This recipe is easy to follow and doesn’t use anything you wouldn’t be able to find at your local supermarket, best of all the result is a moist, flavourful and bouncy sponge that you would never guess was a wheat/dairy free alternative!

After making these I spent the evening watching Hocus Pocus (enjoy my favourite scene by clicking here!), an old favourite of mine which I watch religiously every Halloween along with Casper and the Addams Family, nothing too scary for me! What’s your favourite spooky Halloween film?

These cupcakes are not only perfect for Halloween but for the winter season. The pumpkin mixed with the slight nutmeg and cinnamon taste give them a festive feel, making them perfect to snuggle up with warm drink and treat yourself to some seasonal flavour!

Recipe:

Makes 12 Cupcakes

Ingredients:

For the sponge

• 100grams of brown sugar
• 115grams of dairy free spread (I used Pure Sunflower Spread)
• 2 eggs
• 150grams of plain flour (I used Doves Farm, plain white)
• 2½ teaspoons of baking powder
• ½ teaspoon of nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon of cinnamon
• 1½ tablespoons of apple sauce
• 230grams of pureed pumpkin – You can used canned or I used a half a medium fresh pumpkin. To prepare this way: trim, deseed and cut in to rough chunks. On a baking tray cook in the oven at 220c for approximately 45 minutes until softened. Take out and allow to cool. Weigh out the amount you need then puree in a blender. It will them be ready to add to the cupcake mix

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 220c. Trim, de-seed and cut the pumpkin roughly in to large cubes. Place on a baking tray and cook until soft for approximately 45 minutes.
2. In a mixing bowl add the butter and sugar and beat until light and creamy.
3. Beat the eggs in a separate bowl. Add them a little at a time to the butter mixture, beating lightly with a wooding spoon.
4. In a separate bowl weight out the flour and baking powder and gently stir to combine. Sift the flour mix in to the wet mix a little at a time. Be extra careful at this stage to ensure you are folding the entire mix, trapping air as you blend in the flour.
5. Add the apple sauce, pureed pumpkin, nutmeg and cinnamon to the mixture and fold in carefully until combined.
   

   The trick to this entire recipe in ensuring you fold in all the ingredients you add, keeping the mix light and fluffy while you trap in air!

6. Spoon the cake mixture in to paper cases and bake in the oven for 10 – 15 minutes until golden brown and firm.
7. Transfer on to cooling rack and allow them to cool completely before icing. To prepare the icing in a bowl add the dairy free spread, then sift in the icing sugar and coco powder to avoid lumps. Cream the mixture gently with a small spoon, don’t over mix as the dairy free spread can become runny it over worked.
   

   These sponges are so delicious, you HAVE to try one warm and plain out the oven

8. Ice and decorate your cupcakes. Enjoy and Happy Halloween!
   

   I bought these little decoration cocktail sticks but you could even try making your own. I went for a Halloween theme with my nails this week

So I decided to pick a few pumpkins up…

One to carve!

And one to cook!

I saw a recipe in a magazine for pumpkin mash potato which gave me the idea to make this delicious potato bake recipe, I love using different squashes as alternatives to potato as I find them so much tastier. Take a look at my Spiced Roasted Butternut Squash recipe for another tasty dish perfect for warming you up on a cold winter night!

I LOVE the combination of sweet in with a savoury dish and the flavours in this work great together to form a delicious taste of autumn with the fresh in season fruit and veg. This can be served as a side like you would potato or even served with a simple salad like I had for my dinner was delicious!

