop and think, plus they’re delicious, receiving rave reviews from everyone we’ve shared them with ✨

Happy baking!

Ingredients:

1 and 1/2 cups (144g) Rolled Oats

1 cup (125g) All Purpose Gluten Free Flour (we use Dove’s Farm)

1 cup (80g) Dried (Dessicated) Coconut

1 tsp Baking Soda

1/2 tsp Salt

1 tsp Cinnamon

1/2 tsp ginger

1 cup (200g) Brown Sugar

1/2 cup (112g) Vegan Butter/Margarine (we use homemade so it’s palm oil free but you need to add a little extra another tbsp

1 tbsp almond butter/ peanut butter

2 tbsp maple syrup

2tbsps golden syrup/ or agave

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

2 -3Tbsp Soy Milk (or other non-dairy milk)

Optional: add

6 oz (170g) Vegan chocolate or raisins or nuts

Instructions

Heat oven gas mark 3 / 180 degrees and line 2 trays with baking parchment

Cream the butter, sugar, syrups, vanilla and nut butter until light and paler in colour.

Mix in the dry ingredients

Add the milk and any other extras you chose now

Plop balls of the mixture on to the trays leaving space for spreading about 6-8 on each tray.

Cook for 20 minutes swapping the trays over half way.

Cool for ten minutes in the tray before putting on a cooking rack and popping in another batch.

This recipe make between 18-24 biscuits depending how big you like your cookies 🍪

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Vegan Shepherds Pie

This recipe will feed up to 10 but if there are only a few of you pare it down to suit your family - we have it as a family meal one evening and then leftovers for up to three days afterwards. This really is comfort food, and warms the heart on those dark nights, plus the kids love it!

Ingredients:

Mash

10-12 medium potatoes peeled and chopped

1 cup almond milk

3/4 cup vegan butter

Salt

Pepper

Filling

1-2 tbsps coconut oil

1 onion chopped small

4 garlic cloves chopped small

10-12 mushrooms chopped up

I large carrot cubed

1 large parsnip cubed

1-2 celery sticks sliced

1 cup frozen spinach

1 cup lentils

5 -6 baby sweetcorn sliced

I bag of frozen soy mince

750 mls vegan stock

1 carton of organic passata

I tbsp marmite

1 tbsp vegan Worcestershire sauce

1 tbsp mint sauce

1 tbsp mustard

1 tbsp mixed herbs

4-5 tsp onion gravy (we use Bisto it’s palm oil free)

Salt

Black pepper

Method:

Boil the potatoes in salted water

Meanwhile soften the onions and garlic in the coconut oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat.

Add all the veg and soften for 8-10 mins

Pour in the passata and stock and bring to the boil.

Add the mince and bring to the boil again

Add all of the flavourings and herbs and a little salt and pepper and simmer for 20-25 minutes.

Add the gravy granules to the mince and stir like crazy so it doesn’t go lumpy. Add enough gravy to make it nice thick consistency but not too much that it’s solid and just tastes of gravy.

Try the mix and season to your taste.

Once the potatoes are cooked, drain the water and mash them using the dairy free butter and almond milk (keep the pan over a low heat while you do this, as it keeps the potatoes hot and ensures a creamy consistency for your mash), then season with salt and pepper.

Pour the mince mix into an oven proof dish and top with the mash potato.

Pop in the centre of the oven for 30-40 minutes at Gas Mark 6 / 200 C so it browns without burning.

Serve with extra gravy and greens

Enjoy!

Nutrition Quick Fix:

Parsnips are full of phytonutrients, vitamins, minerals, and fibre.

Carrots are high in anti-oxidants, especially beta-keratine, reducing the risk of heart disease and stroke.

Mushrooms are rich in B Vitamins, so ideal for a vegan diet!

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Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes

We hope you are having a great weekend, but guarantee that if you bake these tasty treats, it will get even better! The best thing about this recipe is it’s simple to make, always works out and tastes amazing! 

