Gluten, Wheat and Dairy Free Cookbook: Over 200 allergy-free recipes, from the ‘Sensitive Gourmet’

Finally, mix in the mushrooms and leave the pot to simmer for about 20 minutes. Adjust the seasoning and serve with warm bread and a fresh green salad.

Honey Glazed Turnips

It’s virtually impossible to get me to eat a turnip, but seduced by the idea of wild honey and thyme I succumbed to bribery. I now treat them with respectful awe, amazed that anything so bland can be transformed into something so delicious.

Serves 6–8

24 baby turnips, peeled and trimmed

2 heaped tablespoons of (GF/DF) four-grain mustard

6 tablespoons of wild runny honey

2 tablespoons of sunflower oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 heaped teaspoons of fresh thyme leaves

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas mark 4

Add the turnips to a pan of boiling water. Return to the boil and cook for 5 minutes just to soften them. Drain and refresh under hot water and leave to dry out a bit.

Gently heat the mustard, honey and oil together and season with a little salt and pepper.

Place the turnips on a non-stick baking sheet, pour the honey over them and sprinkle with thyme.

Bake in the oven until golden brown and sticky, about 1¾ hours, or until cooked through, basting occasionally with the glaze so that they brown evenly.

Celeriac Dauphinoise

You can always replace half of the celeriac with potato slices if you find this recipe too expensive. It has a soft and delicious flavour and is ideal with grilled (broiled) fish, game and roasts of all sorts.

Serves 8

2 celeriac roots, peeled, quartered and very thinly sliced

1 large onion, peeled, halved and very finely sliced

Salt, freshly ground black pepper and nutmeg (DF) margarine

1 plump clove of garlic, peeled and crushed

A few thyme leaves

300ml/10fl oz/1¼ cups of (GF) vegetable stock (bouillon)

Cayenne pepper

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas mark 4

Layer the celeriac with the onion in an ovenproof dish, sprinkling each layer with salt, pepper and nutmeg, and dotting with margarine, garlic and thyme leaves. Continue until all of the celeriac and onion have been used up.

Pour the stock (bouillon) over and sprinkle cayenne pepper over the top.

Bake in the oven until crispy on top and soft all the way through, about 2 hours.

Check occasionally – if it looks as though it is starting to dry out add a little more stock.

Serve the Celeriac Dauphinoise piping hot.

Roast Squash, Chestnuts and Sweet Potatoes

This is a robust accompaniment to roast turkey, pheasant or grouse, especially at Christmas time. It is also unusual and delicious with roast pork or wild boar.

Serves 6–8

1 butternut squash, peeled, halved and seeded

1kg/2.2lb/7 cups of sweet potatoes, peeled (1.5kg/3.3lb for 8 people or more)

200ml/7fl oz/¾ cup of olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

A little sprinkling of grated cloves and nutmeg

12 whole cloves

225g/8oz/1½ cups of whole peeled chestnuts

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas mark 4

Cut the squash and the potatoes into equal size pieces so that they will take a uniform time to cook. Bring a large pan of water to the boil and blanch the vegetables for 3 minutes in the boiling water. Refresh under cold water and leave to dry for 10 minutes.

Brush the squash and potato pieces with oil and spread them evenly over an oiled baking sheet.

Season with salt, pepper, grated cloves and nutmeg and then sprinkle with the whole cloves.

Roast in the oven for about 1½ hours. Add the chestnuts 15 minutes before the end so that they heat through.

Serve straight from the oven and remind everyone not to eat the cloves!

Sweet Potato and Orange Purée

In order to be able to enjoy my own dinner parties, I usually prepare the vegetables in the morning and cook them in the microwave as the meat is being carved. No steam, splashes or smells is the essence of a good dinner party in my tiny kitchen.

Serves 6–8