Jem Carducci

british

Squash Stuffed with Tempeh and Chestnut

A vegan alternative to an impressive roast dinner, this is perfect for any day where you are craving a hearty meal. I used acorn squash but any small squash, or even courgette/ zucchini would work. Any leftover stuffing can be repurposed as a base for other dishes eg Shepherd's Pie or lasagna.

vegan

Eggless Frittata

Frittata has long been one of my go-to brunch dishes. It's such a versatile recipe, and to can be eaten any time of day. You can either chill or freeze some slices to enjoy later. This recipe is oil free, gluten free, vegan, low salt, and is low fat.

vegan

Rainbow Crudités / Veggie Nibbles

This is a little break from the norm in that this isn't a recipe per se. I'm sharing this in the hope it will give you some new ideas for snacking / nibbles. I can't wait to see what you create!

babka

Lúcuma and Chocolate Babka

Don't let the pattern fool you, this sweet treat isn't to make, but looks incredible! Enjoy for breakfast, or dessert (or both!) This recipe is vegan, low in sugar and oil, is high in vitamins and antioxidants, and tastes delicious!

dessert

Rhubarb Crumble Bites

Just a photo of rhubarb takes me back to my childhood- summers spent in my garden in Kent playing with the dog,. Especially Sunday lunch when we would have a roast dinner followed by rhubarb crumble with custard or ice cream. This recipe is gluten free, vegan, no oil, and free from refined sugar

dessert

Helado de Lúcuma (2 ways)

Lúcuma is a fruit from South America- primarily found in and around Peru and is considered a super food thanks to it's properties as an antioxidant, it's full of vitamins, and is said to have anti-aging properties! Here I have 2 recipes for you to enjoy with lucuma-ice cream and pudding!

soup

Roast Pumpkin Soup

What's more autumnal than pumpkins? There's something about these gorgeous gourds that brings together all the smells, colours, and warmth of the season. This dish is gluten free, vegan, low fat, and full of vitamins and antioxidants!

breakfast

Chocolate Banana Spread

You can whip this deliciously sweet chocolate spread up in a matter of minutes with minimal mess. Unlike shop bought chocolate spreads, it's free of refined sugar, it;s also gluten free, vegan, oil free, and packed with nutrients.

vegan

Awesome Apple Pie

Autumn is here- time for apple picking and pumpkin carving! We went apple picking last week, and of course ended up with a generous haul! What better way to use some of them up than in a pie?

vegan

Sticky Toffee Pudding Cake

For anyone not raised in the UK, you may not be familiar with the Cumbrian dessert- it's a date heavy sweet, sticky (as you might have guessed) sponge pudding with a caramel type sauce and is often served with a dollop of ice cream.

miso

Marvelous Miso

Did you know there are different types of miso? Varieties include soy, chickpea, and barley. From mellow white to burgundy barrel aged, miso doesn't just make an incredible soup, it also gives an incredible earthiness to fruit based dishes such as crumbles, pies, and cake AND it keeps in the fridge!

dessert

Vegan (Cheese?)cake

It's been a long time since I had cheesecake-so, I thought it was time to take matters into my own hands, and came up with this whole grain alternative! Let me know what flavour combinations you try!

tofu

Timesaving Tofu Meatballs

These may be the quickest 'meatballs' I've ever made! These little beauties low in fat, low in salt, high in protein, and are ready in a flash. Serve in a roll as a meatball sub, with pasta and marinara sauce with baked potatoes, or as an alternative to falafel.

vegan

Carrot Top Pesto

This oil free, protein packed version of the classic takes less than 10 minutes to make and can be used as part of a huge variety of dishes- on sandwiches, pizza, pasta, bruschetta, potatoes.. the possibilities are (almost) endless!

vegan

Better for you Brownies

These sweet, fudgy, rich, chocolatey bites can be a little messy, but taste delicious! They're packed with protein and fiber, have no refined sugar or oil, and the added seeds and spices provide a host of nutritional benefits. They're even vegan and gluten free!

vegan

Veggie Packed Pad Thai

Although this delicious dish is traditionally made with fish sauce, I've tried to reimagine it to make an oil free, vegan version. Feel free to add whatever veggies and greens you have in, you can even substitute the tofu for beans if preferred.

vegan

(N)ice Cream

Ice cream- the perfect treat on a hot day.. or any day really! How about a healthier version that you can tailor to your taste? Sounds almost too good to be true, doesn't it? Here's a vegan, unprocessed alternative you can whip up in under 5 minutes!

vegan

Cheesy Bean and Tofu Scramble

Jentacular- a word meaning pertaining to breakfast (I guess 'breakfasty' just didn't cut it?!) The brunch is pretty jentacular, if I do say so myself! A bowl of cheesy protein rich tofu and black beans, chunks of potato, crunchy veggies, creamy avocado, and chunks of sweet, juicy mango. Delish!

Stuffed Squash with Cheesy Garlic Mash

I opted for a lower carb version of this homely dish by mixing potato and celeriac or celery root for the mash. Paired with a black bean stuffed squash and some seasonal veggies, this is a perfect dinner for any time of year!

vegan

Terrific Tortilla Española

Did you know that the word 'tapas' means 'lids'? These dishes were devised to fit on small plates used to cover drinks. I love tapas, but trying to make some of these dishes both vegan and oil free requires a little creativity. How does one make an omelette with no eggs? With chickpeas, of course!

Fast Phở

Traditionally, Phở, considered Vietnam's national dish, uses beef or chicken broth as it's base, but anyone who's tried mushroom broth will know it's earthy meaty flavour gives it the perfect flavour profile for this dish, and many others- it'll bring

Layered Veggie Bake with Romanesco

What's not to love about Romanesco cauliflower? Those beautiful spring green spirals almost look like a prehistoric forest waiting to be explored. Putting my mini cocottes to good use I whipped up these beauties for a light but warming meal.

vegan

Notoriously Nutty Noodles

Looking for a quick protein packed lunch that will fill you up? I got you!Bean/pulse based pasta (here I used black bean spaghetti) adds a bunch of protein to this dish, but the sauce has so much protein in it, it works well with rice or wheat based noodles too!

vegan

Easy Peasy Mac and Cheezy

As far as comfort foods go, mac and cheese is most definitely up there! For an extra boost of protein, why not use pea or lentil based pasta?

Crispy Veg Bites

When craving arancini, I got to thinking- how can I create something similar without grain or rice (or cheese!) Thus, these crispy vegetable bites were born!