We are yet to master a gluten free version but watch this space - as soon as we work out the perfect recipe we will post it. 

These are great cakes for parties and special occasions, or alternatively you can use a little less frosting and pop them in packed lunch boxes. Happy baking! 

Ingredients

Cakes:

1 1/4 cups plant based milk, we used oat milk

1 tbsp lemon juice

1/3 cup dairy free margarine

3 tbsp agave syrup

2 1/4 cups organic self-raising flour (we use Dove’s farm)

3/4 cup golden caster sugar

1 tsp baking soda

4 tbsp organic cacao powder

Frosting:

1/3 cup non-dairy margarine

1 2/3 cups icing sugar

4 tbsp organic cacao powder

2 tbsp plant based milk (add more if the mixture is a bit stiff)

Method

Cupcakes:

Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 4 / 180C and prepare your 16 cupcake cases

Over a medium heat melt the margarine and syrup together, then set aside to cool

In a separate bowl, mix the lemon juice and plant milk together and set aside

In a large mixing bowl blend the dry ingredients

Pour the milk and melted margarine into the flour mix and stir until it becomes a smooth batter

Distribute the mixture evenly between the cupcake cases

Bake for 25-30 minutes in the centre of the oven

Allow the cakes to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before moving into a wire rack

Icing:

While the cakes are cooling, beat all of the icing ingredients together until very smooth

When the cakes are completely cooled, either pipe or spread the icing on, and decorate with your favourite vegan treats

Enjoy!

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Potato, Leek, and Zucchini Gratin

Potato, leek, and courgette/zucchini gratin is such a great dish that both stands on its own as the main bulk of a meal or as a tasty side with a roast dinner. It’s so simple to make, but really delicious, and still tastes great the next day! The nooch and vegan bouillon really give it a cheesy taste, and it crusts up so nicely on the top, so we gave ourselves a massive pat on the back eating this, we hope you enjoy it!

Ingredients:

2 leeks

2 zucchinis/courgettes

2 medium potatoes

450ml plant-based milk (we used unsweetened almond)

2tsp vegan organic bouillon

4 tbsp nutritional yeast

1 tbsp coconut oil

2-3 slices gluten free bread

dried herbs

dried garlic flakes

3 cloves fresh garlic

salt and pepper

Method:

Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 6 / 180 C

Cube the potatoes, leaving the skin on

Slice the leeks and zucchini in a frying pan with the coconut oil, and brown off slightly with the fresh garlic

Boil the potatoes for 3-5 minutes, then arrange the leeks, potatoes, zucchini, and garlic in an oven-proof dish

In a jug, sprinkle the bouillon into the milk, give it a good stir, then pour over the vegetables, making sure they are almost entirely covered

Season with salt and pepper and give it a good stir

In a blender, blend the gluten free bread (it’s easier if it’s frozen or a few days old), mixed herbs, garlic flakes, nutritional yeast, and some salt and pepper

Sprinkle this breadcrumb mix over the veg and pop it in the oven for 40 minutes

Whilst that is cooking, prepare your sides (we went for gluten free sausages, asparagus, and broccoli)

Enjoy!

Nutrition Quick Fix

Zucchini contains very few calories and useful amounts of Vitamin C and potassium

Leeks contain a good amount of flavonoid kaempferol, which helps protect blood vessel linings from damage

Garlic has been associated with decreased risk of cardiovascular disease and reduced risk of coronary artery disease and heart attacks - a very ‘hearty’ dish 

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Thai Green Curry-Inspired Rice Soup

I’m not the best at cooking by a long shot, so when I do cook something like this I go really simple. This Thai-inspired recipe makes 3-4 servings, which I take to work as it lasts really well. You can add any veggies you like, I left out mushrooms because I’m not a fan, and forgot to buy sweet pepper so couldn’t include, but literally anything works in this. Just make sure your rice is completely cool before putting it in the fridge! - Bridie

Ingredients:

6tsps coconut oil

6 heads baby sweetcorn, chopped into quarters

3 medium cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 medium white onion, finely chopped

