Hello...
Hi! I’m Naomi, nicknamed Nibsy from a young age and live in Reading, with my husband and two young boys. The gluten-free 'journey' began back in 2009 when I was diagnosed as gluten-intolerant.
Having set up and run Reading's one and only gluten-free coffee shop back in 2014, which I ran for almost 7 years, I now bake freshly made gluten-free cakes and treats at home for local delivery or collection directly from me, here in West Reading.
Not local to Reading? You can get your hands on the award-winning DIY donut kits, sent UK wide, as well as on my self-published recipe book. It includes some brilliant recipes, from fluffy scones to millionaire shortbread and recreate them at home. At the time of writing it, my youngest was watching Disney's Ratatouille on repeat. The message in the story: "Anyone can cook".
It inspired me, not only because it's true, but because when you take care and make things from the heart, food can be so much more rewarding and enjoyable.
Find all the information here on the various tabs and get in touch with me via email at info@nibsys.com or the online form and I'll come back to you to let you know if I can help.
Love,
Naomi AKA Nibsy x
Having set up and run Reading's one and only gluten-free coffee shop back in 2014, which I ran for almost 7 years, I now bake freshly made gluten-free cakes and treats at home for local delivery or collection directly from me, here in West Reading.
Not local to Reading? You can get your hands on the award-winning DIY donut kits, sent UK wide, as well as on my self-published recipe book. It includes some brilliant recipes, from fluffy scones to millionaire shortbread and recreate them at home. At the time of writing it, my youngest was watching Disney's Ratatouille on repeat. The message in the story: "Anyone can cook".
It inspired me, not only because it's true, but because when you take care and make things from the heart, food can be so much more rewarding and enjoyable.
Find all the information here on the various tabs and get in touch with me via email at info@nibsys.com or the online form and I'll come back to you to let you know if I can help.
Love,
Naomi AKA Nibsy x
Gluten-free and Vegan? Here are a few easy recipes
There are lots of reasons to try a vegan diet. To get involved and to find out more click here.
And here are some gluten-free and vegan recipes from the recipe book, for some easy inspiration.
And here are some gluten-free and vegan recipes from the recipe book, for some easy inspiration.
Rice Noodles - Tofu and Mushroom with beansprouts, gf tamari, spring onion, ginger and red pepper.
There’s a dish that Pho do; Vermicelli noodles, with tofu and mushroom which I adore. Whilst this is not the same, it's my take on it and you can enjoy it with some peanut butter dip on the side. Makes: 2 portions Prep time: 30mins Can you freeze this? No Ingredients and Allergens in bold: 120g “Glass”, sweet potato Vermicelli noodles (you can find them in a good Chinese shop) or something similar will work, such as rice noodles. 1 x small thumb’s worth fresh zested ginger 1 x small red pepper, sliced 150g firm tofu, drained (soya) 1 x tablespoon corn flour 300g mushrooms 2 x spring onions 1 x small red pepper 125g beansprouts 4 x teaspoon gluten-free soya sauce (tamari) Sprinkling of sesame seeds Drizzle of sunflower oil (for the frying) Fresh spinach to garnish Dipping bowl of sweet chili sauce or peanut butter (nuts) Salt and pepper |
Equipment needed for this:
Saucepan Frying pan Large bowl Grater/zester Scales Sharp knife Method
|
Popcorn Bars
These are really easy to make and you can vary them to your liking by using a different type of chocolate and caramel; in this recipe everything is vegan. You may want to add nuts and other delights to this too. Just bear in mind it needs an hour to “set” in the freezer before you can cut into it and enjoy. The idea for these came from my cousin and very close friend, Lorena. She gave me an interesting looking gluten-free bar from one of the high street coffee chains that was made with popcorn and caramel and tasted really good. And so it inspired me to make this version. Makes: 1 rectangular tin: 27cm (10.5”) x 18cm (7”) and 2.5cm (1”) deep No. of portions: around 8 Prep time: 40 minutes + 1 hour in the freezer Can you freeze this? Yes Ingredients For the caramel ½ can of coconut milk (so 200ml) 75g light brown sugar 0.5 x teaspoon vanilla essence 1 x teaspoon cracked salt For the bars 240g dairy-free white chocolate 50g popcorn (sweet, salty or mixture) 60g gluten-free crispy rice cereals 40g cranberries 40g raisins For the topping 30g melted dark, dairy-free chocolate Sprinkling of coconut flakes Allergens in bold Equipment needed for this: Rectangular baking tray Parchment paper Rolling pin Scales Measuring spoon Small saucepan |
