RECIPES AND IDEAS
At present here are mainly some dessert recipes, with the emphasis on healthier, sugar-free ones suitable for several special diet categories (ie gluten-free, nut-free, vegan, no added sugar), starting with the simplest.
For links to some recipe web sites, please see the foot of the vegetarian/vegan page.
SAVOURIES (NEW SECTION)
1) (Cashew) Nut and Sun-dried Tomato Roast
Gluten-free, vegan
This is very rich. A gluten-free one could alternatively be made using wholegrains such as rice, and less nuts. (If your guests are not gluten-free, wholemeal breadcrumbs may be used for a nut roast.) It is good served hot or cold. Other nuts could probably be substituted, eg peanuts for economy.
2 tablespoons olive oil, or oil from sun dried tomato
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 can whole tomatoes, drained and chopped
12 sun-dried tomatoes, chopped (if in oil drain off first, if dried hydrate overnight)
7 ozs cashew or other nuts, finely chopped (or whizzed in food processor)
1 teaspoon chopped fresh basil (optional)
Rind of half lemon finely grated
Seasoning
METHOD
1) Grease an oven proof dish (with vegetable oil or vegan margarine).
2) Warm oil and gently cook onion until soft.
3) Add tinned tomatoes and cook, uncovered, until liquid has evaporated.
4) Remove from heat and stir in sun-dried tomatoes, nuts (and basil). Season.
5) Spoon into dish and smooth.
6) Bake on Gas 4/electric 180/350 until firm to touch (probably 15-25 minutes depending on the size of dish used).
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DESSERTS
1) Fruit salad
Gluten-free, nut-free, vegan, and made without added (cane) sugar.
Tip: to prevent banana discolouring, add a tin of pineapple in natural juice. Pleasant served with plain yoghurt - soya yoghurt is available for dairy-free diets. Sojade make a sugar-free plain soya yoghurt (available from healthfood shops).
2) Dried Fruit Salad
Gluten-free, nut-free, vegan, and made without added (cane) sugar.
This is best soaked in water overnight to soften the dried fruit.
3) Banana ice cream
Gluten-free, nut-free, vegan, and made without added (cane) sugar.
Just frozen mashed bananas make a simple and refreshing summer dessert.
4) Apricot-Banana Puree
Gluten-free, vegan, made without added (cane) sugar, can be made nut-free.
6 oz dried apricots *
3 bananas
4 oz almonds or cashews (optional) OR revised version:
A few flaked almonds for garnish (optional)
Soak apricots in cold water overnight.
Drain apricots, liquidise them with the bananas (and optional nuts).
Garnish with flaked almonds (toasted if wished).
*(Tip: the more commonly-available orange apricots look better than unsulphured brown ones in this recipe.)
(Recipe by Barbara Jackson, revised by the vegetarian restaurant in Guildford Institute)
5) Stewed apple and banana
Gluten-free, nut-free, vegan, and made without added (cane) sugar.
The addition of banana gives a lovely full-bodied flavour and texture. When blackberries are in season, some added to the mixture will enhance the colour.
1 large cooking apple (eg Bramley)
1 large banana
Sultanas to taste (or other dried fruit)
Water or apple juice
Cinnamon to taste
Stew the fruit and dried fruit together in a little water or apple juice.
(Recipe by Lindsay Jackson)
6) Rice Pudding (or Coconut-rice pudding)
Gluten-free, vegan, can be sugar-free, can be nut-free (and coconut is not normally a problem with nut allergy - see link on nut-free diets page). This can be made sugar-free by using sultanas and a soya milk which contains apple juice rather than sugar, eg Sainsbury's "Soya Milk Alternative to Dairy" sweetened version.
There are several versions of this online. A rice pudding can be made with pudding rice or short grain brown rice, soya milk, vanilla extract and either sultanas or sugar. For a special version use half soya milk and half coconut milk (the latter available in tins), but please note that this will not be suitable for anyone on a low-fat (or low saturated fat) diet. Either way, you can optionally top it with mango slices (or tinned peach slices, drained).
(A version of this has been served at the vegetarians restaurant in Guildford Institute.)
7) Cakes
Internet searches now give many results for cakes, and you can select for vegan, sugar-free, gluten-free etc as required for your special diets guests. For vegan cakes, it is not necessary to buy egg-replacer, but best to use a recipe designed to be vegan. For gluten-free guests, gluten-free flour may work with some ordinary recipes, but Xanthan Gum is recommended to improve the texture.