3 small ‘snack peppers’, cut into rings

1 cup manges-tu

1 tsp thai green curry paste (I didn’t make my own, I used Blue Dragon)

400ml vegan bouillon

250ml coconut milk (you can use coconut cream instead, but we only had milk)

500g microwave rice 

1/2 cup cashews

2 Gosh! butternut, tomato, and basil sausages, baked and chopped into quarters

1 thumb sized piece of ginger, grated 

Method:

Sweat off the garlic, ginger, and onions with 2tsps coconut oil in a frying over a medium heat and then set them aside for later

Add 4tsps coconut oil to a wok and fry off the Thai green curry paste for 1-2 minutes before adding the sweetcorn, sweated onions, peppers, manges-tu, cashews, and sausages. (And any other veg you want to add, my list isn’t exhaustive)

Pour in enough vegan bouillon to just cover your veg and simmer on a low heat

Fry the rice in a frying pan for 2 minutes, then pour into the wok, turning the heat up slightly

Add 250ml coconut milk, then simmer over a medium heat and let it reduce a little bit

Serve and enjoy!

[fantasticvegansandhowtofeedthem]

Gluten Free Shortbread

These gluten free delights are so tasty, and have that buttery taste that’s so typical of shortbread. You can jazz them up by adding dried fruit, lemon rind, or dipping them in chocolate to make a half and half style biscuit, or just leave them plain like we did. They’re super lunchbox friendly, or great as a quick after school snack, and get the thumbs up from all 8 of us in the house for being delicious! This recipe makes 20-25 biscuits, depending on how thinly you roll the dough out.

Ingredients:

1 cup gluten free flour

1 1/4 cups white rice flour

4 tbsp caster sugar

4 tbsp coconut sugar

1 tsp vanilla

3/4 cup plant-based butter

Method:

Mix all of your ingredients in a bowl, bringing them together with your fingers until it forms a soft dough

Chill for an hour in the fridge

Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 4 / 140C

Line two baking trays with parchment 

Split the mix and leave half in the fridge

Roll half of the dough out on a floured surface and use a cookie cutter or pint glass to cut out circles, then place them evenly on one of the trays

Bake for 25 minutes or until brown around the edges

While the first batch is baking, repeat the process with the other half of the dough

[fantasticvegansandhowtofeedthem]

Rice cookies with coconut

These super simple cookies are really easy to make, and don’t take that much time at all out of your day. They’re lunchbox friendly, gluten free, and seriously tasty. They’re a surefire easy dessert for us, and can be dipped in chocolate spread or nut butter for a naughtier treat. 

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups fine rice flour

7 1/2 tbsp coconut sugar

3/4 cup desiccated coconut

3/4 cup margarine

Method:

Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 4 / 180 C

Mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl, bringing it into crumb-like bits with your fingers

When the mixture has formed a soft dough, wrap it in cling film and pop it in the fridge for 30 minutes

After 30 minutes, remove from the fridge and cut into 18 - 20 portions. 

Roll these into balls and squash to form cookie shapes. These don’t have to be neat, we leave ours really ‘rustic’

Sprinkle coconut sugar, desiccated coconut, chocolate chips, or similar if you like, but we usually leave ours plain

Bake for 15 minutes, or until the edges start to colour - we usually leave ours in for 20 minutes because we like them crispy

Leave them to cool on a cooling rack on the baking sheet for at least 10 minutes before removing them with a spatula onto the cooling rack so they can firm up

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White Wine and Tarragon Mushroom Pasta

It’s Friday night, we went to the pub for a cheeky beverage after everyone had finished work and school, so when we got home, didn't want to spend hours cooking, but fancied something really tasty. This ticks all the boxes, a light, easy meal, but tastes fabulous!