Recipe:

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1.2kg (trimmed weight) of pumpkin flesh
• 4 eating apples
• 1 medium potato
• 3 oranges
• 150ml of milk (I used LactoFree)
• Pomegranate and coriander (optional)
• Two tablespoons on dairy free spread (I used Pure)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 220c. Roughly chop the pumpkin in to medium sized pieces. Peel and core the apples and cut in to pieces along with the potato.
2. In a large saucepan melt the spread to grease the pan and add the pumpkin, apple and potato. Stir frequently for 10 minutes until softened.
3. Squeeze the juice of three oranges in the pan and season with salt and pepper. Cover pan and leave to simmer on a low heat for a further 10 minutes.
4. Drain off excess liquid from the pan and lightly mash. Transfer in to baking tray and place in oven for 10 minutes.
5. Remove from oven and drizzle the milk over the baking tray, season further if desired and place back in oven for 10 – 15 minutes until golden and crispy.

               

 I enjoy the taste of butternut squash roasted without any seasoning but ever since trying it with this Bart -Ras El Hanout spice I can’t imagine wanting to cook it any other way!  I first had this spice with a delicious risotto and really enjoyed the warm Moroccan taste it carries through a dish.

I don’t get along very well with spicy food, the same as many people living with stomach problems but it doesn’t mean I don’t like a warming flavour in my meals. I use a lot of paprika in place of chilli, as it is a warming flavourful spice without being hot and leaving that spicy after taste.  What staple herbs and spices do you keep in your kitchen to add flavour without upsetting your stomach?

Recipe:

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 Butternut Squash
• Seaseme Oil
• Bart’s – Ral El Hanout Spice 

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 220c. Cut the butternut squash in half and remove the seeds inside with a spoon. Peel the skin and then chop in to small bitesize pieces.
2. In a large mixing bowl, add the butternut squash and the oil. Mix well until the oil has lightly coated the cubes.
3. Spread the cubes out evenly on a baking tray. Take the Ral El Hanout spice and carefully sprinkle over entire tray, give the tray a shake to spread the spice out more and coat the cubes.
   

   Once coated, give the tray a good shake and stir everything round to ensure all the cubes are covered with the tasty spice and oil!

4. Place in the oven for 25 – 30 minutes until golden orange and crispy!
   

   This honestly tastes so good I could eat an entire tray to myself.... and very nearly did! Enjoy

You can roll this dough out and make cute heart shaped biscuits!

Not only is this a healthy way to fulfil a chocolate craving, you are giving your body valuable nutrition as the ingredients to make these include natural sugars, oats and nuts, all of which will feed your body energy and make you feel great!

I love the combination of chocolate and coconut, these were a delicious treat. if you have a craving for any flavours but want a healthy alternative to enjoy them, let me know and I’ll do my best to create a sweet healthy treat for you!

Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 100grams of Cashews
• 50grams of Rolled Oats
• 40grams of Plain Flour (I used Doves Farm, wheat and gluten free)
• 1 tablespoon of Organic Brown Sugar
• ½ teaspoon of Vanilla Extract
• 2 tablespoons of Agave
• 2 tablespoons of Honey
• 2 tablespoons of Hot Chocolate Powder (I used Light Choices, at only 15kcal per tablespoon)
• 50grams of Desiccated Coconut

You can also add a scoop of protein powder to this mix, approximately for every scoop (20grams) add two table spoons of water to keep the mix moist and dough like.

Method:

1. Set your oven to 180c. Grease a lined baking tray with lowcal spray (if cooking). In a food processor blend the cashews, oats, flour and hot chocolate powder. You may need to stop the blender and with a spoon move the mixture around then blend again as the cashews can get stuck. Once blended you should be left with a flour mix.
2. Next add the sugar, vanilla, agave and honey. Blend until mix is moist throughout and dough like, then add two tablespoons of water and blend again.
3. Remove mix from blender in to bowl and kneed with wet hands to add moisture. In the bowl tip the coconut and kneed in to the dough throughout.
4. Roll out the dough and use a cutter to make small biscuits or mold in to small balls as shown in the picture.
5. Place on baking tray and bake in the oven for FIVE MINUTES if they are thin biscuits and TEN minutes if they and thick balls, both shown in pictures below.
   

