Maple syrup brings a rich sweetness to theses maple pecan spelt muffins stuffed with whole rolled oats, pecan nuts and no refined sugars, just naturally sweetened with banana and maple syrup. These easy spelt flour bakes make for a wholesome alternative muffin recipe that's just as tasty yet packs more positive nutrition, perfect for afternoon tea or a sweet weekend treat.

Maple Pecan Spelt Muffins

Gavin Wren Baking, Dairy free baking, Recipes, Spelt & ancient grains

It’s been quite savoury around here recently. Not much sweet goodness going on, and my God, was I longing for something sweet. So today’s post is about some utterly delightful little maple pecan spelt muffins topped with oats which are dairy free that I put together last weekend. These are muffins made with a mixture of wholemeal and white spelt flour, along with whole oats and sweetened using maple syrup and that ubiquitous banana, because …

A bright and full flavoured summery vegetarian BBQ Courgette dish which uses full flavoured charred courgette slices topped with thick, creamy labneh and rich, tangy mint sauce. It's a dish to have both vegetarians and meat eaters drooling!

BBQ Courgette with Smoked Labneh and Mint Dressing

Gavin Wren Main Dishes, Recipes, Salads, Side dishes, Small Bites, Vegetables, Vegetarian

This recipe for BBQ courgette features beautifully charred vegetables topped with creamy smoked labneh and a tangy, fresh, minty dressing to liven it all up. It makes for a fantastic summer side salad or vegetarian option at your BBQ and will have any meat eaters drooling with jealousy. Hold the Front Page! I’m going to put myself out on a limb today, especially as a food blogger. We’re at the fast acting, quick to publish, …

Why I Dislike Open Plan Kitchens

The Scourge of Open Plan Kitchens

Gavin Wren Food Opinion Pieces, Writing

I’m struggling with a bitter fate that our country is facing, a murky descent of moral decline which has been created through contentious decisions, which have the power to divide our country and remove any retained Greatness from Great Britain. And I’m not talking about Brexit, I’m talking about a far more virulent, silent disease which is sweeping through the hearts of our nation’s cities and rotting them from the inside out. What I’m talking …

Vietnamese spring rolls with a vegetarian twist, featuring smoked tofu to make delightfully aromatic, crispy, crunchy tofu summer rolls which are vegetarian and vegan. You can make these in the kitchen to wow your guests or build them at the table so everyone can get their hands dirty.

Vietnamese Tofu Summer Rolls

Gavin Wren Main Dishes, Recipes, Salads, Sandwiches & Wraps, Small Bites, Vegan, Vegetarian

Today’s recipe is for Vietnamese spring rolls with a vegetarian twist, using smoked tofu to make delightfully aromatic tofu summer rolls. These South East Asian favourites have gained a lot of popularity in recent years and for good reason, they’re amazingly easy to make, as well as bright and fresh and a crunchy summer treat that can be made in the kitchen to wow your guests, or created at the table so that everyone can …

How To Write a Recipe

How To Write a Recipe

Gavin Wren Food Blogging, Food Opinion Pieces, Writing

Writing a recipe is a complex proposition. You might just think it’s a list of ingredients followed by a few instructions about how you mix those ingredients together, but that’s just the shell of it, the dictionary definition of what a recipe is. To actually understand how to write a recipe, how you present that creation of yours to the world involves a deeper understanding not only of your audience, but also of yourself. What’s …

This sweet and spicy thai dipping sauce is the perfect addition to salads, meat or fish, or as a dip to go with spring rolls, summer rolls or anything else that needs an extra kick. Made with just five ingredients it’s got a powerful chilli kick with potent flavours of fish sauce, lime juice, garlic and palm sugar. It’s the perfect summer sauce, regardless of whether the sun is shining or not! Find the full recipe at brainfoodstudio.com

Thai Dipping Sauce (Nam Pla Prik)

Gavin Wren Fish & Shellfish, Recipes, Salads, Sauces, Side dishes, Small Bites

There’s no need to lament the British Summer when there are such beautifully bright and abundant recipes in the world as this Thai dipping sauce otherwise known as ‘Nam Pla Prik’, a bold and powerful indulgence for your senses. The Joys of Summer. I stare out of the window on this summer day, the day before the solstice, the day before the longest sun rises over the glorious plains of Albion, shining new, fresh light …