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. ]]>
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. ]]>
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. :) ]]>
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. ]]>
A few days ago I made about 4 lbs of strawberry jam. It wasn't meant to be that much originally, but as the kind grocer gave me 2 boxes of free strawberries, I thought, "Why not make a big ol bunch of jam?" I have been having crumpet after crumpet with this wonderful strawberry jam spread on top, but wanted another way to showcase it. What better way than to make a Victoria Sponge Cake, or as some call it, Victoria Sandwich.]]>
For all of you stuck inside because of the snow outside, here is something to keep you busy.]]>
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. ]]>
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.]]>
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]]>
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 attack 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.
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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 vegan banana bread and vegan apple and raisin bread. Yum! ]]>
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!!!!!!]]>
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.]]>
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!]]>
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. ]]>
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.]]>
*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.]]>
*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. ]]>
*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. ]]>
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.]]>
In keeping with the all vegan Thanksgiving theme I started last month, I was thinking of a perfect dessert. I decided to make an apple butter pumpkin pie, and whereas it was a total of 3 days in the making, it was well worth the wait. I grew up loving apple butter and pumpkin pie, so what better dessert than the two together?]]>
Last night I was thinking of possible dishes for an all vegan Thanksgiving, and then suddenly remembered Halloween was coming up. I miss Halloween, it isn't something wonderfully celebrated here in the UK...]]>
You can't get much better than this--pancakes with jam. Of course you can use any jam, but as it is the middle of the Victoria Plum season, better to take advantage of this delicious fruit.]]>
Today was very exciting to put it lightly. What an adventure I had with my three little dogs and mate. We piled into the car and drove down to a Pick Your Own Farm because I was dying to pick some fresh Squash--I heard this place had three different varieties and I couldn't wait to arrive. There was a set back along the way. The car overheated and started bubbling water. That didn't stop us however, and we continued the further 40 miles down to the farm.]]>
When I got home from my trip, the first thing I made was Thai Sweetcorn cakes, the way they should taste in my opinion. And they finally satisfied that 3 day long craving of hot chili with the sweetness of the corn. ]]>
One of the first things I thought about after becoming vegan was ice cream: How would I replace it, What if I didn't like the soy stuff, how on earth could I make it creamy without cream??? So many questions, but I finally cracked the code.]]>
Here is a yummy recipe to tide you over to my next post which will be even more yummy! Trust me. ]]>
It had been a rough week for me, so I needed a chocolaty treat! And yes, this is a vegan cheesecake--no dairy products in this whatsoever! I actually made my own vegan sweet cheese to put in the cake because the UK is lacking in any kind of vegan products. I know in the US you have vegan cream cheese, so if you would like to substitute it with that, it will be quicker. But if you would like to try to make some easy homemade vegan cheese, please give my recipe a shot.]]>
Even in nice weather, people get unwell. There is nothing more comforting than a bowl of noodle soup. Many have come to associate noodle soup with chicken, but as someone who does not eat meat I had to improvise.
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Cooking With Dia makes Macrobiotic Pizza easy!]]>
I almost fainted when I tasted this cake this afternoon--one of the most delicious desserts I have ever experienced. You may think I'm a little biased, but believe me, I'm my worst critic! For me to say this is by far the most fantastic cake I have ever made, means it tastes wonderful! And it is refined sugar free!! ]]>
I know what you're thinking, "Macrobiotic???". Yes, Macrobiotic. Macrobiotic cooking is very similar to cooking vegan: no eggs, dairy, meat, etc. In addition--no refined sugar! If you are feeling sluggish, try going macrobiotic for 30 days and see how much better you feel! ]]>
I remember the first time I experienced Monkey Bread--I was eight years old and at a very wealthy girl's tenth birthday party. I expected an extravagant cake, so when this lumpy pile of balls approached the table with 1 measly little candle on it, I was taken aback. I asked, "What the hell is that?" "We don't say hell in this house Miss Dia," my friend's mother whispered, "It's Monkey Bread!" "WHAT?!?!" I screamed, "There are monkeys in this bread?" "Ha ha ha ha, no dear, it's just called Monkey Bread," the mother explained. "Why????" "Time to blow out the candles!!!" Needless to say I was ignored. My point is, I don't know why it is called Monkey Bread--even Wikipedia doesn't know: ]]>
I have been wanting to make Dolma for a while now, it is an Eastern European way of hollowing and stuffing vegetables which have the typical appearance of looking rolled. Most cooks will stuff their chosen vegetable with cheese and meat, or cheese and fish. I decided to stuff mine with Orzo, a rice shaped pasta, sweet peppers, chili peppers, tomatoes, garlic and onions. Why not just use rice instead? Orzo has the most delicious flavor, that even the finest risotto rice cannot duplicate. I use this a lot in my pasta dishes and soups. Be sure to try it some time!]]>
Who likes to bake at 11pm ? I do! I decided I needed a sugar fix, and this is what I came up with: Oaty Muffins. Similar ingredients to the Oaty Bites I made last month, but bigger and better!]]>
We all love it-- the ultimate Italian comfort dessert, but can we all make it? I don’t mean out of a box either...the answer is YES!!]]>
It's been a while, and again I have to apologize. When I originally started this blog I didn't foresee all of the negativity coming my way. Life can be hectic sometimes, or all the time. :)
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Well, this is my first post in too long. I have been busy with things like edema, breathing difficulties, kidney pain and random masses popping up all over, and needless to say I haven't been feeling all that wonderful.
I hope you enjoy this recipe which I made over a month ago and just never got the chance to post it on my blog here.
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I can’t say enough about my favorite pie. Pumpkin Pie has cured many lonely nights and sad times at the hospital. Usually it wouldn’t be home made, but wherever it came from it was delicious. To be honest, I really haven’t tasted anything better than this dessert. Most people only eat this after their big Thanksgiving meal, but given the opportunity, I would have a slice every day.
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Here is a quick and easy recipe if you are on the go.]]>
I had a lot of fun making these for Superbowl night last Sunday. My intention was to create an entire blog focused on a vegan Superbowl party, but instead I will be posting each dish recipe by recipe throughout the next couple of weeks.
The only slightly complicated part of these tartlets is making the mini pastry cases, and if you don't have the time you can find them at any food store. Unfortunately, they don't come vegan.]]>
These chocolate cookies turned out fantastic and quite large! I even feel making them vegan makes them taste better than my usual cookies. These aren't fat free by any means, so prepare for an evening of overindulgence and bake away!]]>
Last night I baked my first set of vegan muffins. That's right eggless muffins, I thought they would just crumble apart, but they turned out to be the perfect consistency and bound well. They tasted delicious, and it is hard to taste the difference between these and my old muffin recipe.]]>
This dish is not only healthy, but completely vegetarian. It could even be vegan if you substitute the cheeses to vegan cheeses. I will give you all of the information if you would like to do this.
These cuties are absolutely delicious and can be made for a party or for a romantic dinner for two. The naan bread gives a nice peppery taste, and added with the right topping, this can be truly exceptional!]]>
My mom was telling me yesterday how my dad would make me buttered spaghetti with chickpeas mixed through when I was little, and she told me that I used to love chickpeas. I can't remember any of this, and I thought I only started eating chickpeas in 2004. That's what happens when you have brain surgery after brain surgery I guess.
Anyway, I decided to make this dish to see if it would jog any memories--it didn't, but it tasted great!
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