Gluten free salmon blinis
Soft and fluffy mini gluten-free pancakes – otherwise known as blinis. Perfect for topping with smoked salmon, cream cheese and a sprinkle of fresh chives
Tag: dairy free
Tropical banana, mango & coconut smoothie bowl
Banana, mango & coconut smoothie bowl This creamy smoothie bowl is stuffed with fresh mango, delicate banana and thick coconut cream. The best part – it’s dairy-free and has zero added sugar. Serve with fresh granola, blueberries and coconut shavings for a clean, easy breakfast.…
Vibrant berry smoothie bowl
Vibrant berry smoothie bowl
A beautifully light and tangy triple berry smoothie bowl packed with antioxidants and vitamins. Top with homemade gluten-free granola, desiccated coconut and slices of fresh fruit for a clean & filling detox breakfast.
PREP TIME: 5 MINS
ASSEMBLY TIME: 5 MINS
TOTAL TIME: 10 MINS
This smoothie bowl packs a whole load of goodness – it’s vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free, and low in fat and calories (with options to reduce even further). This is partly due to the fact that smoothies retain much of the fiber from the fruit’s pulp – as opposed to fruit juices, which often end up being very concentrated in sugar.
You can top it with pretty much anything that you happen to have in your cupboard – peanut butter, dried coconut, chopped nuts… not forgetting a (mandatory) spoon or two of fresh granola! For a healthier homemade version, try this super simple gluten-free pecan granola recipe.
Are smoothie bowls actually healthy?
The short answer – yes! The bulk of this smoothie bowl recipe is made up of mixed fresh berries, which are actually just shy of 90% water and so have a very low concentration of sugar and carbohydrates.
They’re also packed with antioxidants that help rid your body of the damaging free radicals resulting from eating high sugar foods and alcohol – hence their longstanding use as a detox food. This makes them a great low-calorie option for weight loss diets and general clean eating.
The only caveat is that you need to control what you top your smoothie bowl with. Loading it with too much granola will turn it into a high carb/calorie meal, so if weight loss is your goal, just be careful to only sprinkle a couple of tablespoons on top.
Ingredients
Blueberries, raspberries & strawberries – you can really mix and match the quantities depending on what you have on hand. I love the combination of all three berries, but when British strawberries are out of season, I’ll often omit them and add extra blueberries instead
Banana – balances the sharpness of the berries with a bit of natural low calorie sweetness. For an even lower carb smoothie, you can easily make it without the banana
Plain soya yoghurt – Adding a bit of yoghurt gives the smoothie base a thicker, creamier consistency, while also adding a bit of protein. If you’re not dairy intolerant, greek yoghurt packs a higher protein content
Honey – optional! You can use a little extra banana to sweeten the bowl a bit more instead, or swap the honey out for a drizzle of maple syrup
Optional extras
Peanut butter – some crunchy PB is really delicious drizzled on top, but you can actually add it to the smoothie base too. For an even creamier and nuttier base, add a tablespoon to the mix and blend together.
Supplement with more vitamins – smoothie bowls are a good way to disguise any supplements you might be taking. Try stirring in a teaspoon of spirulina or vitamin powder.
Oats – to make this even more filling, blend a couple of tablespoons of gluten-free rolled oats into the smoothie base for a slow-release energy source.
How to make a thicker smoothie
I make this recipe without any milk, as the berries add a lot if liquid when blended. However, there are a few extra ways that you can make it a bit thicker.
Use frozen berries – prepare ahead by freezing your berries in advance before blending them for a thicker smoothie consistency. I often forget to do this and happily use chilled berries instead, but it does give a thinner texture
Add yoghurt – the thicker the better! You can get hold of a lot of different dairy-free greek yoghurt alternatives now, which help give the smoothie a thicker and creamier feel. I really like the soya-based versions
Add banana – banana doesn’t just make everything taste better, but it also helps thicken up the bowl. Freeze it before adding to make the smoothie even thicker
Add glucomannan powder – I bang on about this stuff a lot for thickening up fruit sauces (like my raspberry coconut pancake topping). A small amount rapidly absorbs any liquid mixed with it, without adding any calories or changing the taste. Try sprinkling some into the mix to help set the smoothie
Additional smoothie tips
Making smoothies without a blender – high powered blenders are definitely the easiest and quickest way to create a smoother consistency. I don’t actually own a particularly powerful one myself, so I just use a hand-held stick blender to make mine. However, you could easily make do with just a fork and a whisk.