Ingredients:

300 g mushrooms, roughly chopped

2 stalks tarragon

190ml white wine (we used a small bottle of Pinot Grigio)

pasta

50g pine nuts

8-10 large spears of asparagus, cut into 2cm pieces

1tsp Dijon mustard

smoked sea salt to taste

black pepper to taste

254g soy single cream

a splash of vegan Worcestershire sauce

1/4 tsp smoked paprika

1 medium white onion

3 cloves garlic

1/2 tsp organic vegan bouillon powder

Method:

Lightly toast the pine nuts for 3-4 minutes ona medium heat then set aside for later

Sweat off the onions and garlic in coconut oil over a medium heat in a frying pan or wok

add the mushrooms and soften them for 2-3 minutes before pouring in the wine 

cook on a high heat for 5 minutes to burn off the alcohol

add the asparagus, pine nuts, and tarragon then turn the heat down - (It’s important not to use too much tarragon because it’s such a strong taste, we added two stalks then tasted it to make sure)

Simmer for 2-3 minutes, then add the soy cream

add a spoon of mustard, a splash of Worcestershire sauce, paprika, and the vegan bouillon, cook for a further 5 minutes then taste and season to your liking

Reduce the sauce until it becomes a thicker creamy mixture and the mushrooms take on colour

Serve with a pasta of your choice, we chose gluten free tagliatelle

Enjoy!

[fantasticvegansandhowtofeedthem]

Gluten free fruity flapjacks

These sweet treats are family friendly and great for lunchboxes. We really played around with our ingredients to get a lovely fruit and seed mix, but you can experiment with other fruits and chocolate chips, it’s such a versatile recipe. Whatever you put in them, they’re sure to go down as one of the greats, we’re completely hooked on them!

Ingredients

2 cups gluten free oats

1/2 cup coconut sugar

1/2 tsp Sea salt

1/4 tsp cinnamon

2½ cups Sainsbury’s seed mix

1/2 cup chopped dates

1/2 cup cranberries

1/2 cup raisin/sultana mix

1/3 cup almond butter

6 Tbsp Coconut oil

1/4 cup syrup (we combined coconut syrup and agave)

1 Tbsp water

Method

Preheat the oven to gas mark 4 and line a baking tray with baking parchment

Put 1/3 cup oats in your food processor and mix until they’re a fine meal

Mix all of your dry ingredients together in a bowl

Add the wet ingredients and mix until it’s all combined

Press the mixture firmly into your parchment-lined pan

Bake for 30 minutes, or until the top starts to brown

Let the flapjack pan cool down in the pan for around 20-25 minutes at least, then remove them using the parchment.

You can either put them in the fridge (to let the coconut oil set again) or leave them out for a bit before cutting

[fantasticvegansandhowtofeedthem]

Stuffed bell peppers with minty new potatoes and greens

This particular recipe is sensational, it looks great, tastes great, and only takes 35 minutes from start to finish to make for 4 to 6 people, so great for dinner parties! We served ours with minted new potatoes, asparagus and broccoli, which went really well with the dish.

Ingredients:

2-3 bell peppers

Coconut oil

1 tbsp Garlic granules

1 tsp Lemon juice  

400g of Cauliflower rice

1 Onion chopped

1 cm of fresh ginger grated

3-4 cloves garlic chopped

4-5 sundried tomatoes chopped small

8-10 olives any colour chopped small

1 cup cashews

Small bunch of fresh coriander chopped

Sea salt

Black pepper

Method:

Heat the oven to Gas Mark 6 / 200C

Cut the bell peppers in half and remove the seeds

Place them on a baking tray with some coconut oil and sprinkle with garlic granules, a little salt and pepper, and a spritz of lemon juice. (Avoid the lemon if you’re on the elimination diet)

Put into the oven and turn once during cooking (for about 20 minutes for a medium peppers)

Whilst the peppers are cooking, sweat off the onions, garlic and ginger in a pan.

Once the onion is cooked nicely, pop in the cauliflower rice, sun-dried tomatoes, olives, cashews, and coriander.

Add 1-2 tbsp of water whilst cooking the rice and after 6-7 minutes taste and season.

Once the peppers are softened and starting to brown remove them from the oven, draining any fluid/ oil from the insides.

