This vegan & low-FODMAP crumble recipe is so simple and versatile! I’ve used this basic version to make toppings for porridge, ice cream, tarts – the options are endless.
Ingredients
CRUMBLE
78g (1/2c) GF Oats
34g (1/4c) GF Flour of choice (I used white SR)
64g (1/2c) Chopped nuts
56g (scant 1/4c) Maple Syrup
40g (3 tbsp) Coconut Oil (Melted Butter, an option!)
1/4 tsp Salt
1 tsp Cinnamon
BLUEBERRIES
192g (1.5c) Frozen Blueberries
1/2 tsp Vanilla
Directions
Preheat oven to 170c Fan/375F. Prepare 8×8 baking dish.
Combine Vanilla + Blueberries in dish
Combine all CRUMBLE ingredients and add to top of blueberries
Bake for 30 minutes
Notes
If you just want the crumble, combine all ingredients and simply bake on a sheet pan for less time!
I recall walking through Bristol and telling Koala, “I think this is my favorite English city we’ve visited.” There was something about the scenery, size, and charm that is perfectly well suited for a weekend away. I’d reckon I would even recommend it to weary London tourists! There was definitely no shortage of pretty walks and health food cafes. Here’s a tour of what we did in Bristol!
We stayed in an Airbnb across the street from Castle Park.
We were here due to a work meeting Koala had on a Friday. So we departed separate trains out of London and met up after work. I arrived just after lunch time, and headed to a cafe that is also a yoga studio…because I figured that sounded basically like home to me.
Favorite Bristol Cafes
Cafe Matariki inside Pacific Yoga – Amazing Gluten Free treats and salads/sandwiches. I didn’t get to a yoga class here, but maybe next time!
We also had brekkie once or twice at Spicer + Cole, a no-fuss cafe with gluten free bread and other options. I enjoyed the GF Avo Toast with Tomatoes & Tofu! What a feast.
Be Natural Kitchen – Located within St Nicolas Market. A lovely place to shop artisan stalls and grab a lovely piece of zucchini cake with avocado frosting!
A Few Bristol Adventures
Bristol is a great city for avid walkers! With a wide variety of sights and green spaces, it basically has a walk for whatever kind of day you fancy. One morning we stopped off at the Windmill Hill City Farm – an adorable, little community-run farm with quaint gardens and some animal friends. Very cute little gift shop on the premises, where I bought myself a pair of locally made earrings.
What a viewSmell my finger?
On our full day in Bristol, we walked to the Clifton Suspension Bridge. On the way, we stopped off at the Bristol Museum & Art Gallery. Both of these sites I’d certainly recommend having a peek!
Koala & I by the Clifton Suspension Bridge!
Date night in Bristol
We enjoyed the calm ambiance of Fishers restaurant. Located not too far from the Clifton Suspension Bridge, it makes for a perfect stop off after a long day of exploring Bristol. They are keen on the GF lifestyle and do make their support very clear which is always reassuring!! I absolutely loved the fish & chips and for dessert they had gluten free sticky toffee pudding! Only the 2nd time in my life I’ve had this special treat. See my IG video of the sticky toffee pud in action! After Fishers we headed back toward our Airbnb and stopped off at the wine lounge Le Vignoble. I became enamored with wine bars after experiencing Vagabond in London. This is the same concept of choose-your-own single pours and tastings.
Fish n Chips!Sticky Toffee Pud!Decisions, decisions
Our last morning in Bristol we had some time before our train. So we walked the river and found a little cafe that is also a grocer with the cutest store filled with everything a health foodie could need! Better Food had gluten free bread for our eggy morning we paired with a treat. Their gluten free bread was crisp and seeded – paired nicely with the fluffy eggs. We also stopped by the M Shed to have a look around. Great place to go for the history of Bristol!
I loved Bristol and it is a great spot for a gluten free / health foodie. Plentiful options for exercise, fresh air, foods and fun. Looking forward to going back to explore more of the city in the future.
A long weekend by train to Antwerpen made for a lovely birthday venture for my partner and I. Honestly I had somewhat selfish intentions, as my favorite electronic music band had a show at Lotto Arena, but we also managed to see a lot of the city even through cold November temps!
Firstly, take a look at our Airbnb – I think it may have been the most unique & fancy ‘bnb we’ve ever stayed in.
Happy Birthday, Koala! Here, have some 50 ft ceilings.
Belgian Chocolate!
Koala & I are huge chocolate fans, so being in Belgium we had to find something extra special to experience the city. We ended up doing a Chocolate Walk with a local, named Luis. A personalized tour of the city with stops to have a delicious Mexican hot chocolate. As well as chocolate tastings at Pierre Marcolini (great gifts as well). We even snorted chocolate. Yep, The Chocolate Shooter at The Chocolate Line.
