Cooking With Dia

It’s been great, but now I have to say goodbye

♦***Admin--Dia***♦ — Sat, 08 Sep 2012 03:49:10 +0000

I have had a lot of fun over the past 4 years creating recipes, taking photos and shooting videos for this blog. I am sorry to have to say goodbye to the readers of this blog, some of you whom I have become friends with. Some of you may know of my health problems, mainly [...]

Strawberry & Kiwi Chocolate Tart (Gluten Free, Vegan)

♦***Admin--Dia***♦ — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 20:04:27 +0000

Dia’s Upside Down Spicy Radish & Bean Pie (Vegan, Gluten Free)

♦***Admin--Dia***♦ — Sat, 16 Jun 2012 13:58:06 +0000

Upside down spicy radish and bean pie? Am I off my rocker? Probably so, but I have spent at least a week trying to work out something completely original to do with radishes! Most people just assume you can't cook them, but they're wrong! Sauteed, grilled or baked, radishes taste great. They still have that nice spicy bite to them raw or cooked, so thought this would be an easy and fun recipe for you to try.

Quick & Simple Strawberry + Banana Chocolate Chip Ice-Cream (Vegan & Gluten Free)

♦***Admin--Dia***♦ — Mon, 21 May 2012 18:07:49 +0000

Ice-cream vans are ring a ding dinging down the streets, but they don't offer anything vegan. But don't fret, because vegan ice-cream couldn't be easier to make. Here is a simple and quick recipe that will give you ice-cream in 10 minutes or less, and no ice-cream machine is required.

A Healthy Double Chocolate Chip Cookie? That’s Right! (Gluten Free & Vegan)

♦***Admin--Dia***♦ — Sun, 06 May 2012 17:04:12 +0000

It is possible to have a healthy double chocolate chip cookie that tastes delicious...that tastes so amazing you don't even realize there is something green hiding in there. What is it? Click to find out!

Dia’s Cotolette di Melanzane (Gluten Free & Vegan)

♦***Admin--Dia***♦ — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 17:17:58 +0000

I guess you could say I am going back to my "roots" with this recipe. I am Italian American, and Cotolette di Melanzane was something I frequently ate growing up. This is however, my revamped gluten free & vegan version. Hope you enjoy! New print recipe buttons available now on my posts!!

Dia’s Gluten Free & Vegan Black Sesame Seed Balls

♦***Admin--Dia***♦ — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 19:57:24 +0000

These black sesame seed balls are a great little snack that you can whip up in a matter of minutes. Great with a cup of coffee for breakfast or as a dessert for the kids! It's something the whole family can enjoy!

Dia’s Gluten Free & Vegan Sticky Carrot Cake (One for the kids)

♦***Admin--Dia***♦ — Sun, 01 Apr 2012 21:11:41 +0000

When I was a child I loved the smooth, creamy and moist carrot cakes vs. the grainy, bulky and nutty ones. Here's a recipe I love now and would have loved as a 6 year old. No grated carrots or nuts needed!!

Dia’s Gluten Free & Vegan Ravioli with Spicy Haricot Bean Mousse

♦***Admin--Dia***♦ — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 21:34:52 +0000

This is not a traditional pasta dough by any means. Of course that's because it contains no gluten or eggs. I've experimented many times over the past few years on how to get a similar pasta dough to the one I used to make before switching my diet. My favorite dough is this one, and it is very simple to make. What's the secret ingredient??? Read on to find out!

Dia’s Gluten Free & Vegan Hot Cross Buns (Banana & Chocolate)

♦***Admin--Dia***♦ — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 20:00:04 +0000

It's that time of year again...spring has sprung! The snow drops have gone, the croci are just about over and the daffodils are in full bloom. In a couple of weeks my tulips will be out, and it will be Easter. Whether or not you celebrate that holiday, you can still enjoy these delicious hot cross buns. Traditionally hot cross buns are made with candied fruit, raisins, orange peel, etc., but I decided to make a bun I'd actually want to eat more than once, and bananas and chocolate immediately came to mind.

