Buckwheat winter salad - Vegan, DF and GF

This is so colourful, full of warm wintry flavours, sweetness from carrots roasted in honey and dried fruit, walnuts, and toasted then simmered buckwheat for extra nutty flavour and substance. It's a winter winner for sure...

Avocado coconut noodles - Vegan, DF and GF

This on the other hand is quite different! The avocado coconut noodles will only take 15 minutes to pull together, and the flavours have zing! (lime and chilli will do that for you)The noodles and edmamae beans are cooked together, then the sunflower seeds are toasted with the coconut shred added in just at the end for that delicious toasted coconut flavour. The dressing is a mix of honey, chilli, tamari, lime juice and ginger...Super tasty and these are great for lunch also.

Braised tofu with winter veg - Vegan, DF and GF

This is an all-in-one midweek dinner - there are five different veg in here, along with silken or soft tofu and some gochujang (Korean chilli bean paste). I have Gluten free gochujang to include here, just in case! The tofu breaks up a little in the cooking, the vegetables are added in sequence so they cook for the right amount of time - rather than falling into puree! It has a slightly longer cook time - 45 minutes - but about half of that is the braise cooking in the oven while you chillax.

Lentil and mushroom on a potato and parsnip mash - DF and GF

This may look Very Brown and sound a bit dull, but bear with me: The brown lentils and mushrooms are supported - somewhat secretly - with tomato paste, chard, fresh rosemary and thyme, some garlic, stock and tamari. That's a LOT of flavour going on. The mash is creamy and a bit more interesting with the parsnip combo. This is the perfect meal for a bleak evening!

Ethiopian lamb curry - DF and GF

And here's another one: the Ethiopian lamb curry is a slow cook - it'll take about half an hour of active time putting it together and then you leave it to cook as long and slow as you can - 2 hours in the oven or in the slow cooker during the day. This will reward you with spicy, unctuous fall-apart tender lamb in a rounded flavourful sauce. Has kumara and dates in there also...

Chicken soup with rice cakes - DF and GF

This is a two stage process - first make the broth, then make the soup. The result is a stunning elegant soup that is definitely worth the effort. The broth can be made the day before, and does involve obligatory cleaning of cooked chicken off the bones by helpers of various sizes (the soup uses thighs and breast meat only). The soup is light and fresh tasting - fresh herbs and ginger play a big part - and actually would be great if you have someone who's feeling a bit under the weather also.