   5 Minutes in the oven when making thinner biscuits with the dough!

   

   10 Minutes in oven when making thick bites like these. I put a a few cranberries in the middle of some of them which went really well

6. These can also be enjoyed raw, mold in the balls and place in fridge for an hour before eating as they are far tastier cold when raw.

This website isn’t just for people with food intolerances, allergies, IBS and other health related problems but also for people who are simply looking to lead a healthier lifestyle. If you aren’t feeling great after eating food you buy, you should really considering making different and smarter choices when you shop and there is a massive range of food alternatives available.

Everyone has their own personal reason for wanting to change their diet and lifestyle; mine was the desire to want to learn more about food and the different, positive and negative, effects it was having on my body.  By doing this I have been able to change my diet to fit around my sensitive stomach and food intolerances. The more aware I have become, the more control I have gained throughout my entire life and have found I can enjoy everything I like without suffering afterwards and in a healthier way.

A big part of changing your diet is changing the food products you get in to the habit of buying; this is where this part of the website aims to help. For whatever reason you are thinking of changing what you normally buy, it can be hard when faced with so many choices in the supermarket. In this section I will post clear, quick and honest reviews on products which I both recommend you to try and would suggest you avoid!

Hopefully it can be of help and I would love to hear your thoughts on any products you have tried and tested, both positive and negative.

Each review covers the following points:

• Taste
• Cost/value for money
• Use
• Nutrition
• Marks out of ten

I do try and include everything I think you’d want to know but if you have any questions on anything I review then leave them below and I’ll be sure to get back to you!

I spotted these Hale & Hearty rice snacks for 99p, I was pleased to see a wheat free snack and decided to give them a try. Has anyone else noticed any change in the choices of free from food available in your local stores?

Taste – These mini rice and corn snacks are so tasty and light I would personally choose them over crisps every time. They are bursting with flavour and texture without being overpowering like many salt and vinegar flavoured snacks. I prefer the texture of these over crisps as they are not at all oily and have a lovely crunchy bite.

Cost – I bought these for 99p. Good value for money, one bag with lunch is plenty without being too heavy. Many single packed crisps often cost more than this anyway. Taking in to consideration there health properties and good taste, I would consider these good value.

Use – Perfect for lunch with a sandwich or salad for something light on the side to finish of your lunch. They are also great for an on the go healthy snack mid-morning or afternoon. I think they are a good healthy alternative to give children in their lunch box instead of crisps and also get some variation to their normal lunch.

Nutrition – They contain simple and natural ingredients which I love to see in a food product. Rice and corn snacks like this are healthier than potato based crisp snacks and also naturally lower in fat. They are 92kcal per bag which I think is fantastic for how tasty they are and a perfect addition to a lunch without overloading on high calorie sides. With them being Hale and Hearty they are Wheat, Gluten and MSG free and suitable for vegans, this is perfect for people with intolerances and even those without can benefit from varying from their normal food choices.

Simple Healthy Ingredients!

10/10

• On the go snack and perfect with lunch
• Healthy alternative to crisps
• Full of great flavour and also available in Sour Cream and Chive and Sweet and Spicy

Millionaires shortbread always reminds me of when I used to get squares of it for desert when I was in primary school, there was hardly any shortbread at all, mostly just a thick layer of oozing caramel and an even thicker layer of chocolate, they were delicious but I certainly can’t get away with eating them every day after lunch anymore! These however are a slightly less guilty version still with lots of taste!

Taste – The shortbread bases on these slices are moist, light and don’t have that overly buttery taste of shortbread. The caramel reminds me more of a layer of crumbly fudge rather than runny caramel, it’s the perfect amount and I personally loved the taste. They are topped off with a thin layer of chocolate, I like that the biscuit is only one third topping as it’s enough to give that taste without it being overly sweet or sickly.

Cost/ Value for Money – I bought these for £3.15 at my local health food store for 5 slices. With the quality of ingredients in these and the well established brand I would say that this is a reasonable price and after trying the product, would buy them again at this price. However if I was buying for my family on a budget this wouldn’t be my first choice as you only get five.