Spoon the seasoned cauliflower rice into the half peppers and let some spill over ( it’s delicious, so I would recommend a generous helping)

Serve with minted new potatoes and veg of your choice.

Enjoy!

Nutrition Quick Fix

Bell peppers are low in calories and ultra rich in Vitamin C, which helps you absorb other minerals, like iron

Olives are high in Vitamin E and other powerful antioxidants

Fresh coriander is a great source of fibre, manganese, iron, and magnesium, rich in Vitamins C and K

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Gluten Free Brownie Cupcakes

We can’t lie, this recipe is a bit of a labour of love. It requires a fair bit of washing up and effort, but we promise it’s totally worth it. We used walnuts as our filling of choice, but you can use crushed up Oreos, chocolate drops, or anything similar that takes your fancy. We chose to do the brownies in cupcake cases as they fit much better in lunchboxes for school and work, so there’s much less fuss than slicing up a tray bake - plus there’s fewer arguments about who’s got the biggest slice. We really hope you enjoy this indulgent snack, we particularly love the contrast between the crunchy outside and the soft, chocolatey middle. You can also ice them, but we are far too impatient for that!

Let us know if you try this, how you got on and what filling you decide to use!

Ingredients:

1/3 cup gluten free self raising flour (we use Dove’s Farm)

1 cup filtered water

1/2 cup dairy-free margarine

2/3 cup organic cacao powder 

2 cups golden caster sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups gluten free self raising flour

1 tsp gluten free baking powder

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 tbsp dairy free milk (we used unsweetened almond)

1/2 cup chopped walnuts (feel free to substitute)

Method:

Preheat the oven to 175 C /Gas Mark 3.5 

Fill 2 cupcake trays with cupcake cases (this recipe makes 16 brownies)

In a saucepan over medium heat, pour the filtered water bit by bit into the 1/3 cup of flour, mixing constantly until it reaches a thick custard-like consistency

Transfer to a large mixing bowl and pop by a window to cool down, cartoon-style!

In another saucepan, on a low heat, melt the dairy-free margarine. When this has completely melted, remove from heat and add in the cacao powder. Stir until smooth then set aside to cool.

 Stir the sugar and vanilla into the cooled flour mixture, then add in the cacao mixture, mixing well until blended and smooth

In another bowl, combine the 1 1/2 cups flour, baking powder, and salt then gradually stir into the batter until mixed.

Add in the dairy free milk and walnuts (or substitute), stirring gently until the walnuts are evenly distributed

Spoon the batter into the cupcake cases evenly and put them in the oven

Bake for 20-25 minutes, depending on how firm you want the centre

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Amanda’s chocolate orange vegan cheesecake (GF)

It’s the weekend, we’ve worked hard all week, we feel we deserve a treat, and there really is nothing finer than this sweet, chocolatey cheesecake. It’s an absolute delight to make, tastes great, and is packed full of goodness, so almost guilt-free, although maybe the third slice was one too many! 

Ingredients:

Base:

1 cup pitted dates (pre-soaked if dried)

1 1/2 cups walnuts

3 tbsps cacao powder

1/4 tsp sea salt

Filling:

1 1/2 cups cashews, soaked overnight (if you forget, use boiling water for at least an hour) 

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 tsp good quality orange essence

1/4 cup melted coconut oil

1 can of full fat coconut milk

200g dark chocolate

1/4 cup coconut syrup (or agave/similar syrup)

Toppings

We used raw Montezuma dark chocolate grated over it, but you can get more adventurous with it, with fresh fruit, or anything that takes your fancy

Method:

Put the dates in a food processor and blend until small - then removen this mix from the processor at set to the side

Put the nuts, sea salt, and cacao powder into the blender, then process until fine

Add the dates into the mix and blend the two until it starts to clump together

Press this base mixture into a 19-20 cm tin evenly and firmly and place it in the fridge while you make the filling.