Method
1 First, make the caramel, which will take 25 minutes. Shake the coconut milk before opening and pour half the can into a pan with the brown sugar and vanilla essence. Regularly stir it on a medium heat for 25 minutes. The caramel won’t be very thick but it’s used for drizzling on top of the popcorn bars, so it doesn’t need to be firm. Once the caramel is ready, stir in the salt and leave it to one side while you prepare the popcorn bars. 2 Line the tin with parchment paper so it comes up all four sides. Gently melt the white chocolate in the microwave or in a small bowl over simmering water in a pan, making sure the water doesn’t touch the bowl. 3 In a large bowl mix the popcorn, gluten-free crispy rice cereals, raisins and cranberries and once melted, mix in the white chocolate. There isn’t much chocolate in this recipe so it needs to be well mixed to get it distributed throughout. 4 Pour the mixture into the tin. It should initially look like there is a bit too much but it should eventually all fit (unless your tin is much smaller). Spread the mixture evenly across the lined tray. To help flatten and condense the mixture, to make more solid units, cut a large sheet of parchment paper and place it over the top. Using a rolling pin, bash, press and roll the mixture firmly into the baking tin. 5 Once the mixture is looking satisfyingly flattened, drizzle the caramel over it. Melt the dark chocolate in the microwave and flick this over the top followed by the coconut flakes. 6 It’s now ready to be placed in the freezer for 1 hour to set. Once cool, remove the tray from the freezer and cut the slab into little bars while it’s still frozen as it’s much easier when hard and will create well-defined edges. It’s a good idea to then individually wrap these and then store the bars in the fridge or even in the freezer as they can pretty much be eaten straight from the freezer! 7 Store airtight and in the fridge or freezer. |
Butternut Squash, Red Pepper, Coconut and Chilli Soup
This soup takes a little longer than most, as you have to prepare and roast the butternut squash in the oven first. But it’s worth it – and this recipe will produce a beautifully thick and filling soup. One of my absolute favourites in the colder months, really filling and satisfying, full of flavour and warmth. Makes: 4 large portions Prep time: 1.5 hours Can you freeze this? Yes Ingredients 1.17kg (1170g) peeled and chopped butternut squash 100ml sunflower oil + 2 tablespoons 1 x teaspoon dried mixed herbs 2 medium sized onions chopped 4 cloves of garlic, crushed Salt and lots of pepper 350g roasted red peppers drained from a jar or tin ¼ x teaspoon dried chili flakes 1 can of coconut milk/cream (400ml) 1 vegetarian, gluten-free stock cube (celery) 750ml boiling water Small handful of bay leaves Equipment needed for this: Good chopping knife Large saucepan Garlic crusher Measuring jug Large bowl Large mixing spoon Food processor or electric hand-held blender |
Method
1 Pre-heat the oven to 190C/350F/gas mark 5 and line a large baking tray with parchment paper. 2 Peel the butternut squash and chop it into small cubes or wedges, discarding the seeds. Place the chunks of butternut squash in a large bowl with 2 tablespoons of sunflower oil, plenty of seasoning and 1 teaspoon mixed herbs. Toss the butternut squash pieces around in the bowl, to get them evenly covered in oil, herbs and seasoning, then tip them out onto the baking tray and roast them until they’re soft with some added colour. The cooking time will vary depending on how big or small the pieces have been cut but will take at least 30 minutes in the oven. 3 Meanwhile, put 100ml sunflower oil in a large pan, with the chopped onions and garlic, salt and pepper and cook on medium heat until the onions are looking nice and golden. They’re better to be slightly over cooked than under, in my opinion. Allow at least 15 minutes, stirring regularly. 4 Drain and then weigh and chop the red peppers and add them to the pan of cooked onions and cook for a further 10 minutes. Then add a ¼ teaspoon of chili flakes if you want a add a bit of a kick to the finished taste. 5 Once the butternut squash is cooked, add it to the pan along with 750ml of boiling water and a stock cube. Season again adding 1 x teaspoon of salt and plenty of cracked black pepper as well as a few bay leaves, tucked to the side of the pan (which you’ll need to take out later). Put the lid on, leaving a small gap and cook on a low heat for another 10 minutes. 6 Shake the tin of coconut milk and add the lot to the pan and leave to cook on a low heat for another 10 minutes. Then, take out the bay leaves and blend the soup to be as chunky or as smooth as you prefer, using a food processor or a hand-held blender. If you find the soup is a tad too thick just add a little more hot water and blend again. You may want to add a tad more salt and pepper to taste. 7 Store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days. |
