Monday, March 30, 2026

gluten-free dairy-free sausage, white bean, and spinach soup

 


This soup comes by way of Joyful Healthy Eats, but I changed it slightly.

You'll need:

  • 450 g sausage, chopped
  • peeled and chopped potatoes
  • peeled and chopped carrots (I used yellow carrots)
  • spinach (I used frozen chopped spinach)
  • 2 cans white beans, drained and rinsed
  • salt and pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • celery, chopped
  • 1/2 head of garlic, minced
  • thyme
  • oregano
  • 5 cups veggie broth
  • 300 ml milk (I use soy)
Do this: 

Saute your veg in olive oil, then add the sausage and herbs. 

Dump in the veggie broth and beans. 

Cook till everything is soft. 

Near the end, add the milk and spinach. 

Then enjoy with mucho gusto. 

gluten-free dairy-free banana and black sesame pancakes

 


These are nutty and sweet and delicious. Make them pronto.

You'll need: 

  • 2 bananas, mashed
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 2 cups rice flour
  • 2 tablespoons baking powder
  • 3 tablespoons katakuriko potato starch or cornstarch
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1/4 cup black sesame paste
  • 1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds, black or white
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 2 tablespoons oil, plus more for frying
  • 1.5 cups milk (I use soy)
Do this: 

Mix into a batter and fry on both sides till browned and toasty. In Japanese, they say "fox colored." 

Wednesday, March 25, 2026

gluten-free dairy-free mince pies

 



My husband used AI to do a mashup recipe for us using flour ingredients that I had on hand: almond and rice. 

Our sons and I made these delectable gluten-free and dairy-free mince pies during our New Year holiday this past January, and for the filling we used a jar of a British mincemeat that I bought online. 

For the crust, you'll need: 
  • 2 cups rice flour, or 240 g
  • 1 cup almond flour, or 100 g
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup cold dairy-free butter or margarine, cubed
  • 2 large eggs, cold
Do this: 

Mix dry ingredients. 

Rub in the butter, using fingertips, until crumbly.

Add eggs in, but if it's too dry, add in 1 or 2 tablespoons of cold water if needed, 1 teaspoon at a time.

Chill it for 30 minutes.

Roll to about 3 mm thick, cut, fill with your jarred mincemeat, and put star lids on if desired. Patch cracks if needed. 

Bake at 180 C for about 18-22 minutes. 

Cool and then enjoy Christmas for New Year's. 

Monday, March 23, 2026

bento lunches

I just found this in my drafts from a few years ago. I made some pretty bentos!  






vegan gluten-free dairy-free savory nut roast

 

This is from BBC Good Food; they called it "perfect nut roast."

And it pretty near is.

You'll need: 

  • 300 g mixed nuts (I tend to use almonds and walnuts)
  • 1 veggie stock cube or sachet
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 2 stalks celery, also finely chopped
  • 1 leek, thinly sliced
  • 2 carrots, grated
  • 2 (or more!) cloves garlic, minced
  • 4 tablespoons cashew butter (I make my own)
  • 180 g cooked chestnuts, chopped
  • 75 g dried cranberries
  • 20 g fresh parsley, chopped
  • 1 lemon, finely grated zest only
  • 4 tablespoons vegan milk (I use soy)
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • I also add in dried sage to make it taste Christmassy
For my own vegan gravy: 
  • 4 cups water
  • 3 sachets vegan bouillon ("chicken" or veg)
  • salt to taste
  • pepper to taste
  • sage, thyme, rosemary, parsley
  • vegan butter
  • splash of olive oil
  • vegan milk
  • katakuriko (potato starch) or cornstarch for thickening
For the gravy, do this:

Bring the water to a simmer and add the bouillon, salt, pepper, herbs, olive oil, and vegan butter. Add vegan milk to taste, then thicken with a starch and milk slurry. 

For the nut loaf, do this: 

In a food processor, blitz the nuts and bouillon till finely chopped but not paste. Mix well, then dump into your prepared loaf tin. 

Mash it down and smooth its feelings, I mean top.

Cover with foil and then bake it for 30 minutes. 

Then remove the foil and bake another 20 minutes. 

Let it rest for a few minutes, remove, and slice. 

Slosh with gravy. 



Preheat the oven to 200 C.

Oil a 900 g/2 lb loaf tin then line with baking paper.

In a large frying pan, cook the leek, celery, onion, and carrot in oil till soft. Add the garlic last. 

In a large mixing bowl, add the nut mixture, the veg mixture, the cashew butter, and the rest of the ingredients. 


chiiko's wonderful gluten-free and dairy-free salad dressing


This comes by way of our good friend Chiiko, and it's the only salad dressing one of our sons will eat. 

You'll need: 
  • 3/4 cup olive oil (187 ml)
  • 1/4 cup red or white wine vinegar (I used white)
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp dried basil
  • 1/2 tsp onion powder
  • 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp honey
Do this: 

Shake. 

Shake. 

Shake. 

Thursday, March 12, 2026

death-row microwave potato chips

 





I've recently posted about a salsa recipe that I received from a pen pal on death row in the US, and my other pen pal wrote to me about how he makes potato chips in the microwave. I had no idea that this was even possible, or that the potato slices would crisp and brown.

It's pretty simple:

Slice a potato thinly and dry each piece as much as possible with paper towels. 

Microwave at 600 w power for 1 minute and 30 seconds at a time, turning the chips each cycle until they're brown and crispy. Sprinkle with a little salt and let cool slightly.