Dia’s Gluten Free & Vegan Yeast Doughnuts

♦***Admin--Dia***♦ — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 22:39:07 +0000

Oh boy oh boy...what a day I have had making these doughnuts and filming every single part of the process in between. Phew! I'm wiped out, but you know what? After I bit into one of these delicious little doughnuts it all became worth it. I'm not gonna lie though, this is a long process, and that is mainly because this is a recipe for yeast doughnuts not cake doughnuts. No need for one of those popular "donut baking pans" because these are getting fried!

Baked Stuffed Apples Topped With Golden Syrup

♦***Admin--Dia***♦ — Sun, 04 Mar 2012 18:31:44 +0000

This is possibly the easiest dessert recipe involving apples that I've ever posted, but that doesn't mean it isn't delicious! I filmed myself making these in full HD, which I really enjoy doing in addition to taking photographs because it gives you an even better idea what these apples turn into - gorgeous parcels packed full of flavor!

No Fuss Roasted Orange Bell Pepper & Sweetcorn Soup

♦***Admin--Dia***♦ — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 19:40:10 +0000

This is a very simple but scrumptious recipe. If you are suffering with any kind of throat issues especially if you have had to move over to a liquid or soft food diet, this soup will give you something you can swallow and at the same time enjoy. :) I chose to make an orange bell pepper soup instead of the more traditional red bell pepper soup because I like the flavor the orange bell pepper gives off, and it goes really well with sweetcorn. Click to read the rest of the blog entry and to see new video on No Fuss Roasted Orange Bell Pepper & Sweetcorn Soup.

Long time no see: Gluten Free & Vegan Clementine Christmas Pudding

♦***Admin--Dia***♦ — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 21:35:21 +0000

I'm sorry it has been so long since I have posted anything. Life... well is life, you know how it can be! But I have been thinking of this blog/website a lot lately and really wanted to do something for Christmas this year. It won't top my 12 Days of Christmas Recipes from December 2009, but it will give you a little last minute recipe that you can surprise your friends and family with or just eat by yourself!:)

Grow your own: Roasted tomato soup

♦***Admin--Dia***♦ — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 22:59:31 +0000

I have an overabundance of tomatoes ripening in the garden and have had around 3 lbs of them sitting in my fridge for the past few days. So, I thought I would make a soup. Enjoy the video I filmed in high definition just for you!

Oh Zucchini! Gluten free & vegan zucchini muffins

♦***Admin--Dia***♦ — Sat, 30 Jul 2011 23:51:22 +0000

There has been so much zucchini (courgettes as we say in the UK) growing in the garden. What to do? What to do? Well, I've left one of them to grow as big as it can...just for fun, and I baked some muffins today. Really easy recipe and instead of taking pics I filmed a video just for you!

Gluten Free & Vegan Mini Victorian Sponge Cakes

♦***Admin--Dia***♦ — Sat, 23 Jul 2011 21:41:40 +0000

The past two days have been filled with so much sadness. When I get upset and sad I tend to bake muffins. I just keep baking them and baking them some more until I have so many muffins I don't know what to do. I find baking very therapeutic, and today I just decided to make a mini variation of my vegan and gluten free Victorian Sponge cake. It is an amuse-bouche, fancy for bite sized! I hope you will enjoy this distraction from all of the horrible things happening in this world. :(

Bake Your Own Birthday Cake! Gluten free & Vegan Layered Sponge Cake

♦***Admin--Dia***♦ — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 19:36:17 +0000

I have been hearing a lot lately from some people who didn't get a cake on their birthday, and it got me thinking...I haven't had a proper birthday cake since 1998...seriously! So, as my birthday is just around the corner I thought, "why the hell not?" And I made my own birthday cake! So...so...sad...:(...But it's really freakin good. If you feel lonley on your birthday too and don't know what to do, bake this cake and you will be on such a sugar high you will be feeling a lot happier. :D The reason why I decided to do a 4 layer sponge cake is because on a recent Masterchef episode, Gordon Ramsay made the contestants make a 6 layer sponge cake, and I just wanted to prove to myself I could do it and do it gluten free and vegan, minus two of the layers. :P

Gluten Free & Vegan Maple Butter Sweet Potato Cookies

♦***Admin--Dia***♦ — Sat, 16 Jul 2011 18:08:19 +0000

A great gluten free, refined sugar free, vegan and yummy cookie!

