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One of my most savoured memories from my early years is blackberry picking with my mum. Wrapping up warm on a crisp autumnal morning, and trundling outside with an optimistically big bowl in hand. If you grew up in the english countryside, or perhaps visited on occasion, you may share in this familiar memory with me. The event of the apple and blackberry crumble is a staple of my childhood. This Apple crumble is a little bit different, and has a lot less sugar than the one I grew up loving. Despite it  having less sugar and being dairy free it’s still a real treat, and perfect for an alte ..read more

I’m often tasked with making a delicious gluten-free bake, and in my opinion this one meets the mark. Light, fluffy, citrusy, nutty – it’s got a little bit of everything. We start this recipe by preparing our oranges and boiling them, before blitzing into a delicious orange puree that mixes into the cake batter. The orange pairs perfectly with the ground almonds, that we’re using in place of flour in this recipe. The icing is poured over at the end, before adding orange zest and a sprinkle of poppy seeds. A delight on the eyes, and tastebuds.   ..read more

Some recipes are born from necessity using what you have at hand, others are inspired by something you’ve seen or eaten before, a flavour combination that stopped you in your tracks and stayed with you. This recipe is the latter, a salad I lusted over and knew I needed to make myself at home. There are three key components to this recipe: the Kale Salad with Spring Onions and Cucumber, the Rice laced with sesame seeds and the egg, simply boiled. Whilst very plain sounding on their own, when brought together this dish is multi-dimensional; grounding and earthy whilst having an exotic undertone ..read more

One of my favourite vegetables to cook with is Aubergine. When cooked well they can be a meaty sponge for delicious flavours, sauces and marinades. When you roast them with extra virgin olive oil and sea salt it absorbs the flavours beautifully, becoming soft, plump and full of flavour, like in the dish I’m sharing today. Aubergine is a word us english have borrowed off the french, but for my American readers you’ll know this vegetable as the mighty eggplant. Aubergines aren’t only featured for there good looks and exotic taste, they’re also a good source of Vitamin B1, B6, potassium as well a ..read more

Through lockdown I’ve been living with my sister and two young nephews. One supper time my sister, on a mothers quest to feed her kids vegetables, started tossing steamed carrots in spoonfuls of local honey and olive oil. The kids, as you can imagine, had a new love of this orange root vegetable. Often moments like these are where I note down the next thing I need to cook up in the kitchen, and this recipe I’m sharing with you is what the moment inspired. This honey roasted carrot recipe is completely and utterly delicious: tossed in olive oil, sesame oil, tamari, honey, garlic, oregano and sa ..read more

This cake is inspired by my childhood favourite: the lemon drizzle cake. With the flavour of lemon-sugar crepes and the texture of a sponge cake, it’s a crowd pleaser, and the perfect cake to brighten a rainy day. I created this recipe with my two nephews, both of whom refuse, as most kids do, to eat their greens. Courgette was added to show them that vegetables can be delicious, and can be used in all sorts of dishes, including a sweet treat. The Courgette also adds to the moistness of the cake, so served two purposes here and I wouldn’t bake it without. In this recipe we’re using an ingredie ..read more

This creamy curry is a favourite at home, full of hearty vegetables and warming spices. In this recipe I’ve chosen my favourite root vegetable to be the star of the show, the mighty butternut squash.  To accompany the squash we’re using spinach, mushrooms and cauliflower, a fantastic vegetable for soaking up the flavour from the sauce.    The key to a good vegetarian curry is twofold: the all important spiced sauce and the way you prepare the veg you’re using. You want the vegetables to be a good size, and not too small. Cut thick pieces, and don’t overcook. This was a trick I l ..read more

One of the most popular recipes on Naturally Sassy also happens to be one of the first I published here, my Perfect Kale Salad. This recipe has served me well over the years – it accompanies most dishes well, with a mixture of sweet, bitter, creamy, crisp and crunchy. If I’m honest I’ve never really felt the need to experiment with alternate kale salads, when you’ve found one you love why change things. This recipe pushed me to use kale in a more versatile salad – a twist on a caesar salad, an old favourite of mine. You can, of course, use butter lettuce for this recipe but to me kale adds a l ..read more

On colder week-nights, this might just be the only meal I want. A creamy, hearty pasta dish that transports you to Italy, as you imagine you’re indulging in a vat full of cheese and cream. In reality you may be sitting in front of the fire like me, in the english countryside with rain crashing on the windows outside.. with no dairy in sight. Being allergic to dairy, the creamy mushroom pasta’s of this world have not been on my menu, until now. This oh-so-creamy fettuccine in made with coconut milk, vegetable stock and the juices and oils from the sautéed mushrooms and asparagus. It’s truly a s ..read more