Melt the chocolate over a saucepan in a glass bowl and add it to all the filling ingredients in the blender

Mix until very smooth, with a break after a couple of minutes to scrape around the sides, to ensure it is all evenly blended

Pour the filling mixture into the tin and cover with cling film, then either refrigerate for 4-6 hours, or if you can’t wait, freeze for an hour so it sets.

8. Once the cheesecake has set, cover it with a topping of your choice - we really like the contrast of the raw dark chocolate with the sweetness of the coconut syrup and the acidity of the orange, but again, you can really let your imagination run wild.

Nutrition Quick Fix

Cacao powder - antioxidant, improves brain health, and has even been found to inhibit the growth of harmful cells

Cashews - bursting with good, heart-friendly fats, and have even been shown to improve the health of diabetic patients

Coconut nectar - this is low on the glycemic index but high in nutrition - with vitamin c, potassium, and calcium - as well as beautifully sweet.

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Amanda’s butter bean ratatouille

with Mediterranean-style cauliflower rice

The weather has been so rubbish lately, and I can feel a cold coming on, so went for something very comforting with loads of immune system boosters and anti-oxidants. Once the prep is done, it doesn’t take long at all to cook, and it all happens in 2 pans, so not much washing up either. Tuck in and enjoy this warning and tasty dish. This serves 4 people.

Ingredients:

1 medium onion

4 cloves garlic

1/4 inch fresh ginger, grated

1/4 tsp turmeric

1 tbsp coconut oil

1 medium aubergine

1 courgette

400g butter beans 

2 bay leaves

8-10 baby sweetcorn, cut into thirds

8-10 cherry tomatoes, halved

small bunch of basil

1 tin of chopped tomatoes/passata

8-10 medium mushrooms, sliced

1 bell pepper (we used red)

1 stick celery, chopped

Rice:

1 bag cauliflower rice - we used aldi

10 green olives

5-6 sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped

sea salt and black pepper to taste

Method:

Fry off the ginger, garlic, onions and turmeric on medium heat until softened, in a wok or large frying pan

Add the rest of the veg, apart from the butter beans, tinned tomatoes, and basil. 

Pop a lid on the pan, let it simmer and cook down slightly to let the veg release juices for 10 minutes

Add butter beans, tinned tomatoes, and basil, bring the ratatouille to boil, then simmer for further 15-20 minutes

While this is simmering, start your rice:

Pop some coconut oil in a frying pan, pour in the cauliflower rice, add the olives and tomatoes, and a little salt and pepper (add lemon/pine nuts depending on taste)

Add 1tbsp water and fry on a medium heat for about 10 minutes

Once the ratatouille is cooked through, season to taste

Serve and enjoy!

Nutrition Quick Fix:

1 cup of cooked butter beans contains 14.7g of protein! That’s where we get our protein from. 

Olives are high in Vitamin E and other powerful antioxidants

Aubergines are a great sauce of dietary fibre, and contain Vitamins B1 and B6

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Amanda’s Raw Brownie Bites (GF)

When you’re on an elimination diet, it can be really easy to obsess about getting sweet treats - I know I do - and these brownie bites scratch that itch. They’re packed full of flavour AND they’re a winner for the whole family, working really well in the lunchboxes for the younger ones (1, 4, and 7 years old). The kids love to get involved with the process, especially rolling the treats, although they can get really messy, so be warned! We used moulds we had lying around and ended up with a beautiful jar of tasty, tasty hearts.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups walnuts

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 1/4 cups pitted dates

1/3 cup cacao powder

1 tsp vanilla essence (or 1/4 fresh vanilla pod)

1/4 cup raisins

For rolling

1/4 cup ground almond

1/4 cup cacao powder

Method:

1. Blend the walnuts 

2. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend until smooth, with no chunky bits

3. Press into moulds or roll into balls

4. Chill in the fridge for 25 minutes 

5. Mix the cacao powder with the ground almond for rolling the treats in

6. Push the bites out of the mould into the rolling mix and ensure they’re covered before putting them on a baking tray lined with parchment

7. When they’re all pushed out and rolled, keep them covered in a cool place (we keep ours in a mason jar in the fridge, but a cool cupboard will do)

Nutrition Quick Fix

Dates are a great way to make a healthy treats delightfully sweet, as well as being full of fibre, the contain potassium, protein, calcium, iron, vitamin B6, and magnesium!