Dia’s Spicy Asparagus and Spring Onion Tart (Gluten Free & Vegan)

♦***Admin--Dia***♦ — Mon, 16 May 2011 15:06:51 +0000

This really is a moreish dish that you can use for a dinner party. If you are like me, and love spicy food this is something very quick and easy to make. Enjoy!!!!!

Gluten Free & Vegan Corn Muffins

♦***Admin--Dia***♦ — Sat, 14 May 2011 00:14:32 +0000

I've had a lot of people email me asking where my corn muffin/bread recipe is. It is actually on the link I provided on my "Pancake Day" post, but you had to scroll down a bit to see it. I thought it be a good idea to make a post just about these corn muffins though.

Dia’s Famous Chili – Totally Vegan

♦***Admin--Dia***♦ — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 00:59:40 +0000

I had a lot of fun yesterday slow cooking this chili. It's been a while since I made any, and this turned out great! Not too spicy, but just enough heat for me.

Ginger and Apple Muffins–Gluten Free & Vegan

♦***Admin--Dia***♦ — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 22:03:24 +0000

Here is a gorgeous video filmed in HD to entice your palate. When things get hectic I always start baking muffins. I find it therapeutic. I have been focusing on filming rather than picture taking, so I hope you find the following video interesting and helpful. It gives the full recipe on there. Thank you to everyone who is still reading this blog. I do believe it or not put a lot of thought into the recipes and photos and/or videos. These apple muffins are gluten free and vegan!

Butternut Squash Pie with a Cornmeal Crust (Gluten Free and Vegan)

♦***Admin--Dia***♦ — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 23:45:18 +0000

Apple Tart (Gluten Free&Vegan)

♦***Admin--Dia***♦ — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 17:56:15 +0000

I was inspired by the cover recipe of this month's issue of delicious magazine to bake an apple tart. Mine however is gluten free and vegan! I used puff pastry like they did in their recipe only when making puff pastry that is gluten free and vegan, it is a bit trickier. Here is the recipe for the pastry first:

Potato and Chili Cakes-Gluten Free & Vegan

♦***Admin--Dia***♦ — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 20:29:35 +0000

Ever wonder what to do with left over mashed potatoes? Well, instead of just bonging them in the microwave, why not make some potato cakes? You can put whatever you want in them really, and it takes about 10 minutes from start to finish. It's a great way to fry up a quick snack that is tasty!

Upside Down Zucchini and Tomato Tart-Grow your own veg

♦***Admin--Dia***♦ — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 21:05:49 +0000

Hi guys and gals! Sorry I haven’t posted in a while, been dealing with complications associated with my brain shunt. I have been meaning to post a blog about growing your own veg, since that’s what I have been doing all spring and summer! What a great experience it has been, and today I bring [...]

Gluten Free & Vegan Chocolate Cake

♦***Admin--Dia***♦ — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 14:14:40 +0000

href="http://diadesigns.com/blog12/2010/06/14/glutenfreechoccake/" title="Gluten Free and Vegan Chocolate Cake by diadesigns, on Flickr">This is for all of my fellow hydrocephalus and arachnoid cyst sufferers who have to deal with a shunt on a daily basis. My fellow shuntees, I give you this cake, I hope it can help ease some of the pain you go through and distract you from the endless rattling, buzzing and overall annoying noises your shunt is making today. Whether it is overdraining or underdraining, shunt malfunction can be an absolute nightmare, and no one quite understands unless they have one.

