Emma Oxley

If you’re in need of a winter warmer this Lentil, Bacon & Thyme Soup is the perfect comfort food recipe. If you are following the Specific Carbohydrate Diet completely you will need to soak the lentils for 4-8 hours or overnight and then discard the water. Any type of lentils will work fine, red lentils, green, yellow or black lentils, puy lentils etc – Finally, add the cooked bacon pieces back to the soup along with the thyme leaves and warm through.

But in fact, if you take it slowly and don’t rush, it’s possible to get a fabulous Hollandaise Sauce every time. Once the mixture has become light and frothy, place the heat-proof bowl on top of a saucepan of 2 inches of barely simmering water, creating a bain-marie (make sure the water is not bubbling too furiously and make sure the bowl doesn’t touch the water!) If you heat the eggs directly too quickly you’ll end up with scrambled eggs and a separated, lumpy Hollandaise. Then, take the mixture off the heat completely and start to whisk in the melted butter, a little at a time until the sauce becomes thick and silky.

You need to start by preheating your oven to 170C (340F) and lining a 12 inch by 8 inch baking tin with baking parchment (greaseproof paper). Bake the batter in the oven for 40-45 mins until the top looks cooked and has cracked slightly but the inside still feels squidgy and slightly liquid when you press down. And if chocolate is your thing then try my Chocolate Espresso Pots or my Chewy Chocolate Cookies. This recipe is Grain-Free, Gluten-Free, Refined-Sugar Free & Dairy-Free.

Thanks to Tideford Organics for sponsoring this post and introducing me to their delicious Smoky Red Pepper Garlic Pesto. These days, we’ve been trying to eat a bit more plant-based so when Tideford Organics offered me a taste of their vegan Smoky Red Pepper Garlic Pesto All that it contains is Red Pepper, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Chick Peas, Tomato, Garlic, Basil, Creamed Coconut, Sea Salt, Smoked Paprika, Crushed Chillies and Chilli Powder. Pin Vegan Smoky Red Pepper Garlic Pesto from Tideford Organics for later