Walnuts not only taste great, but contain stack of plant-based omega 3 fats and high amounts pf copper, manganese. They can also help reduce the risk of prostate and breast cancer!

Cacao is not only a chocolate-y store cupboard staple, but also has benefits like relief from high blood pressure, reduction in cholesterol, and can help improve cardiovascular and brain health  - it also possesses mood enhancing properties, making these brownies an all round winner!

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Simple, Summery Avo Salad

This is my go to for a working lunch because it takes no time at all to prepare, it’s filled with healthy produce, and it’s so freaking tasty. 

Ingredients:

1 avocado

a handful of cherry or plum tomatoes

1/2 white onion

1/2 cup chopped red pepper

1/2 cup peas

1/2 cup chopped celery

a small handful of fresh coriander, chopped

hemp oil

iceberg lettuce

Method:

Take everything except the avocado and lettuce and mix it together in a bowl, adding sea salt and black pepper to taste. You can squeeze in some lime juice as well, but I’m leaving it out because I’m avoiding citrus for my elimination diet. Set the bowl aside

De-stone, de-skin, and chop your avocado any way you like - I leave min in big chunks because I can’t get enough avocado in my life.

Prepare your lettuce - I don’t like using knives with lettuce so i pick off a few leaves and shred it with my hands

You have two options for step 4: If you want an Instagram-beautiful picture, spread the lettuce in the bottom of your salad bowl and arrange the avocado and salad mix on top OR whack it all in a bowl together if you just can’t wait.

Top tip: Sprinkle some chia seeds on top for texture

Dig in and enjoy! Let us know a) if you tried this, b) if you liked it, and c) if you changed anything, just send us a message!

Nutrition Quick Fix

🥑Avocado is filled with healthy fats

🍅Tomatoes are packed full of antioxidants

🥗Peas are good for protein

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Family ‘picky bits’ dinner

Fresh guacamole and salsa, with potato wedges, carrot sticks, and falafel. A summery treat that’s really easy to adapt to every member of the family, that can be a meal in itself or a nice addition to burgers. We sometimes have this with soup as an elimination diet friendly alternative to bread, and the wedges are perfect for dipping in anything! The falafel we had was from GoodLife, and was really tasty with the dips.

Guacamole and Salsa

I made mini pots of guac and salsa today because it was just two of us eating, but they were gorgeous. I’ve included the lime within the ingredients but there are substitutions you can use if you’re on the elimination diet or avoiding citrus.

This is my guac/salsa making board, we keep them both really simple for the kids, but experimenting with different additions is great fun. I’m not a fan of spicy foods, so you won’t find any chillies in my dips, but feel free to add them if you like a kick

Bridie’s Guacamole

Ingredients:

1 medium avocado

5-6 cherry tomatoes

1/2 medium white onion

1 large clove of garlic

Handful of coriander/cilantro

1/2 lime (you’ll use the other half in the salsa, or you can substitute 1tbsp of pineapple juice for elimination diet-ers)

Sea salt

1tsp Hemp or extra virgin olive oil

Method:

De-stone the avocado and remove the flesh with a spoon

Mash in a bowl until you have a chunky sauce

Finely chop the tomatoes, onion, garlic, and coriander and mix them into the avocado

Add sea salt, lime, and oil (you can vary how much of these you use depending on your preferences)

Present in a bowl and get stuck in!

Bridie’s Salsa

Ingredients:

2 cups plum or cherry tomatoes

1/2 white onion

1 large clove garlic

Cucumber, to taste

Sea salt

Hemp/extra virgin olive oil

Handful of coriander

1/2 lime (or 1tsp pineapple, for a great tropical twist)

Method:

Finely chop the tomatoes, garlic, coriander and onion

De-skin and finely chop the cucumber, I usually use a ~2-3cm wedge

Mix all of the chopped ingredients together and add salt, oil, and lime juice to taste

Present in a bowl and dig in!

