dairy-free – Page 7 – Bit of the Good Stuff

Sultana Banana Mini Pancakes (Vegan)

Published on March 31, 2017 by Sharon6 Comments

Today I’m sharing a recipe for Sultana Banana Mini Pancakes ❤️ They are quick, easy to make and use basic pantry ingredients. They’re perfect for serving as a weekend breakfast or for ‘elevenses’. Me and Lil’ L have made them three times so far and they have proven to be a big hit with the family.

Have you tried adding sultanas to pancake batter before? They work beautifully in these American-style fluffy pancakes. In fact, I loved them so much that I ended up adding more than the original recipe called for.

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Orange Drizzle Cake with Poppy Seeds (Vegan / Dairy-free / Egg-free)

Published on March 24, 2017 by Sharon10 Comments

Back in 2013, I shared the recipe for a Lemon Drizzle Cake that I baked for my mum for Mother’s Day. It proved to be a big hit with my readers and, four years later, it’s still one of the most popular recipes on my blog!

Though I made it specifically with my mum in mind, the Lemon Drizzle quickly became my husband’s favourite cake. It’s the one he’s requested every birthday… even though his birthday is a week before Christmas and Lemon Drizzle feels like a Spring-time cake (well, to me anyway!) Recently, however, I made an adaptation of the Lemon Drizzle and, after tasting it, my husband declared that THIS one may just be his new favourite!

With a few little tweaks, I transformed the Lemon Drizzle into an Orange Drizzle speckled with poppy seeds It still has the beautiful, moist consistency and light texture, but the flavour is of course orange rather than lemon. Rather than ‘zingy’ like the Lemon Drizzle, this one is more sweet and fruity. It reminds me of summer and sunshine. So maybe Lemon Drizzle will be my spring-time cake, and Orange Drizzle will be the summer-time version. But, of course, you can eat it whenever you like. I know we’ll be eating it in December 😉 Continue reading “Orange Drizzle Cake with Poppy Seeds (Vegan / Dairy-free / Egg-free)” →

Chestnut and Mushroom Bourguignon Pie (Vegan with Gluten Free Option)

Published on January 30, 2017 by Sharon9 Comments

In today’s post I’m sharing a recipe for a delicious pie that’s just perfect for serving in the cold weather months. It’s an adaptation of a recipe published by the Vegetarian Society back in 1995. We first tried this pie last month and it was a big hit with the family. Since then, we’ve already eaten it a couple more times as special weekend dinners. While it looks pretty impressive, it’s really easy to make and requires less than 30 minutes hands on time.

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Smoky Yellow Split Pea Soup

Published on January 3, 2017 by Sharon7 Comments

Happy New Year everyone!

I hope you had a wonderful break over the festive holidays. I spent a magical five days with my mum and her three dogs in Verwood, Dorset. It was so relaxing, which was just what I needed after a busy year finishing the cookbook.

We went for daily walks in Verwood Forest, had a glorious day on Bournemouth beach, and spent our evenings watching films and munching our way through all the Christmas goodies. As you may have seen on my social media channels, I was totally spoilt by family and friends this Christmas and received lots of beautiful boxes of vegan chocolates. Needless to say, most are empty now.

And after all the excesses of the festive season, this month I’m looking forward to getting back to my favourite way of eating – simple meals filled with natural ingredients and packed full of flavour and nutrients.

To kickstart my recipe shares for January, I have one of my family’s favourite winter-warming dishes – Smoky Yellow Split Pea Soup ❤️

Not only is this soup easy to make, but it’s incredibly cheap too. A 500g bag of Suma yellow split peas costs £1.15 and we only use half a bag in this recipe. Add in the remaining ingredients and this soup costs about £2.25, which works out at 56p per portion. Bargain!

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My Top Picks of Festive & Winter Vegan Dinner Centrepieces

Published on December 24, 2016 by Sharon6 Comments

For the past six years or so, my family has eaten our Cranberry Glazed Nut Loaf as the centrepiece to our Christmas dinner. It’s our favourite nut loaf and I only make it once or twice a year to keep it special. I originally posted the recipe on the blog in 2013 and it fast became a reader favourite. If you have the Bit of the Good Stuff cookbook, you’ll also find the recipe on p141 along with my favourite easy vegan Red Onion Miso Gravy.

The loaf stores really well (in fact I think it tastes even better a day or two after its made) so I’m planning on making it today (Christmas Eve). Then, tomorrow, all we need to do is cut some slices and heat them up either in the oven or in my mum’s microwave. Easy peasy and minimal time spent in the kitchen, which means more time for fun, games, films and forest walks. That’s how I like to spend my Christmas day!

While I have our main Christmas meal sorted for this year, I am really looking forward to trying out some new recipes during our week off. There are a handful in particular that have caught my eye and I thought I’d share them in today’s post in case you’re looking for some recipe inspiration too.

It wasn’t intentional, but all the recipes I’ve picked happen to be pastry-based. I do love a tasty pie or tart this time of year!

Let’s kick off with a couple of puff pastry pies that would make fantastic centrepieces for festive or winter dinners. Continue reading “My Top Picks of Festive & Winter Vegan Dinner Centrepieces” →

Giant Chocolate Biscoff Butter Cups. Vegan.

Published on November 30, 2016 by Sharon10 Comments

Today I’m sharing a recipe for a delicious chocolate treat that would be perfect for sharing in the upcoming festive season.

Say hello to the Giant Chocolate Biscoff Butter Cup…

This mix of melt-in-your-mouth dark chocolate and biscoff cookies in butter form is a match made in heaven. Whether you’re vegan yourself, or looking for a chocolatey gift for a vegan/dairy-free loved one, these cups are bound to impress. And the fact that you made them yourself is sure to win you extra brownie points.

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