dairy-free – Page 6 – Bit of the Good Stuff

Fresh Mint, Rose and Green Tea Popsicles (a.k.a Iced Lollies)

Published on September 12, 2017 by Sharon2 Comments

What do you call these iced treats? Popsicles? Lollies? I’ve always called them lollies. Maybe it’s a British thing? I’m pretty sure lollies are something else in Australia. Maybe in America too? Anyway, I hope you don’t mind me referring to them as lollies in this post as I feel a bit weird calling them anything else. I don’t think I’ve ever said the word ‘popsicle’ out loud. What a funny word!

It might seem a little strange posting a recipe for iced treats now that we’re in September, but after a cloudy, rainy August here in Bath, I’m hoping we’ll get to experience an Indian summer. Now wouldn’t that be nice?

However regardless of the weather, I’m still enjoying *lollies* right now, especially after my hot morning run. I especially loved home-made lollies as I find the shop-bought ones tend to be too sugary-sweet for me. Plus, when you make your own, you can be creative and experiment with all different kinds of flavour combinations.

Recently I was invited to take part in the Brita Frozen Tea Challenge. The idea was to send the participants some goodies and challenge them to create a recipe for an iced tea lolly. This is a challenge that I was definitely up for!

Continue reading “Fresh Mint, Rose and Green Tea Popsicles (a.k.a Iced Lollies)” →

Wagamama-Inspired Yasai Cha Han Donburi (Brown Rice Bowl with Stir-Fried Veggies and Tofu)

Published on August 14, 2017 by Sharon4 Comments

In early Summer, my family were eagerly anticipating a trip to Wagamamas. On the way there, we psyched each other up, talking about how much we were looking forward to tucking into our favourite Wagamama dish – the Yasai Cha Han Donburi. Upon arrival, the waiter showed us to our seats and handed us the menu. Our eyes immediately moved to the spot where the dish is usually listed, but it wasn’t there. We scanned both sides of the menu but it was nowhere to be seen. We called over the waiter and he explained that they had a new summer menu. Sadly, the Yasai Cha Han Donburi hadn’t made the cut.

Has that ever happened to you? Where you’re looking forward to tucking into your favourite dish at a restaurant, or you specifically go to that restaurant because you’re craving a dish… only to find that it’s been taken off the menu. It’s happened to my family a few times and it’s always such a bummer.

Well this time, I decided to look on the bright side. I’d been meaning to try my hand at making the Yasai Cha Han Donburi at home for a while, and now was the perfect opportunity. I could still remember what the bowl tasted like and its main components, so I set to work re-creating it.

One of my favourite parts of the bowl is the flavouring added to the rice, so I really wanted to nail this part. I chose to use two of my favourite pantry staples as the basis of the dressing – Clearspring Organic Tamari Sauce and Meridian Organic Toasted Sesame Oil. The tamari provides the ‘umami’ flavour, while the toasted sesame oil add a touch of smokiness. I then added a tablespoon each of maple syrup and rice vinegar for some ‘sweet ’n’ sour’ flavour, and finished it off with a sprinkling of garlic granules. I was extremely happy with the way the dressing turned out. For me, it’s the perfect compliment to a Japanese-inspired rice bowl.

Continue reading →

Chocolate Banana Ice Cream Cups

Published on July 31, 2017 by Sharon6 Comments

In this month’s Vegan Life magazine, one recipe that instantly caught my eye was Niomi Smart’s Banana Mocha Ice Cream Cups.

I love chocolate banana ice cream! It’s so simple and cheap to make (costing literally a few pence per serving), yet it feels like a real treat. It also happens to be packed full of healthy ingredients, including an array of minerals and antioxidant goodness.

Healthy, decadent, cheap and quick. No surprises why this is one of my favourite desserts to make!

I’ve been making banana ice cream for a few years now, and have learnt a few tricks along the way to make the process even quicker and easier. For example, I used to slice the bananas and arrange them in single layers in freezer bags prior to freezing, however I’ve since discovered that bananas can be sliced from frozen using a sharp knife. These days, I simply pop whole bananas in the freezer stacked in plastic containers with a layer of parchment paper in between to stop them sticking together.

Continue reading →

Naturally Nourished and Kid-Approved Broccoli Basil Broth with Noodles

Published on July 8, 2017 by Sharon5 Comments

Today on the blog, I’m sharing a review of Sarah Britton’s new release Naturally Nourished and one of my family’s current favourite recipes from the book – Broccoli Basil Broth with Noodles.

I’m sure a lot of my blog readers will already have heard of Sarah Britton. She is the creative force behind the hugely popular vegetarian blog My New Roots and launched her debut cookbook, under the same name, in 2015. Responding to her readers’ requests, her follow-up cookbook is filled with recipes and inspiration for weeknight cooking, using easy-to-source ingredients.

Though Naturally Nourished is a vegetarian cookbook, by far the greatest majority of the recipes are vegan (I counted 89), plus most of the non-vegan recipes can be easily “veganized” by switching the dairy cheese or yogurt for their vegan counterparts.

Sarah’s style of cooking really appeals to me as it focuses on using natural, whole food ingredients. This is the kind of food that my family loves to eat and we thrive on it. After eating meals like this, I always feel highly energised and great ‘on the inside’. I tend to make all our meals from scratch, so I’m always on the look out for simple, whole food recipes that are easy to throw together.

Continue reading →

Pear and Yogurt Cake (Dairy-Free / Egg-Free / Vegan)

Published on June 6, 2017 by Sharon19 Comments

In today’s post, I’m sharing a recipe for a delicious Pear and Yogurt Cake. While simple to make, this cake looks pretty impressive with its glistening pear and cinnamon-speckled top. The cake itself has a beautifully moist, light and fluffy texture and is flavoured with hints of vanilla and almonds.

I know some people with gluten sensitivities are able to tolerate spelt flour and this cake works just perfectly with white spelt flour. Otherwise regular plain (all-purpose) flour or even a combination of half white/plain flour and half wholemeal or chapatti flour works great.

The inspiration for this cake was a visit during May half-term break to one of my favourite cafes in Bristol – Roll for the Soul. This community-run cafe also houses a cycle workshop and event space. It has a great atmosphere and lovely food and coffee, so I highly recommend a visit if you’re in the area [UPDATE: Sadly Roll for the Soul closed down in September 2017 ]

Roll for the Soul is in one of my favourite districts of Bristol. We often head over there to check out the street art. One of my favourite street artists is Silent Hobo and I actually bumped into him a few weeks ago at Montpelier Railway station where he was putting the finishing touches to this mural. Isn’t it beautiful?

Continue reading →

Saffron Soul Book Review plus 2 Quick & Easy Curry Recipes

Published on May 16, 2017 by Sharon10 Comments

In today’s post, I’m sharing a review of Mira Manek’s debut cookbook Saffron Soul plus two delicious recipes – Rajma – Simple Kidney Bean Curry and Fansi nu shaak – Green Bean Curry. These dishes are quick, easy to make and super cheap too! We’ve been enjoying them as a weeknight meal, served as a ‘mini Thali’ with some chapattis. As Mira mentions in the book, these curries are perfect for serving as part of a Thali, which is my absolute favourite way to enjoy Indian food.

While I already own a number of traditional Indian cookbooks, for me, Saffron Soul is like a breath of fresh air. Inspired by her family’s traditional cooking, Mira has created ninety recipes, each with a modern healthy twist on a traditional recipe. Continue reading “Saffron Soul Book Review plus 2 Quick & Easy Curry Recipes” →