Strawberry Muffins (Gluten Free and Vegan)

♦***Admin--Dia***♦ — Sun, 16 May 2010 18:42:29 +0000

I apologize for the two month delay in posts. On April 5 Arachnoid Cyst Awareness received its 1,000th signature on the Arachnoid Cyst Petition, and since then we have written a letter to the World Health Organization to ask for their help in setting up a worldwide protocol for people with arachnoid cysts who go ignored by their doctors. We've been campaigning hard to raise more awareness, and that's largely where my time has been spent. But I do have a quick and easy recipe for you today. What inspired me to do it was a neighbor who told me she hated Doves Farm Gluten Free Flour products. I couldn't believe it, and wanted to prove that they have some of the best stuff around.

Purple Sprouting Broccoli Two Ways

♦***Admin--Dia***♦ — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 18:25:11 +0000

I've been enjoying my purple sprouting broccoli arriving fresh every week from Abel&Cole. I encourage all of you to take advantage of this fine vegetable while it is still in season. Boiled, steamed or sauteed, purple sprouting broccoli makes a fine side dish, but here are two recipes where it takes center stage. Both are Gluten free and vegan.

Happy Pancake Day!

♦***Admin--Dia***♦ — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 00:19:56 +0000

Today is Shrove's Tuesday AKA Pancake Day! Woot! Woot! Who doesn't love pancakes? You? Then this post isn't for you sweetie pie. :P In case you have no idea why the British gorge themselves on pancakes today of all days--Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday AKA the day you have to stop eating fun things, so in Sweden it is "Pastry Day", in America it is "Fat Tuesday" (they couldn't decide on just one food) and here it is "Pancake Day". The idea is to eat as much of the one food you love the day before you have to give it up for Lent. That's your Theology lesson for the day from Miss Dia.

Dia’s Gluten Free & Vegan Banana Marmalade Bread and Butter Pudding

♦***Admin--Dia***♦ — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 21:00:48 +0000

Who loves bread and butter pudding? Who hasn't been able to eat it since becoming vegan? Who hasn't been able to eat it since starting the gluten free diet? Would you believe me if I told you this pudding could be good for you? Did you know you could make banana marmalade? OK, I will stop asking questions. :)

A Vegan Burns Night Supper

♦***Admin--Dia***♦ — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 19:24:02 +0000

Tomorrow night is Burns Night, and many a Scot will be sitting down for a Burns Night Supper to celebrate the birthday of poet, Robert Burns. Traditionally a Burns night supper consists of cock-a-leekie soup, haggis and tatties and then either clootie dumpling or tipsy laird to close the meal. But I've changed that all around and upside down to suit me and my vegan and gluten free friends.

Food for Haiti

♦***Admin--Dia***♦ — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 18:59:50 +0000

I know many blogs as well as websites have been raising money to help the relief effort in Haiti. But for those of you who would really like to donate, but can't afford to, there is another option--Oxfam. Oxfam is a wonderful confederation dedicated to relieving famine in all parts of the world. It has over 15,000 stores and shops worldwide, where people can go to donate just about anything--Books, clothing, old records, tableware, crockery, curtains, etc. If you are wanting to help those affected by the devastating earthquake in Port-au-Prince, check to see if there is an Oxfam shop near you, and all of those books or clothes you don't know what to do with, you can give away for a great cause. The money raised from the sale of these items goes straight to helping in their relief efforts. Oxfam was one of the first charities there straight after this horrible disaster occurred. So far they have flown in over ten tonnes of water, sanitation, health and shelter equipment. They have also teamed up with the UN and other aid organizations to prevent more and more people from spending the night out in the open. Because of this multiple camps have now been set up around Port-au-Prince to give people somewhere to sleep. The devastation is vast, there are no words really to paint a proper picture. If you are feeling helpless because you are not able to donate an enormous amount of money, sift through some of your things and pop down to your local Oxfam shop. The volunteers working in these shops are some of the nicest individuals you may ever meet. If you want to know anything in greater detail, just ask, and they will explain everything.

