Baba Ghanoush

I was looking for a hummus replacement for little S who is allergic to sesame. I’ve tried tahini-free hummus but it never seems to work (if anyone has a recipe that’s worth trying, please let me know!). I’ve also got a great bean dip recipe but it isn’t quite Mediterranean enough to fill the hummus gap. So, inspired by Celia Brookes Brown New Vegetarian – I seriously love this cookbook – I whipped up a dairy/sesame-free Baba Ghanoush. I thought it was delicious, Little S wasn’t impressed!! Maybe next time she’ll like it a bit more…

Baba Ghanoush (dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free, sesame-free, vegetarian and vegan)

Makes enough for a small crowd to dip!

1 aubergine
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
1/4-1/2 clove of garlic, minced
2 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsps soya yogurt (I used Alpro)
salt and pepper

– Preheat the oven to very high, approx. 220 degrees centigrade/Gas Mark 7

– Halve the aubergine and score the flesh. Drizzle generously with olive oil and bake for 20-30 minutes, until golden

– Let cool a little, then scrape out the flesh. Discard the skins.

– Place in a food processor/blender (or mash). Add the extra virgin olive oil, soya yogurt, lemon juice, minced garlic and seasoning. Blend until a smooth puree. Adjust seasoning.

– Transfer to a pretty bowl and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.

– Serve with toasted pittas, crackers, crudites or even crisps.

Oaty Apple Crumble

If you’re British people presume that you live off apple crumble and custard. To be honest it’s never been my favourite, mainly due to bad school food consisting of various sponge puddings drowned in lumpy custard! Having revisited Apple Crumble as an adult I can appreciate it’s a fantastic, quick and easy warming pudding…. and the biggest bonus is it very easily converts to being dairy-free. It definitely works best with cooking apples and then the apple layer goes soft and fluffy. I used eating apples which worked fine but be aware that the apples keep some texture and make sure that’s to your taste!

Oaty Apple Crumble (dairy-free, egg-free, soya-free, nut-free, vegetarian, vegan)

serves at least 4

4 apples, peeled, cored and chopped
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp soft brown sugar
1/2 cup plain flour
1/4 cup dairy-free spread (Pure)
1/4 cup soft brown sugar
1/4 cup oats
demerara sugar to sprinkle

– Preheat the oven to 200 degrees centigrade

– Grease an oven proof dish with a smear of dairy-free spread

– Mix together the apples, lemon juice and 1 tbsp of sugar. Pour into the dish.

– Rub the dairy-free spread into the flour with your fingertips (or pulse in a food processor), stir in the sugar and oats.

– Sprinkle over the apple mixture.

– Sprinkle the top with demerara sugar

– Bake for about 30 minutes

– Serve with dairy-free custard if liked (I used Alpro Soya Custard)

Alpro Soya Pouring Yogurt

Yippee, at last a new Alpro Soya product hits the shelves (well, in Tesco’s at least). This pouring yogurt (seems like the ‘new’ idea in the yogurt world, but didn’t it just used to be called drinking yoghurt?!) is vanilla flavoured, smooth and just about pourable. My daughters loved it. It works well as a drink, on cereal/granola or combined with fruit to make a smoothie – Nice one Alpro!