For the berries, leave them until they’re super ripe and soft, so you can squish them easily. For the banana, try breaking it into chunks and microwaving for 30-60 seconds. This makes it so much easier to mash by hand. Then thoroughly beat together with the yoghurt using a whisk until about smooth.
Storage – you can keep leftover smoothie in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 36 hours. It may have separated in this time but that’s totally normal – just give it a good stir before serving.
Vibrant berry smoothie bowl
A vibrant, triple berry smoothie bowl crammed with antioxidants. Top with homemade gluten-free granola and sliced banana for a refreshing breakfast.
Servings 1 large bowl
Calories 259kcal
Equipment
- electric food blender
Ingredients
Bowl ingredients
- 60 g (½ cup) raspberries, frozen
- 60 g (½ cup) blueberries, frozen
- 60 g (½ cup) strawberries, chilled
- ½ medium banana, frozen
- 3 tbsp plain soya yoghurt
- ½ tbsp honey or maple syrup
Toppings
- 3 tbsp gluten-free granola of choice
- 1 tbsp desiccated coconut
- ½ medium banana, sliced
- 5 strawberries, sliced
Instructions
- In a food processor or blender, blend the blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, banana and honey/maple syrup until smooth. Then stir in the yoghurt and pour into a large bowl.
- Scatter the fresh granola, desiccated coconut and sliced banana and strawberries over the top. Serve immediately, and store any leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container
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Or, check out more delicious gluten-free breakfast ideas:
Raspberry yoghurt baked oats
Raspberry yoghurt baked oats Change up your usual morning porridge with a comforting dish of gluten-free baked oats, served warm from the oven. This recipe is stuffed with fresh raspberries and creamy dairy-free yoghurt for a filling, tangy breakfast. PREP TIME: 10 MINS COOK TIME:…
Berry coconut-flour pancakes
Berry coconut-flour pancakes A decadent stack of soft, fluffy gluten-free pancakes, made with a blend of buckwheat and coconut flour and stuffed with juicy blueberries. Serve topped with rich raspberry compote and thick cream or dairy-free yoghurt for an epic breakfast. PREP TIME: 10 MINS…
3-bean chilli stuffed peppers
3-bean chilli stuffed peppers
This is a warming, vibrant low-carb dinner. Mix up your toppings with avocado, yoghurt, baby tomatoes or a sprinkle of freshly chopped basil. It’s also a great way to use up any leftovers from the previous night’s chilli. Swap the beef for Quorn mince or lentils for a vegetarian alternative.
PREP TIME: 15 MINS
COOK TIME: 30 MINS
TOTAL TIME: 45 MINS
Stuffed peppers are a very forgiving kind of food. They don’t seem to be mind being over-baked a bit, and they still look colourful and appealing even if you hack them open with a blunt spoon and throw the chilli all over the shop.
Out of all the vegetables you could stuff, peppers are definitely one of the easiest. You don’t need to painstakingly scoop out loads of flesh as with courgettes or squash. It’s as simple as chopping them into rough halves and cutting out the small seed section.
I hadn’t seen any peppers in the supermarkets for a little while – apparently the good people of High Wycombe have shifted from panic-buying toilet roll to hitting up the vegetable section – so when I finally got my hands on some today I was quite excited to make this.
Are they healthy?
Stuffed peppers are not just a healthy and filling supper option. They’re also friendly to all kinds of diets, this list touching on just a few.
- They’re naturally gluten free – even when you add extra bits like rice and other spices
- They’re easy to make dairy free – just avoid topping them with cheese or normal yoghurt
- They’re keto friendly – as long as you don’t add any extra high-carb ingredients like rice
- They’re low in carbs – making them a great recipe for anyone trying to lose weight. Having said that, don’t try and go zero-carb to shed the fat. Your body needs at least one meal with healthy carbs in it, especially if you’re doing any regular training
- You can easily make them vegetarian – just swap the meat for Quorn pieces or mince, and/or add lentils to the tomato sauce before stuffing the peppers
- They can be prepared in advance – you can make the filling ahead of time, then let it cool before stuffing the raw peppers and leaving in the fridge for up to 4-5 days before baking them. They’re also great reheated the next day
Ingredients
On the whole, this recipe can be very easily customised to suit whatever you have in the fridge – down to the meat, flavourings and the vegetables that you can mix into the chilli.