Cabin Fever-Dia’s Vegan Vanilla and Pear Tart

♦***Admin--Dia***♦ — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 02:08:54 +0000

For all of you stuck inside because of the snow outside, here is something to keep you busy.

Back to Basics-Simple, Spicy Vegan Risotto

♦***Admin--Dia***♦ — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 19:45:55 +0000

If you are like me, you are constantly trying to veganize dishes you remember from your pre-vegan life. I for one have been obsessing on how to make the perfect vegan mozzarella. I'm pleased to say I've finally cracked the code, and managed to make a ball of vegan mozzarella, and I will be sharing that recipe with you soon. While obsessing on things like that, I forgot that the best part of being vegan is staring right in front of me-All the wonderful fruit and veg I get every week. So, today it's back to basics with this very simple spicy risotto. If you've never made risotto before, this is a good starter recipe, and then as you get more confident, you can add whatever you like to it.

A Vegan Hogmanay-Clementine Chocolate Cake

♦***Admin--Dia***♦ — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 13:53:26 +0000

You can bet your bottom dollar that the Scots are still partying it up for Hogmanay today and probably well into tomorrow as it is a bank holiday in Scotland. What better way to continue the celebration than with my Clementine Chocolate Cake? The flavor of clementine goes so well with chocolate and topped with my brandy cream icing, this cake is to die for.

A Vegan Hogmanay – Seven mug pudding

♦***Admin--Dia***♦ — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 18:28:51 +0000

I wanted to do something for Hogmanay because the Scottish over here are the most like Philadelphians as far as I can see. In Philadelphia New Year's Day is a huge celebration, in fact even more so than Christmas. Philadelphia has the Mummers Parade, which I grew up with. It is a day long celebration that goes late into the night. It starts out in South Philly with the Comics and String Bands and ends in Center City with the Fancy Brigade competition. People don't realize that this Mummers Parade is serious business! The different bands and brigades work on their routines and costumes for an entire year--everything has to be perfect

Twelfth day-Come get tipsy with me!

♦***Admin--Dia***♦ — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 13:58:18 +0000

This morning I woke up earlier than usual to make sure I made it down to the Christmas market in town. You see I was on the hunt for some fresh raspberries, a proper trifle dish and some Drambuie. I didn't find any of that, until I went to Tesco. Even there, I only found 1 out of 3-fresh raspberries, but it was enough to make me happy. I had to settle for the Famous Grouse and have located an old glass bowl in my attic to use for the dish...it all worked out in the end...or did it? On the twelfth day of Christmas I give to you Tipsy Laird, or as some spell it Typsy Laird, or as the Englishmen and Americans call it Sherry Trifle.

Tenth & Eleventh Day Gluten Free & Vegan Breads

♦***Admin--Dia***♦ — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 00:45:17 +0000

I'm putting two recipes together here because I'm afraid I'm going to need a day off tomorrow from cooking and photographing food. I don't usually talk about my health problems on here, and I'd hate to start, but I'm feeling really dizzy again, and I'm sure it is just exhaustion. So, a day off is needed. This post is jammed pack full of pictures and recipes for gluten free & vegan banana bread and gluten free & vegan apple and raisin bread. Yum!

Ninth Day-Vegan Sausage Rolls

♦***Admin--Dia***♦ — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 00:01:01 +0000

Wow, already day nine of this mad experiment. Didn't think I'd get this far, eh? Well, I did. Now, finally for you I made something savory. For my American friends, a sausage roll is something the British snack on. At parties here in jolly ol' England, there is usually a mountain of mini sausage rolls. I was thinking how funny it would be to veganize them and not tell anyone, to see if they could taste the difference. For the ninth day of Christmas Dia makes for you...something savory-vegan sausage rolls!!!!!!

