Holistic Vegan

Anyone who has ever been to my house and seen my spice cupboard will know that I'm a HUGE fan of all things Indian in the kitchen! This is my version of one of my favourite Indian breads. I've loved naan bread even since I first tasted it, and the shop bought ones are rarely very good so I decided it was time for a good quality vegan recipe to make at home. After a little research, I came up with this recipe which is always a hit.  This recipe doesn't use yeast, so it's quick to make and useful for anyone who can't tolerate yeast.  I use soya yoghurt for this recipe, but you should be able to substitute for a different plant-based yoghurt if you can't eat soya. You can actually omit this ingredient entirely, but the yoghurt makes for much fluffier and more moist breads so it's well worth adding.  The nigella seeds are the secret ingredient here that give these breads their authentic flavour, so these are well worth investing in if you don't have any. A s

Risotto has to be one of my favourite dinners these days - it's easy to make (especially the slow cooker method!) and can be made with leftovers in the cupboards too! This is a recipe that can be made oil free quite easily, especially if you're using a slow cooker. Serves 2-3   Ingredients: 4 tbsp olive oil 1 medium onion 2-3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped or crushed 250g Chestnut Mushrooms 100g Asparagus tips 1 ¼ cups/220g Arborio rice 1 cup/250ml vegan white wine (plus more for drinking later) 3 ¼ cups/810ml hot vegetable stock (I use 2 stock cubes and boiling water) Method: Warm the olive oil on a medium heat in a large frying pan or non-stock wok and chop the onion, mushrooms & asparagus. Fry gently until tender and the onions are translucent and slightly yellow in colour, then add the garlic and gently fry for a couple more minutes. Reduce the heat and add the rice to the frying pan and stir until it’s completely covere

In my search for wheat free bread products a couple of years ago, I stumbled upon Masa Harina.  I was originally hunting for recipes for cornbread, having never tried it and thinking it could be a useful staple to replace the wheat I'm no longer able to eat. Masa Harina is dried corn dough, often called corn flour, but not to be mistaken for the cornflour we use for thickening sauces here in the UK! I've also had a go at making corn tortillas with Masa Harina and they are really stunning.  I'm also working on sweet and savoury cornbread receipes for you all that I'll share soon. All in all, Masa harina is now one of my favourite non-wheat flours to work with. Arepas are small fried corn cakes that are traditionally eaten in South America. They are often sliced in half and filled. I've tried a few different fillings, including tomato & mustard, vegan sausage and vegan cheese and they make a pretty good wheat free replacement for a muffin or savoury bun

I really love the spicy, warming flavour of this moist cake. It was a childhood favourite, either on it's own or warmed and covered with hot custard for pudding. The good news is there is no need to miss out of the yummy goodness of this cake if you are vegan and wheat or gluten free! I've devised a recipe packed with flavour and so tasty your whole family will want more. Ingredients 115g light soft brown sugar (or alternatively whatever you have in the cupboard) 75g vegan margarine 75g golden syrup 75g treacle 110ml plant milk 1 flax egg  or vegan egg replacer 225g gram flour 4 tsp ginger powder 1 tsp cinnamon 1/2 tsp nutmeg 1 large pinch of Himalayan pink salt 1.5 tsp baking powder Method Preheat oven to 160C and line a 2lb loaf tin with greaseproof paper. Put the sugar, margarine, golden syrup and treacle in a saucepan and warm over a low heat, stirring occasionally, until everything is well combined and you have a dark brown mixture. Remove t

I've been missing the lovely sundried tomato and herb bread that I usually make recently. Obviously the recipe I've always used includes wheat flour so I've bee racking my brains as to how to make a wheat free version that tastes nice. I came across some receipes online for a kind of no-yeast bread made with one of my favourite ingredients - gram flour . After some tweaking, I came up with this Italian style bread which is very tasty (unlike a lot of gluten free bread!) and also has a good crumb, good structural integrity and responds well to toasting or frying for a cooked breakfast. The gram flour gives it a slightly yellow colour, and a slightly nutty taste which works well with the savoury flavours. Makes 1 Loaf Ingredients 225g gram flour 335ml water 1 tbsp baking powder 1.5 tbsp sugar 1 tsp Himalayan pink salt 1 tbsp dried oregano or Italian herb mix 2 tbsp olive oil 3 sundried tomatoes, chopped into small pieces Method Grease and fully li