Recipe Of The Week: Gluten Free Vegan Focaccia

This gluten free vegan focaccia recipe is perfect for picnics, side dishes, or on its own for lunch!

By Chere Di Boscio

They say ‘the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.’ Oh really? What about we women? Frankly, a man who knows how to cook even a few dishes well rises rapidly in the attractiveness ranks if you ask me. And one who knows how to cook a whole lot of vegan recipes well? Come to mama!

Healthy Living James is now my new favourite food blogger. He’s bearded, he’s talented, and he’s a man after my own heart.

He also has a really interesting story.

He had just finished his degree in Sports Science in December 2010 at Bournemouth University where he was playing golf for the University and also the Dorset County 1st team, when he suddenly became sick.

At first, he thought it was food poisoning, but he didn’t get better.

After several tests in the hospital, no doctor could figure out what the heck was wrong. They plied him with medication, which he became hypersensitive to, and he even started to develop sensitivity to light, smells and certain foods.

His life became miserable. Simple activities like watching TV or using a mobile phone would give him a wicked headache, and he suffered from a terrible case of insomnia, which meant he was too exhausted to see friends, work, or study.

After an agonising half year of visiting multiple doctors and not receiving any answers, he was finally diagnosed with M.E. (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis) also known as CFS (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome). He was told there was no cure, and all he could do was bear with it.

Not being the kind of guy who gives up easily, he started to read up on the disease, and discovered that it was somehow connected to gut health.

A New Way Of Eating

He immediately cut gluten and dairy from his diet, and started taking supplements for M.E. sufferers. He also fell for a girl called Luise, who began to visit him after some mutual friends explained James’ situation to her. Throughout James’ recovery, she was always at his side, encouraging his recovery. It wasn’t easy: it took him almost two years to feel well enough to leave his parents’ home and move in with Luise.

But thanks to a local nutritionist, who advised him to cut out processed sugars as much as possible, and with the help of learning how to cook healthier vegan food, James’s passion for cooking and living as healthily as possible is stronger than ever – and so is he!

His food blog, Healthy Living James, is exploding now, too, thanks to his wide variety of tasty recipes.

From fancy dishes like Avocado Pesto Courgetti Salad to basics like vegan Cauliflower Cheese, there’s something on his blog to inspire everybody! One recipe I’m dying to try out is for his gluten free Yorkshire puddings with vegan gravy. Proper British food indeed!

Here, James chose to share his Gluten Free Vegan Focaccia recipe with Eluxe readers for our Recipe of the Week. It’s easy to make, and makes for the perfect picnic food, or accompaniment to an Italian meal.

Let’s get cooking!

Gluten Free Vegan Focaccia

Gluten Free Vegan Focaccia

INGREDIENTS

450g gluten free self-raising flour
350g runny yoghurt I use coconut
3 tbsp olive oil
Large pinch salt

Toppings

Handful chopped olives
½ Red onion, finely diced
Sprig rosemary
Drizzle olive oil
Handful of sun dried tomatoes
Salt

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat your oven to 200C
2. In a large mixing bowl, add the flour, yoghurt, 3 tbsp olive oil and a large pinch of salt and combine with your hands until a large ball forms. There is no need to let the dough rest, as there isn’t any gluten inside.
3. Line a baking tray with baking paper and press the dough mixture into the tray.
4. Simply top with any toppings of your choice and place in the oven for 25 minutes.

Take it out, let it cool off a bit, cut into slices, and enjoy!

Gluten Free Vegan Focaccia

For more awesome recipes like this gluten free vegan focaccia, click here.

Follow James on Instagram here.

Chere Di Boscio
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