- Beef mince – I prefer to use mince with a higher fat content for this, as it adds loads of flavour and helps fill you up, given the lack of carbohydrate. However, if you’re on a serious diet and would prefer to make it low-fat as well, use lean beef or turkey mince instead.
- Large bell peppers – for the purposes of a main meal, large peppers work best for this as they allow you to cram loads more mixture inside. However, you could change it up and use baby peppers for a cute starter.
- Tinned tomatoes, tomato puree, onion & chilli powder – because it wouldn’t be chilli otherwise!
- Beef stock cube – I add this in every time that I make a mince-based dish. It really brings out the flavours and makes everything taste twice as good.
- A few veggies – I opted for keeping things simple with grated carrot and garden peas, but feel free to add in anything you like to liven it up a bit more. Just make sure to chop everything very small, as it makes stuffing the peppers easier.
Cooking instructions
If you’re cooking the stuffed peppers from raw, they’ll take about 25 minutes in the oven. To save a bit of time when preparing the filling – for those who can cope with two things cooking at the same time – get the mince cooking while the empty peppers bake in the oven for the first 15 minutes. Then, once both are reasonably cooked through, stuff the peppers and continue to bake for another 10-15 minutes.
Although I wouldn’t recommend cooking the peppers from scratch in the microwave, you’re absolutely fine to do this when reheating a batch from chilled.
Freezing leftovers
On that note, stuffed peppers are an easy food to freeze for later. It doesn’t make much difference whether the peppers are raw or not, however it’s safer if the filling is already cooked. Store them in an airtight Tupperware container or a freezer-safe dish wrapped in tin foil for up to 1 month.
To defrost, place straight into an oven-proof dish or tray and cook from frozen for 25-35 minutes at 180°C or 350°F until completely thawed through. To shorten the cooking time, let them defrost slowly in the fridge overnight before baking.
3-bean chilli stuffed peppers
An easy, colourful low-carb dinner. Top with your choice of chopped tomatoes, fresh herbs, yoghurt and mashed avocado
Servings 2
Calories 448kcal
Equipment
- Large wok/frying pan
- Oven
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- 200 g (1 cup) 15% beef mince
- ½ tin (approx 200g or 1 cup) mixed beans - e.g. kidney beans, black-eyed beans, pinto beans
- 400 g (1 ⅔ cups) tinned tomatoes
- 1 tbsp tomato puree
- 1 beef stock cube, crumbled up into small pieces
- 1 carrot, grated
- 0.5 tsp chilli powder (adjust to taste)
- 70 g (⅓ cup) frozen garden peas
- 1 tbsp gluten free Worcester sauce
- salt & pepper, to taste
- 2 large bell peppers
Toppings
- 1 tbsp dairy free yoghurt or sour cream
- 50 g (¼ cup, pureed) avocado
- ½ tsp finely chopped fresh basil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C or 350°F
- In a large wok, fry the onion and garlic in the olive oil on a medium heat, until softened. Then add the mince and mixed beans, and cook for 15 minutes until completely brown
- Slice the peppers in half and coat with some olive oil. Place on a baking tray and bake for 15 minutes
- Add the tinned tomato, tomato puree, Worcester sauce, chilli powder and crumbled stock cube to the mince mixture, stirring well until fully combined. Add a generous amount of salt & pepper, to taste
- Remove the peppers from the oven and spoon in the mince mixture, until it is level with the top edges of the peppers. Place back in the oven and bake for a further 10-12 minutes
- Serve topped with sliced or crushed avocado, sour cream or yoghurt, and a pinch of finely chopped fresh basil
Berry banana peanut butter smoothie
Berry banana peanut butter smoothie This thick and fruity smoothie makes a great antioxidant-packed snack. Naturally sweetened by the ripe banana, it’s so easy to make and has a tangy berry kick. Top it with a handful of your favourite granola or an extra drizzle…
The best homemade granola
The best homemade granola This is a chunky, oaty, nutty, ridiculously easy granola. All you’ll need are three main ingredients for those golden brown clusters, plus whatever toppings and flavourings take your fancy. PREP TIME: 5 MINUTES COOK TIME: 25 MINUTES RESTING TIME: 15 MINUTES…