Amanda’s Adaptable Wedges

This yields two large portions or 4+ smaller portions, and is the type of easy addition to any meal that we use a lot when all 8 of us sit down to eat. You can adapt this to almost any blend of spices imaginable, but we were super tired yesterday so we just went simple.

Ingredients:

3 medium potatoes

sea salt

garlic granules

herbs

pepper

3 tbsp coconut oil

Method:

Preheat the oven to gas mark 8 / 230 C / 450 F

Put the coconut oil in a baking tray and pop that in the oven while you chop the wedges

Cut the potatoes into 6-8 pieces each, and place them into the now warm coconut oil without the wedges overlapping

Sprinkle a generous helping of the seasonings and spices on those bad boys - we went simple but you can add in whatever you’d like

If you want an extra twist you can add in sprigs of fresh rosemary and thyme, and lime or lemon wedges, for a great aromatic edge to an everyday dish. 

Nutrition quick fix: 

Potato skins are full of potassium, and the potatoes themselves have about 2.5g of protein for every 100g. 

Coconut oil is one of the best oils to cook them in - it doesn’t denature at high temperatures! 

The garlic and lemon are antioxidants and make great immune system boosters.

[fantasticvegansandhowtofeedthem]

Bridie’s Vegan Paleo Granola (GF)

While we’ve been doing the elimination diet (details here), there have been no grains allowed, which honestly made me feel personally attacked. I look forward to my granola with coconut yoghurt every morning and losing that felt like losing a brother. Granted, that’s a strong sentiment, but it was how I felt - you don’t get in between a girl and her granola!!

I was looking for grain-free granola, but found it so difficult to buy without honey, although the Paleo Foods Company do a great version here, but I ended up adding dried fruit to mine because it felt like it was missing something. I finally landed on just making my own, which seemed like a labour of love, but I actually really enjoyed it, and it has become something we make on Sundays that lasts the whole week, with about 25-30 portions of 1/3-1/2 cup. It also forms lovely clusters, which I really love in granola.

This grain-free granola is delicious, gluten-free, packed with fruit and nuts, elimination diet friendly, and most importantly, family friendly. It comes in at approximately 37p per portion, and a protein-rich 145 calories.

Ingredients:

2 cups hazelnuts

1/2 cup cashews

1/2 cup pumpkin seeds

1/2 cup sunflower seeds

1 tbsp super seed mix (anything with linseed/flaxseed is a great choice for healthy fat and protein)

1 tbsp chia seeds

1/2 tsp salt (we love smoked salt)

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp ginger powder

1/4 cup raw cacao nibs (crushed)

1/2 cup walnuts

1 cup pecans

1/2 cup ground almonds

3 tbsp liquid coconut oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

3 tbsp almond butter (any nut butter will do but this is our favourite)

1/3 cup maple syrup

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup dried apricots

1/2 cup dried cherries

1/2 cup goji berries

1/2 cup raisins

Pick and pull ingredients you do/don’t like, this recipe is a result of about 5 different recipes and 20 minutes spent drooling over the selection of dried fruit and nuts aisle in Sainsbury’s.

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to gas mark 6/180C and line a baking tray with parchment

2. Mix everything except the dried fruit together in a large bowl, we like to crush the walnuts, pecans, and hazelnuts but you can leave them whole.

3. Spread the mixture evenly onto the baking tray and place in the oven

4. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden, taking it out halfway through to give it a shake and stir

5. Leave the bake to cool, then add the dried fruits and decant into an airtight container

We recommend:

Bridie - 1/3 cup granola with a teaspoon of Pip’s chocolate nut butter, and some unsweetened almond milk (elimination diet friendly)

Amanda - 1/3 cup granola with coconut yoghurt, date nectar, and dried banana chips