Jane Devonshire - Vegetarian Hassle Free, Gluten Free

To my wonderful children Sam, Rebecca, Harry & Ben. I could not be prouder of you all. I love you loads.

Mum xxxx

introduction

Winning MasterChef certainly changed my life. My passion for cooking has become my job and I love it. I write my recipes from my heart and in this, my second book, I really wanted to reflect how we as a family have changed our diet to include more vegetarian food. It was not really a conscious choice, but more of a natural evolution in our eating habits.

Those who will have bought and read my first book, Hassle Free, Gluten Free, will know that my cooking of gluten-free food was sparked by my youngest son, Ben, who was diagnosed with coeliac disease when he was two years old. As the youngest of my four children, I made it my mission to feed my family as inclusively as possible. Why cook something different for Ben, when I could cook one delicious dish for everyone? So, if my first book was inspired by Ben, then this one has my daughter Rebecca in mind.

Yes, our eating habits have evolved over time and as a nation were all eating less meat, but my love of cooking vegetarian food was primarily sparked by our daughter Rebecca becoming vegetarian whilst she was at university. I fully understood and supported her reasons, most of her friends are vegan and it became apparent that I had to expand my cooking to include vegetables as a hero, not just a wonderful side to whatever meat or fish I was cooking.

Once she turned vegetarian, Rebecca faced very similar struggles as Ben. When she went out to restaurants, there was often just one lacklustre vegetarian meal on the menu, as an afterthought, with no real thought put into it. In big cities like Manchester and London there was usually less of a problem, but smaller venues often presented a challenge. Couple that with the necessity to eat gluten-free food and we were back to square one when it came to eating out as a family.

As a chef new to the business, work has also pushed me to think more about vegetarian and vegan food; indeed every job I get asked to do has to include these options to ensure there really is something for everyone. I really enjoy finding ways to make these dishes as interesting and as filling as the more traditional meals that we plan, which tend to have meat or fish incorporated.

I was not a complete novice to creating vegetarian dishes, though. Many plant-based dinners, including the beloved , had long been on the menu at home and at work, but I wanted to expand my repertoire and incorporate it into our everyday lives.

I am, and always have been, a lover of vegetables. My dad grows the very best veggies in his garden in London. No grass in the garden for us as kids; just neat rows of vegetables that fed us all year round. There really is nothing quite like harvesting something and cooking it within minutes, and carrots, for example, are transformed so easily. Im sure its because the kids worked with Grandad in the garden I never had a problem getting them to eat their greens; its such a treat to eat what you grow. I admit to being pretty awful at gardening. I love to cook the produce but my fathers talent bypassed me. We do, however, grow some things for the kitchen. We always have fresh herbs growing; basil, coriander, parsley, thyme and mint I find them such a great way to perk any dish that is looking a little sad. Onions, carrots, runner beans, kale, tomatoes and potatoes are also currently flourishing in the garden, although the lettuce and some other salad vegetables are looking a little sad. I am persevering, though its sometimes a battle with the chickens and other birds and wildlife. The thought of fresh vegetables straight out of the garden keeps me going. I dont think I will ever have dads passion, but I do try.

I had never really, until MasterChef and Rebecca, thought about making this much-loved food a central part of my meals day-to-day; I find it strange to think that now. Why did it never cross my consciousness to make more vegetarian food at home day to day? Maybe my mind was rooted in the way I was brought up; my mum is a brilliant cook but I suppose like a lot of families in the 1970s and 80s, it was very traditional food where protein always formed the central part of the dish. But I do love a challenge and a cooking challenge is even better!

Gradually, because I was creating and testing recipes for work and feeding everyone those vegetarian dishes at home (I hate food waste) they naturally worked their way onto our regular menu. Things became much-loved and certain dishes often requested by the kids (such as the ). I was not cooking vegetarian gluten-free food; I was just cooking lovely food for the family. It didnt need a label and that to me is what is important.

There are of course other considerations that impact the way we eat. One of my great joys over the last few years has been working with Coeliac UK. I am so very proud to be an Ambassador for the charity, who support thousands of people who need to live gluten free through their information, campaigns and research. They are a lifeline to many families like ours, and make getting to grips with the gluten free diet a whole lot less daunting. You can read more about the charity .

However, as gluten free families, we face unique problems which I have often spoken about in the past, and one of the biggest is how to control the cost. Living life gluten free can be prohibitively expensive, with staples like bread and pasta sometimes being three or four times the cost of their gluten counterparts. Childrens cereal is exorbitant and treats invariably double the price. Eating a vegetarian meal a few times a week can genuinely reduce the cost of living for many families, whilst still supplying great nutrition.

I have tried hard in this book to reflect our style of eating and give you good, no fuss recipes that can be easily achieved at home. Its important to me that the ingredients I cook with can be very easily sourced in local supermarkets or online with little fuss.

I am particularly proud of the doughs and pastry chapter as I know this is an area of particular importance when trying to make gluten-free food. I use Shipton Mill flour for my baking which I order online in catering bags and is delivered very quickly, but I do try to test my recipes with a number of different gluten free brands to make them work for everyone.

I have always stated that I think food should be inclusive and that includes dietary choice as well as necessity. There is something so upsetting about people being excluded from one of lifes ultimate pleasures; sharing food and the experience of eating together is such a joy. I have seen first-hand with Ben how food can also exclude, and I firmly believe it shouldnt still be happening and its definitely not happening in my kitchen, at home with my family and friends.

Its so much easier to just cook one big plate of food for the family, especially if you are cooking every day. And if that dish can easily stand alone or alongside protein-based dishes, it makes life simpler, easier and more inclusive for everyone and of course there is less washing up which is always a bonus!