This was such a cute cafe find. Juices, coffees, healthy bowls and I treated myself to my favorite combo they named endearingly The Nutty Mister.
Things to Do:
After a short trip up to the top of the MAS (free, and the views are worth it!) We stopped into a quaint, classy beer joint (Dr. Beer) next door for a pre-dinner treat as I saw they carried Ginger Tipple. Ginger beer from a local brewery we didn’t have time to tour but I really wanted to try the product!
Outside the MAS
Happy Birthday, Koala
View from the top
Ginger Tipple at Dr Beer
All in all it was a fun weekend away and I hope to be able to explore more of Belgium soon, if not just for another snort of chocolate. 🙂
These healthier cookie option include coconut, grated carrot and turmeric! Simple to make vegan by omitting the egg, or adding a Flax egg/extra banana if desired.
Ingredients
Dry
100g Oats
50g GF Self-Raising Flour
1.5 tsp Turmeric
1 tsp Cinnamon
Wet
1 Egg
80g Mashed Ripe Banana
50g Maple Syrup
120g Peanut Butter
1 tsp Vanilla
40g Desiccated Coconut
Add-ins
50g Grated Carrot
40g Walnuts
40g Dried Cranberries
Directions
Preheat oven to 350F/160C Fan
Combine DRY ingredients in large bowl, Combine WET ingredients in another bowl. WET to DRY, mix until well incorporated.
Fold in ADD-INs. Pat out on baking sheet to cookie shapes.
Bake for 15-20 minutes, top with icing sugar for an additional carrot cake effect – if desired!
No processor needed for this one! Just some fine chopping and a little arm workout. Goes great with gnocchi!
Ingredients
1 handful finely chopped Basil
2 tbsp Walnuts (or Pine nuts, if you have them on hand)
1 smushed clove of Garlic (Perhaps Asafoetida could suffice here if you’re very sensitive to Garlic/low-FOD option)
1 tbsp shredded Parmesan (Vegan option: I also have tried this without Parm, and just added some salt)
Olive Oil, to desired consistency
Directions
Finely chop Basil & Walnuts. Smush Garlic clove with back of knife and then back of spoon – combine all of these together and smush a bit more. Add Parmesan (or salt), if using.
A friend of mine described gnocchi as “little pillow hugs”. Well these little pillows get an A+ for being easy-peasy as well as getting a nutrient boost from the sweet potato!
Ingredients
200g Sweet Potato (mashed)
200g Self-Raising GF Flour
1/2 tsp Salt
Directions
Bake Sweet Potato in oven at 190C Fan/400F for about an hour. You can also microwave ~8-10 min, check for soft, supple texture. The peel should easily flop right off. Allow sweet potato mash to cool for a bit.
Add 1:1 Sweet Potato & Flour – bigger sweet potato? Just add more flour! Add salt. Meanwhile, boil a pot of salted water.
I roll the dough on a floured surface into long rolls about 1″ thick or so, then cut into desired size gnocchi shapes.
Add gnocchi to boiling water, careful not to overcrowd the pot. Boil for 2-3 minutes, or until gnocchi float around on the surface. Transfer to paper towel to dry.
Heat a pan with olive oil, and add gnocchi to pan to saute for 3-4 minutes, flipping occasionally in order to get a nice crispy outside. This is my new KEY to gnocchi heaven!
Rich in complex carbohydrates, low in calories and fat and gluten-free, polenta is a lovely choice to try in flavored loaf cakes. Also commonly paired with orange, this Lemon-Blueberry alternative comes with yummy textured pieces from the frozen blueberries.
100g (7 tbsp) Butter, melted (coconut oil for Vegan option!)
150g Sugar (3/4c)
180ml Milk (3/4c) (I used Almond for flavor)
60ml (4 tbsp) Lemon Juice (about 1-2 lemons)
Lemon Zest (about 1-2 lemons)
100g (1c) Blueberries (or more, if desired! They really help add necessary moisture to this loaf)
Directions
Preheat oven to 170C Fan (375F) and prepare baking loaf.
Combine DRY ingredients in one bowl. WET ingredients into a separate bowl.
Add WET to DRY and then add blueberries. Mix gently and quickly get into the oven. The acid from the lemon reacting with the baking soda/powder will be important to help the loaf be as fluffy as possible. So make haste! 🙂
Bake for 45-55 minutes.
Optional: Add additional lemon juice or water to icing sugar for a delicious topping.
These easy cookies have an added health boost of high protein, high fiber quinoa! The natural nutty flavor of the seeds helps create a sweet, vegan treat that works for breakfast, snack, or dessert.
