love to use the underdog vegetables that rarely get a starring role: a violet-crowned swede makes a mighty chip; a bag of frozen peas boiled and mashed with some mint is great to stir into pasta or pile on hot toast.
When I think about how to sum up how I look at food I am always drawn back to Michael Pollan’s super-simplified equation ‘eat food, not too much, mostly plants’. This is my notebook of a discovery of a new and modern way to eat and cook, one that considers our bodies and tastebuds alike. Insanely delicious, joyful food, new possibilities and flavours that make me excited to cook and eat it for all the right reasons.
Gluten free and vegan
Gluten-free diets have become increasingly popular as a way to overall wellness. Many of the recipes in this book are naturally gluten free, or can easily be adapted to make them so. While I personally eat bread and pasta from time to time, I too like eating this way as it leaves me feeling lighter and happier. I like to use gluten-free pastas, such as brown rice and quinoa pasta. I also have friends who are coeliac, for whom eating gluten is much more than a dietary choice.
I should point out that you don’t get exactly the same results by substituting a gluten-free flour for a wheat one. Using gluten-free flours in baking recipes does sometimes give a slightly crumblier texture but will have a deeper flavour than if you used regular flour. When I’m baking cakes I like to add ground nuts, which can help add richness and structure.
You can use gluten-free oats in place of normal oats (these won’t have come into contact with any wheat). Some people with gluten intolerances may prefer not to eat even gluten-free oats, in which case quinoa flakes can be used instead. Some of the staple ingredients I use may have hidden gluten and if you are sensitive to it then watch out for soy sauce or tamari (you can find gluten-free versions in healthfood stores), miso pastes (use naturally gluten-free white miso paste), tofu and tempeh (use plain rather than smoked or flavoured and check the label carefully), and baking powder (a gluten-free version can be bought in supermarkets). I don’t specify to use a gluten-free stock powder, but you can buy these easily in supermarkets. The Cool Chile Company make wholly corn, authentic tortillas, which I use in place of flatbreads.
Many of my recipes are naturally vegan, as I often cook for my vegan brother and sister. I’ve included a lot of egg and dairy alternatives in my recipes as it’s becoming more and more a way of life for people who want to lighten the load on their bodies and the planet.
Where I do use cheese, eggs or butter, I have given alternatives if I can. Coconut yoghurt is a favourite in place of normal or Greek yoghurt, almond milk is my milk of choice for baking and most of the dishes in this book can be made really easily without the cheese (you may want to add a little more salt though).
Here is a list of recipes that are either entirely gluten free and vegan, or need only simple tweaking.
HOW I PUT A RECIPE TOGETHER
This is what goes through my head when I’m writing a recipe. If you’re anything like me, then sometimes you like the confines of a recipe and sometimes you like to freestyle. This is a guide for those freer days, which will help you layer up flavours and textures into a killer plate of food. I’ve used kale as an example here, but use this process for any vegetable.
what gets me up in the morning
I’ve never been very good at early mornings, and for years breakfast wasn’t part of my routine. But a few years back, I told myself that I deserved a real breakfast every morning. Whether that’s sitting on my back doorstep, enjoying a cup of coffee and watching the early sun break through the mimosa tree, or hurriedly eating a delicious bowl of granola before rushing out of the door, somehow breakfast for me is setting out my intention of how I want the day to be. Because you need different breakfasts for these different types of days, I’ve split this chapter into two sections – quick and slow.
Toasted oats · just-right eggs · slow-roasted tomatoes · slices of perfectly ripe avocado · charred sourdough toast · a good pot of coffee · steaming bowls of creamy porridge · cloud-light pancakes · chequered waffles · flapjack granola · dessert for breakfast
Blueberry pie porridge
This is a whole-hearted, good-for-you start to the morning, as the quick maple blueberries lift this porridge from standard morning fare to shout-from-the-rooftops delicious.
I use a mixture of amaranth and oats here (and you could use gluten-free ones), as I love the deep nutty taste of amaranth. The way it holds its bite and then pops in your mouth makes a welcome change from the uniform texture of most porridge. You could leave out the amaranth and replace it with more oats, millet or some quinoa flakes – just remember, though, that these will cook much quicker, so keep an eye on them.
I vary the fruit here according to the season – apples work in winter, strawberries and cherries in spring and summer, and plums in autumn.
SERVES 2
2 handfuls of amaranth
2 handfuls of oats
500ml milk of your choice (I like to use coconut milk, see here)
200g blueberries
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
juice of ½ a lemon
First get the porridge going. Put the amaranth and oats into a pan with half the milk and bring to a gentle simmer. Leave to bubble away for 20 minutes, topping up with the rest of the milk when needed and some extra hot water if the porridge starts to look a bit too dry.
While your porridge is cooking, put the blueberries into another pan with the maple syrup, cinnamon and lemon juice and cook over a medium heat. Use a wooden spoon to mash up some of the blueberries and release their deep violet juices, leaving a few whole. They are ready when most of the liquid has reduced to a jammy texture, like a pie filling.
Your porridge is ready when the amaranth grains have softened and absorbed into the creamy oats but still have a little bite.
To serve, pile the porridge into bowls and top with the blueberries and more maple syrup, if you like. Dessert for breakfast.
Overnight Bircher with peaches
Weekday breakfasts for me are usually two bleary minutes before I run out of the door. If you take time over breakfast, good for you. I certainly do when time is on my side. When it’s not, I get clever and make this super-quick muesli the night before.
I add chia seeds because they give a rich creaminess – if you don’t want to add chia, just don’t add as much milk. As good peaches aren’t around all year I often swap them out for other fruits.
A
