Imperfectly Paleo

There's something slightly treat-like about having something warm in my salad. Probably to do with the fact that it involves more than just chopping up raw vegetables, piling them in a bowl with a drizzle of random dressing type condiments, before diving in with just a fork. So you could argue this is a salad of self-love - spending that little bit of extra time to make the day a smidge more special. Warm Mushroom, Fennel and Olive Salad Marinating the fennel mellows out the strong liquorice flavour and the addition of juniper berries adds a fresh citrusy scent. The crunchy fennel contrasts against the earthy pan-fried mushrooms; the olives add another good pop of umami savouriness and a smattering of pumpkin seeds provide texture as well as some satiating good fat. The honey mustard dressing is best drizzled on at the table and brings everything together with a delicate orangey sweetness. Warm Mushroom, Fennel and Olive Salad Grain-free, Gluten-free, Dairy-free, Refin...

I am a stationery addict. There. I have said it out loud. Ever since I was a little girl I would collect, curate and derive infinite joy in owning a treasure trove of bright and beautiful inks, pens, pencils, paints, notebooks, paper, stickers and so on. Art shops trumped TopShop, no contest. My First Bullet Journal - next up will be the ever popular Leuchtturm1917 When other girls were painting their nails and playing with makeup I was arranging my colouring pencils. Not much has changed. Makeup is still pretty 'meh' to me, whereas a shiny new set of brush pens makes me all tingly inside. I still own much of my original paint and pencil sets from way back when - another characteristic of mine is both my hoarder instinct (a source of much discord in our home) and my careful (bordering on obsessive) regard for my possessions. So I will leave it to your imagination the level of excitement when the concept of Bullet Jounalling floated into my field of awareness! That...

We used to host dinner parties for friends much more frequently than these days. Life is like a see saw - with our friends on one end and our children on the other. And despite their perceived smallness in stature, we all know which side of the see saw holds all the weight! Chocolate Coconut Tart Still, when we do finally get round to entertaining, I still find it a fun and creative process to invent a new dessert. This Chocolate Coconut Tart is as close to a 'regular' dessert as I've made in a long while - it is VERY rich and does contain a reasonable dose of dried dates so blood sugar levels beware. Nevertheless, it is free from all refined sugar, dairy, grains and gluten and is even nut-free. I served it alongside fresh raspberries to provide a balancing sharpness and a scoop of dairy-free coconut ice cream. Remember also to take the tart out of the fridge 30 mins to an hour before serving so the tart filling can soften at room temperature. Biggest problem of ...

Some days I am overcome with the tedium associated with deciding, yet again, what to make for dinner. Last week, I was faced with some uninspiring chicken sitting in the fridge, along with some asparagus (April is prime asparagus season) and, for some unfathomable reason, a surplus of lemons in the fruit drawer. One overriding criteria was minimal effort - associated with prep time, cooking and pots/pans for washing up. So clearly this dish was born out of nothing but sheer laziness! Instant Pot Lemon Chicken and Asparagus

Overenthusiastically anticipating summer with a premature quintessential British classic: Strawberries 'n' Cream! One of my favourite things to do with the children in the summer is strawberry picking (and their unabashed eating more than they pick). This is no ordinary cream though (evil villain laugh) - but hides a plethora of antioxidants, fibre, minerals and vitamin K from the celeriac. Strawberries 'n' (Celeriac) Cream We are at the end of celeriac season here so, as we usher in the summer fruits (prematurely), we wave a fond farewell to our winter friends who have provided such comfort in the colder seasons. Strawberries 'n' (Celeriac) Cream Grain-free, Gluten-free, Dairy-free, Refined Sugar-free, Nut-free Serves 2 Ingredients : 1 1/2 cups (150g) fresh strawberries, cleaned and hulled 2 heaped cups (225g) peeled and cubed celeriac, steam cooked and cooled (or sub 2 medium white sweet potato if celeriac not available) 4 tbsp (1/4 cup, o...

Some days I wonder if anyone really cares for any of these rather basic salad recipes but this is what I eat so this is what I document! Sorry for the simplicity... Prawn Chopped Salad with a Creamy Nut Dressing

Last year I made these Dark Chocolate Nut Butter Easter Eggs and they are still my favourite - super dark, super bitter and super decadent, with a creamy nut butter centre. Just how I like them. Though not, I understand, how everyone likes them! My daughter, for one, hates dark chocolate but loves white chocolate. My argument that white chocolate should not rationally be labelled chocolate given the lack of cocao content falls on deaf ears. Raw White Chocolate Easter Eggs (Dairy-free, Vegan)

A one-pan quickie, ideal for midweek family suppers. Serve on top of a heap of steaming cauli-rice (or whatever riced vegetable is to hand - in my case here it is riced celeriac with ginger and coriander) or some plain white riced if preferred. Add some simple greens alongside and dinner is served. Sticky Orange Chinese Chicken

Given how popular my Mint Choc Chip Sweet Potato Cookie Dough was with my children, I thought I'd play with a new flavour. Sticking with the childhood memories theme, I am going with my hands-down favourite sandwich combo - PB&J. A few blog posts back I mentioned the involuntary 'Proustian' memories unlocked and invoked by certain tastes or smells - well, peanut butter and jam (jelly) sandwiches transport me back to what feels like a different lifetime belonging to a different person. I look back fondly at that little girl who loved to draw, paint and read (not much change there) but with a hint of sadness at her lost sense of joyful carefree abandon.

Celeriac is a foodstuff that leaves me polarised from the rest of my family in my unending love for it - roasted, mashed, grated, pureed into soup and even blended into smoothies (yep, I am that crazy for it). Everyone else hates it - in even its most benign guise. Hey ho. That's why I eat it for lunch when the kids are at school and my better half is at work ;oP Smoked Salmon, Celeriac and Rocket Salad