Ingredients
2 Ripe Bananas (Mashed)
120g (scant 1/2c) Peanut Butter (I used PB2 Powderw/ coconut milk)
60g (3 tbsp) Maple Syrup
25g (2 tbsp) Granulated Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla
1/2 tsp Salt
400g Quinoa (~2 1/4c) (Cooked)
90g (1c) Gluten Free Oats
Directions
Preheat oven to 170c Fan/375f. Prep a baking sheet with parchment or a silpat.
Cook ~200g (1c) Quinoa with twice the amount water. Bring to a boil, turn down to low and simmer for 10 min. Turn heat off completely and allow to rest covered for an additional 5-10 minutes.
Mix mashed Bananas with Peanut Butter, Maple Syrup, Sugar, Vanilla, Salt and add in Oats & Cooked Quinoa. Add-ins always acceptable! (nuts, chocolate chips, cranberries)
Place spoonful scoops of batter on to parchment. These cookies won’t spread. I shaped and pat them down just a touch.
Bake for 15 minutes, or until just turning golden on top.
I topped mine with dark chocolate drizzle and coconut flakes & almonds – feel free to get creative with whatever you’d like or leave them plain!
Notes
RINSE QUINOA! Always rinse quinoa to release some of the bitterness that can come with the outside of the seed.
Rhubarb & Ginger Streusel Bar (Gluten Free, low-FODMAP)
Course: Dessert, Breakfast, Snacks, Treats
Servings
6-8
servings
Prep time
30
minutes
Cooking time
1
hour
30
minutes
This sweet treat is made from a simple gluten free tart pastry base, with roasted rhubarb and a subtle hint of ginger. The oaty, streusel topping is my personal favorite part!
Ingredients
Bottom Crust
90g (scant 1/2c) Butter (cold, cut in cubes or grated)
180g (1 1/3c) Flour
50g (scant 1/3c) Brown Sugar (can also use granulated)
1 tsp Ginger Powder
1/2 tsp Salt
Rhubarb
Rhubarb (about 5-7 stalks)
60g (1/3c) Sugar (Granulated)
1/4 tsp Salt
Streusel Topping
75g (1/2c) Oats
60g (1/2c) Flour
2 tbsp Sugar
1/4 tsp Ginger
1/4 tsp Salt
56g (4 tbsp) Melted Butter
Directions
Preheat oven to 180c Fan (400F). Cut Rhubarb into 2″ pieces. Mix Rhubarb, Sugar & Salt in a bowl and set aside for 15-20 minutes. Then roast Rhubarb for 10 minutes, flip and roast for additional 10 minutes. When done, cover and set aside. Decrease oven temp to 130c Fan/300F.
Meanwhile, prep tart pan of choice. (I used an 9×14 glass dish) Mix dry Tart ingredients – Flour, Sugar, Ginger, Salt. Cut in butter and mix with fork (or hands can do!) until clumpy. (Like dried out Play-Doh is what I think of!) Press into pan and freeze for 20 minutes. Then bake for 30-40 minutes.
Now we can make the streusel top (and attempt not to eat all of it in the process!). Combine all ingredients for Streusel until chunky.
Once tart is baked through enough to be more solid to the touch, take out and line warm crust with Rhubarb pieces and drizzle any remaining roasting syrup over. Top with Streusel.
If you’re like me, gluten free bread is such a challenge! These buns using fresh yeast can make for a fine GF vessel for your favorite filling, or be simply enjoyed on their own. This recipe will make 4-5 larger bread buns, perfect for burgers.
Ingredients
1 tbsp Fresh Yeast
250ml (~1 c.) Warm Water
190g (1.5c) GF Bread Flour
1/2 tsp Salt
1.5 tbsp Sugar
39 ml (~2.5 tbsp) Olive Oil
1 Egg
Seeds/topping of choice (I used Chia/Hemp/Pepita Mix)
Directions
Prep round cake pans, or mini pie pans. This dough will be too wet to free-form bake on a tray like you can with glutenous dough. I simply crafted circular containers from kitchen foil!
Dissolve the Yeast in Warm (not hot!) Water for 10 minutes, or until you see bubbles forming.
In a separate bowl, combine Flour, Salt, & Sugar.
Add Water/Yeast mix to dry ingredients, followed by Oil & Egg.
Mix for 2 minutes. Gluten Free “dough” will be much more wet & loose than what you would think bread dough would look like!
Distribute dough into 4-5 circle baking containers (either bakeware or your homemade version!) and put under a tea towel in a warm place to rest for 1 – 1.5 hours.
Top risen buns with seeds of choice and bake for 25 minutes at 180 c Fan/400 f.