Double Chocolate cupcakes
Makes: 12- 18 cupcakes (depending on how big you want them) Prep time: 20 minutes Cooking time: 15-20 minutes Ingredients Wet 350ml soya milk 1.5 x tablespoon apple cider vinegar 120g olive oil Dry 285g gluten-free self-raising flour 300g caster sugar 75g cocoa powder 3 x tablespoon gluten-free ground flaxseeds ½ x tablespoon baking powder 1 x teaspoon salt Chocolate Icing 100g dairy-free spread 100g dairy-free “butter” block (FLORA blocks are very good) 50g cocoa powder 700g-750g sieved icing sugar And then add an additional flavour of your choice, from below (optional) Icing flavour ideas that can work well on top of the above Mocha – add a bit of instant coffee with a splash of warm water and a dash of cocoa powder Caramel - a shot of the caramel syrup that’s used in coffees Orange – Zest of one orange Peppermint – 1 x teaspoon peppermint extract Equipment needed for this: 1 or 2 x 12 hole muffin baking trays Ice-cream scoop Cupcake / muffin cases Scales Measuring spoons Whisk or cake mixer Large bowl Sieve |
Method
1 To make the cupcake sponges, start by putting all the wet ingredients together in a jug and let them sit for 10 minutes to ‘develop’. Pre-heat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. 2 Place cupcake or tulip cases in 12-hole cake tins. You can make between 12 to 18 of these cupcakes; it depends how big you want them. 3 In a medium bowl, put all the dry ingredients together and mix so that everything is nicely incorporated. Gently pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and thoroughly whisk until the batter looks nice and smooth. Let it sit in the bowl for 5 minutes. This allows it to thicken a little bit more. 4 Using an ice-cream scoop (the mechanical type, if you have one) scoop the batter evenly across the paper cases and bake for approximately 12-18 minute. Bear in mind the cooking time depends on how big your cupcakes are, so keep a close eye towards the end of the cooking time. Use a skewer or knife to check it comes out clean. 5 Once cooked, leave them to cool completely before icing them. 6 Make the icing. I have found that using a mixture of two types of spread makes for a much nicer vegan icing: 100g of dairy-free soft spread (any type) plus 100g of a dairy-free and vegan style butter block, which must be soft. If you just have 1 type of spread or butter, rather than 2, then just use 200g of what you’ve got! 7 Put the soft “butter(s)” in a large bowl or cake mixer along with 700g icing sugar (sieve it first, if it’s a bit lumpy). Then add the coca powder. To avoid a mini explosion of sugar and cocoa, it’s a good idea to use a splash lid or tea-towel over the mixing bowl. Mix everything together continuously with the electric whisk until eventually all the ingredients come together to create an icing. You may need to add a small dash of water if the icing feels too dense. Or, if you have a caramel syrup for coffees, a glug of this in the icing makes it taste amazing! 8 You can add some additional flavour to the icing and mix it in, or use it as it is. If you have a piping bag and nozzle, pop the icing into the bag and ice your cupcakes or simply spread the icing on top using a spoon or small palette knife. They’ll taste the same anyway! Fresh fruit and nuts are always nice on these too. 9 The cupcakes taste best the day they are made and kept at room temperature. If you don’t use all the icing at once, store it in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. It will become very hard so next time you need to use it, it will need to loosening up using a mixer and by adding a dash more water or caramel syrup. |
|
Loved meeting those of you who came to the Allergy and Free-from show in London and Birmingham.
|
Some exciting news
The DIY donut kits have won GOLD in the gifting category of the prestigious Free From Food Awards Christmas Awards 2022.
Check out their socials @FFFoodAwards or visit their website to see which other amazing brands (large and small) have been awarded for great taste, quality and innovation! We have entered again for 2023 and have been shortlisted - Results announced soon after 8th June!
Check out their socials @FFFoodAwards or visit their website to see which other amazing brands (large and small) have been awarded for great taste, quality and innovation! We have entered again for 2023 and have been shortlisted - Results announced soon after 8th June!
For social media links, see below.