Eighth Day-Vegan Mini Danish

♦***Admin--Dia***♦ — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 23:03:54 +0000

OK so I guess technically these aren't mini danish, but the flavor is so similar, I didn't want to name them tartlets. Again, this is another very simple recipe, that is unless you are making your own vegan puff pastry. Had a weird day: I slipped on the icy footpath near my house, right onto my bad knee and my cane broke. Then I came home to find Brittany Murphy died of a heart attack at 32 years old. She was one of those actresses I liked, part of my generation and all that. I loved her in Girl Interrupted and always felt her acting skills went overlooked by her peers. I'm also still a bit sad that Terry Wogan retired...so yeah, easy recipe for today. :) On the eighth day of Christmas Dia gives to you Vegan Mini Danish, well, sort of.

Seventh Day-Giant Figgy Pudding Truffles

♦***Admin--Dia***♦ — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 19:19:50 +0000

If you are a new visitor to my blog, you may think this is a candy blog! I've been doing a lot of candy making this past week because I think it's important to get all of the gift ideas out of the way before it gets too close to Christmas. I promise I will start posting proper dishes soon. This recipe is probably the easiest so far. They are getting easier and easier, but that's because at this point all of you are cooking your arses off. On the seventh day of Christmas Dia brings to you her Giant Figgy Pudding Truffles!

Sixth day of Christmas- Cookie Dough Lollies

♦***Admin--Dia***♦ — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 21:28:51 +0000

Ever wonder what to do with left over cookie dough? Maybe you ran out of room on a baking tray while making chocolate chip cookies, or perhaps you thought about saving a bit of gingerbread for later in the week. Whatever the case I have an idea-why not make cookie dough lollies? On the sixth day of Christmas Dia gives to you her recipe for Cookie Dough Lollies.

Fifth day of Christmas-Vegan Christmas Fudge

♦***Admin--Dia***♦ — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 23:00:35 +0000

I had so much fun making this today, and it is something that is extremely simple to put together in a few minutes. In England we have something called Christmas Pudding, Christmas Cake and so on. What these Christmas desserts consist of are a variety of dried fruits and nuts. I thought, "Wouldn't it be fun to make a candy that used the same idea?" On the Fifth Day of Christmas Dia brings to you her Vegan Christmas Fudge.

Fourth day of Christmas-Cinnamon & Peanut Brittle

♦***Admin--Dia***♦ — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 20:59:49 +0000

*Totally Vegan and Gluten Free If anyone is looking for a last minute gift idea, this is most definitely it. Not only is it delicious, but it only takes minutes to make--In the microwave and all! Are you gasping? Isn't it brilliant? It takes about 10 minutes to prepare and make and another 15-30 minutes for it to cool. If you want to impress friends and family with boxes of homemade candy, be sure to give this recipe a go. On the fourth day of Christmas Dia gives to you her Cinnamon and Peanut Brittle.

Third day of Christmas- Gluten Free & Vegan Gingerbread Men and Women

♦***Admin--Dia***♦ — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 18:51:11 +0000

*totally vegan No Christmas is complete without some kind of gingerbread, whether it be in the form of a house, little men or ginger snap cookies (my personal favorite). So on the third day of Christmas Dia gives to you Vegan Gingerbread men and women.

Second day of Christmas-Shoo fly Apple pie

♦***Admin--Dia***♦ — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 19:44:06 +0000

*Totally vegan On the second day of Christmas came Dia's Shoo Fly Apple Pie. Last night I was in bed sort of pondering why I decided to make 12 different dishes for my blog...in 12 days. The only conclusion that I could come up with is, I'm a little crazy.

On the first day of Christmas-New potatoes with cucumber

♦***Admin--Dia***♦ — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 00:05:25 +0000

I am going to be posting 12 recipes for Christmas, all vegan and all scrumptalicious. I am a big Christmas person, some may find us Christmas people extremely annoying, but I LOVE CHRISTMAS.

A Vegan Thanksgiving

♦***Admin--Dia***♦ — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 23:13:17 +0000

Thanksgiving naturally reminds the vast majority of Americans of Turkey. For many vegans, Tofurky has become a popular favorite on the holiday, but if you are like me: vegan, American and don’t like tofu, what in the world are you going to eat? I’ve put together some suggestions for an all vegan Thanksgiving. Starters: I [...]