Use – I think these are perfect for sharing with guests; it’s nice to all be able to enjoy the same treat over a drink or even as a desert and not be the outsider with your intolerances. I wouldn’t suggest these for lunches or on the go, they are not individually wrapped and the can be quiet crumbly so even if you wrapped them yourself I’d imagine they would crumble or break.

Nutrition – These bars are approximately 150kcal each which I would say is worth it for how good they taste! They are free from gluten, wheat, dairy, egg and hydrogenated fats. This makes these slices great for people with intolerances and allergies but also the alternative ingredients used are healthier so even if you are on a diet and looking for a healthy alternative this certainly is an option.

7/10

• Ideal for sharing
• Fresh and moist homemade taste
• Not too high in calories and fat

• Not ideal for ‘on the go’ or lunch boxes
• Not ideal for budgets or feeding families

Taste – I always make my own flapjack now so I haven’t tried a shop bought one in a very long time. I was pleasantly surprised at how moist these were as flapjacks can often go dry easily. They were just sweet enough to satisfy my sweet tooth without being sickly and the sunflowers seeds gave them a nice change in texture from just plain oat.

Cost/Value for Money – These cost me £2.95 for five small slices. I think this is a good price as they could last you for a snack or desert to your lunch all through the week. Considering how cheap it is to make flapjacks in large batches homemade though this does make buying 5 at this price in my opinion only worth it if you don’t have time to make your own.

Use – My favourite thing about these bars is they are individually wrapped making them ideal for lunch boxes and on the go but they aren’t the type of thing I would share round with guests.

Nutrition – These are made with healthy ingredients as alternatives to butter and 60% of flapjack is made up of oats, sunflower seeds and raisins, all packed with energy and health benefits. They are 165kcal per slice which makes them a good snack or side to control high calorie and fat levels, plus this the ingredients in this provide your body with good fats, protein and carbs which your body uses and burns in a different way to 165 calories of chocolate. Also this makes a nutritious snack for lunch times and on the go as they made up with oats which are known to have slow burning qualities which give you energy.

 

 Individually wrapped – ideal for lunches, road trips, on the go snacking

Contain oats, raisins and sunflower seed, all with known health benefits

Taste really moist and sweet

•  You get 5 smaller bars for this price – would be cost effective to make your own if feeding larger numbers (check out my recipe here!)
• Each slice contains 9.1g of fat – although this is mostly good fats from the oats, not an ideal snack for a low fat diet

 

Have you ever tried these? Or can you recommend any other healthy shop bought flapjacks? Please leave your comments below!

I put this recipe together by combing a few different recipes and adding some ingredients of my own and they came out better than I ever imagined. They are like a warm soft cookie on the outside with a doughy warm cake on the inside. The warming cinnamon flavours mixed with the chocolate raisins make them a perfect warm treat straight out the oven now we’re heading in to autumn.

These soft bake cookies, like many of my recipes, are definitely proof that it is worth investing in these alternative baking goods. Not only are they good for people with intolerances and allergies they also turn treats like these cookies in to something that aren’t full of all fatty ingredients. These are still meant as treats and I’m not saying they are drastically less in calorie but by swapping ingredients like butter and sugar to coconut oil and agave, you are doing your body a favour as they are GOOD sugars and fats and have healthy benefits.

If you are looking for a free from type of treat to share with friends, I’d definitely recommend these and people will be converted to a healthier way of cooking within one bite! I prefer these served warm so if you have friends coming over get the mix ready and pop them in the oven ten minutes before serving. They are also perfect served with a scoop of ice cream which will slowly melt on top of the warm cookie, for a more calorific treat!

Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 150ml of coconut oil (comes in a paste like form so microwave for 20 seconds in a bowl then measure out in ml, melt a small amount at a time to avoid over estimating when melted and waste)
• 100grams honey
• 100grams agave nectar
• 1 egg
• 6 Tbsp. of applesauce
• 1 Tsp. of vanilla extract
• 350grams of Doves Farm plain white flour
• 40grams of ground almonds
• 1 Tbsp. of cinnamon
• 2 Tbsp. of Xanthan Gum
• 1 Tsp. Bicarbonate of soda
• 150grams of chocolate raisins (you could also use currents or choc chips)

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 170c and line a baking tray with tin foil. In a bowl add the coconut oil, honey, agave, egg, applesauce and vanilla extract and whisk until well combined (ensure all lumps of apple sauce or coconut oil are smoothed well in to the mix).
2. In a separate bowl add the flour, almonds, cinnamon, bicarbonate of soda and xanthan gum and mix with a spoon in to one combined dry mix. With a wooden spoon or spatula slowly add the flour mix and fold in to the wet mixture a small amount at a time, this should form an oily feeling dough like mix. Fold in the chocolate raisins until evenly spread throughout.
   

   The mixture will feel and look very oily and slippery so expect to get your hands messy!

3. With a tablespoon take a heaped spoon of the mix and form in to a ball with your hand, place on to baking tray and press down with spoon making a thick, flat cookie shape. These will not change shape much in oven so I try and make them in to the best shape I can before putting in oven. Sprinkle each cookie with a sprinkle of brown sugar and cinnamon. Place in oven for ten minutes.
4. Take out and leave to cool for 10 minutes before transferring to cooling rack or plate as they can break easily when too hot. To store, keep in airtight container in a cool dry place and they should keep for up to 3 days.

I usually avoid any wheat or gluten bread choices as they leave me very bloated but even though these Old El Paso corn wraps are not wheat free they have never flared up my intolerance so I enjoy them from time to time at lunch and dinner! As with most intolerances it’s the overeating of a food product which builds up the intolerance and its subsequent reactions so keeping this is mind I don’t over eat these. What really gave these wraps some flavour was my mixing the chopped lettuce in a bowl with my leftover peanut and orange sauce from my dinner last night, you can find the recipe to make this delicious sauce and some tasty spring rolls by clicking here.

A useful tip I learnt from this was to grating the Sheese was a perfect way to serve it, many vegan cheeses have strong flavour and slicing can not only be more difficult than with normal cheese but a slice can sometimes be too strong. By grating it, it made it easy to slightly melt on the tortilla when in the pan and would be a perfect way to serve the cheese in a salad to avoid lumps; these small grated pieces will carry the cheesy taste through many dishes.

This is a really healthy and flavourful lunch that you can prepare in under ten 15 minutes and it beats a sandwich and crisps! Let me know any of your favourite quick and healthy lunch ideas and share the recipes below!

Recipe

Ingredients:

• Chopped lettuce lightly tossed in my homemade peanut orange sauce
• Old El Paso corn tortilla
• Thin slices of cucumber and tomato
• Grated Sheese (or any vegan cheese)
• Handful of Quorn Chicken Style Pieces
• Humus

Method

1. Slice the tomato and cucumber in to thin slices which will bend easily when wrapping the tortilla later. In a bowl mix the lettuce with a light serving of peanut sauce (if you don’t have time to make the sauce just mix with humus) and sprinkle in a little pepper for seasoning. Leave both aside for later.
2. Grease a frying pan and lightly fry the Quorn pieces for ten minutes until golden brown. Take the corn wraps and lightly spread on humus and a sprinkling of grated sheese. When the chicken is done remove from frying pan and place in a bowl, using the same pan transfer the tortilla in to the pan and leave to warm for around 30 seconds slighting shaking the pan to avoid burning or sticking.
3. Remove from pan on to a plate and top with chicken, lettuce, and the sliced cucumber and tomato. Wrap and use a small tooth pick to hold in place is needed. Enjoy with a side salad for a light tasty lunch!
   

   Pile up all the tasty ingredients on the warm tortilla.....

   

   ...Wrap up and enjoy!