Chewy oat, mango and cardamon spelt cookies on a rack

Super chewy oat, mango and cardamon spelt cookies

Gavin Wren Baking, Recipes, Spelt & ancient grains, Vegetarian

Can I just start this post by saying that these are THE BEST COOKIES I’VE EVER MADE AT HOME. OK, good. When I was younger, not much younger in fact, probably about a week ago, my favourite cookies were oatmeal and raisin. I would happily eat them until I was genuinely experiencing severe nausea. This would be the trigger for me to step away from the pack, reconsider how much I should eat, the nutritional …

Zingy barley, squash and parsley salad

Zingy barley, squash and parsley salad

Gavin Wren Main Dishes, Recipes, Salads, Vegetarian

Method: Chuck it all in a bowl. Mix it up. Eat. If only all recipes could be that simple! You want dinner, you want it to be tasty but you don’t want to spend hours doing it. With a little bit of forethought, recipes like this one can fall straight into that category, they’re really easy to make and fit around your life with a little bit of ‘mise en place’. In case you’re wondering …

Homemade yoghurt with cow's or goat's milk

Homemade yoghurt recipe with cow’s or goat’s milk

Gavin Wren Basic Ingredients, Food Techniques, Recipes, Vegetarian, Writing

Blogging rituals. Over the last few weeks, I’ve had a bit more time to work on my blog and have discovered that I’m a reclusive blogging creature of routine and ritual. I can’t write unless I’m at my desk, and it’s the morning. Take today as an example. Woke at 6.15am, showered, then started writing on the laptop in the bedroom. I managed to write a depressing rant about the ‘dark side of the blog’. …

Spiced spelt flour hot cross buns

Spelt Hot Cross Buns

Gavin Wren Baking, Recipes, Spelt & ancient grains, Vegetarian

The almighty spelt hot cross buns So it’s Easter, that means chocolate eggs, rabbits, yellow chicks, and err, the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Like Christmas, it’s a time of the year where you get complete carte blanche to eat whatever the hell you want. This normally manifests in a wheelbarrow full of chocolate and a big roast dinner, not forgetting the mighty hot cross bun. Did you know that you’re officially supposed to eat hot …

Roasted garlic and butternut squash soup with kale in the saucepans

Hearty roasted garlic and squash soup with kale

Gavin Wren Main Dishes, Recipes, Soup, Vegan, Vegetarian

Winter = Soup. Summer = Salad. If there were ever two dishes that were clearly defined by the seasons, then these must be the top contenders. And in case anyone starts shouting “what about winter salads and ‘slaws”, I’m a fan of winter salads (Check out my roasted kale and goat’s cheese salad if you’ve not seen it already!), BUT, nothing beats super fresh, flavoursome summer salads that have gone from plant to plate in …

How to make vegetable stock

How to make vegetable stock

Gavin Wren Basic Ingredients, Food Techniques, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian, Writing

Vegetables boiled in water. Yep, that’s all it is, easy peasy. Making your own vegetable stock at home is one of the fundamental kitchen processes that you just have to do now and again. It’s so easy, it doesn’t use up much time and it’s basically impossible to overcook. And if you have left over vegetables, peering over the edge of the compost, it’s a super efficient use of them before they go. Now, although …