Tag: gluten-free

Juicy vegan meatballs and gravy

Growing up, my mum would make rissoles with gravy, and sometimes I was even allowed to have them on buttered crumpets. I miss those days. Lately, I’ve been thinking about recreating them with tempeh to give them a juiciness that tofu or grains cannot.

After much experimentation, I’m pleased to report that these vegan meatballs are juicier than real meatballs. In fact, they’re so juicy you might not even need the gravy but if you’re missing the meat, the gravy will help you through it. This dish is also really quick and easy – there’s barely any prep involved, which makes it great for a weeknight meal.

Vegan shakshuka (gluten-free, soy-free)

I never got to try shakshuka before I became vegan. It only really popped up on my radar in the last five or so years. Really feeling like I was missing something, I got to work on veganising it. The only problem? What to do about the egg component.

Well, I figured it out and it’s the closest I’ve come to a vegan fried egg, and the closest I am ever going to get without having to add tofu. It’s easy, soy-free and chickpea flour has a good amount of protein, which always helps a vegan out. I still can’t believe I did it, and I’m sharing it with you with a huge smile on my face.

Vegan pho

The day I tried pho was the day I realised that soup could be loved. There’s just something about pho that elevates it beyond its competitors. It’s rich and fragrant yet still light.

Gluten-free vegan pizza

If you’re gluten-free, you’ll know the struggle of finding gluten-free pizza that tastes as good as non-gluten-free pizza. And, how about the struggle of trying to make it yourself? I’ve tried hundreds of recipes and the end result has never been worth the struggle … until now.

OK, so it might not taste exactly the same as non-gluten-free pizza, but it’s the best (and easiest!) version I’ve reached, and I’m excited to share it with you at last. Especially when you can make it in the time it would take your local pizza joint to deliver a gluten-free vegan pizza that leaves you feeling unsatisfied (we’ve all been there).

Gluten-free vegan basics | The essential vegan smoothie (banana-free)

I’ve tried a lot of smoothies in my time, and boy, is it hard to find the perfect balance – not just in taste, but in prep time and number of ingredients, too. It’s hard to make a smoothie jam-packed full of nutrients when you’re vegan, hard when you’re time poor with a near empty fridge, and also, hard when you’re not a fan of the good old banana to thicken things up (which, I’ve been told, can take a smoothie from zero to hero pretty quickly).

Well, I’ve done it. I’ve made an easy smoothie that requires virtually zero prep and actually tastes good.

Gluten-free vegan dumplings (take two) | Rice paper pockets

Remember when I told you about my love of dumplings? Well, I’m back to profess my love once more. Life isn’t the same without them; I miss them terribly and think about them daily. That’s why I’m back with another batch – although these ones are very different from the last.

These bad boys are filled with what you might expect from a vegetarian dumpling but best of all, they are allergy and tummy friendly. Essentially, you’ll be transported to intolerance-friendly Chinatown at first bite. Closing your eyes might help if you’re anything like me and haven’t quite mastered the art of folding rice paper rounds to make dumplings look like dumplings.

Raw chocolate mousse tarts | Gluten-free raw vegan dessert

Full disclosure, this recipe started as a jaffa tart. Halfway along the way, I realised I had created the perfect vegan chocolate mousse, not too rich, not too bitter, not too sweet and – best of all – not too avocado-tasting. Realising I had well and truly outdone myself, I dumped my jaffa tart and pursued my new love: chocolate avocado mousse.

Speaking of love, it’s Valentine’s Day (well, almost) and since I’m not good at expressing how much I love a person in words, I put it all in a tart.