I know, I know… I’ve been whining about the heat a lot over the past couple of weeks, but this is my current reality. Summer and I don’t get along.

It has been stealing my spoons ever since I was little, and as if that alone weren’t enough, it also seems hell-bent on melting my brain.

All my little grey cells. Melted into a large, muddled puddle.

Hi, I’m Daan 👨‍🍳! I’m a wheelchair-rocking foodie, sharing gluten-free plant-based recipes and low-spoon kitchen strategies for Spoonies. I also write about accessible home design where beauty and comfort are just as important as function. Because every Spoonie deserves beauty and good food.

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Cooking? You’ve Got to be Kidding!

During summer, you’ll only find me in the kitchen to grab a drink. A quick bite to eat. But real cooking? That’s just not happening.

Developing new recipes?

Recipe testing?

Go away!

And yet… there’s the blog.

Substack.

I still wanted to publish something. Something actually helpful. Because how could I live with myself if I let my fellow-spoonies down? 😉

Garlic Yoghurt Dressing to the Rescue

Then, as I was whipping up a quick garlic yoghurt dressing to drown my cucumber and cherry tomato salad, I had this light bulb moment.

I’d been making this delicious dressing for years. So often, I could make it with my eyes closed. And on just one functioning brain cell.

It’s been tested a hundred times already—by my partner, daughter, and very picky son. By friends and family. And nobody (except my garlic-hating sister) has ever withheld their seal of approval.

It’s the perfect accompaniment to pretty much any dish you could think of. (OK, maybe not pudding. Or biscuits.)

Have a look:

✅ Cucumber-and-tomato salad

✅ Oven-roasted potatoes

✅ Sheet-pan veggies

✅ Falafel

✅ Over pizza

✅ On wraps

✅ And much, much more

What better recipe to share with you than this one?

Easy Garlic Yoghurt Dressing

This Week’s Question

What do you eat when your brain has melted?

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I just finished a breakfast of tiramisu-style cheesecake cups, and now it’s time to get some writing done. Not an easy task when the heat has melted your last functional brain cell. And stolen your last spoon.

And that’s just the beginning. Because guess what?

Disabled people eat. And since I have no private chef, cooking is just one more item on my to-do list. Which begs the question: how do you cook when even the thought of entering a scorching kitchen is enough to make you want to hide in the freezer?

Kitchen Lessons for Hot Summer Days

These are the lessons my mother taught me:

• Cold meals are the best meals on hot days.

• Instant mashed potatoes are fine.

• Tinned and jarred vegetables are your friends.

• Hydration is more important than a full meal.

That said, she would typically serve a leafy salad (fresh from our garden) with those mashed potatoes, and that’s great when you enjoy eating raw leaves—which I don’t. But frozen peas also go really well with mashed potatoes, so that would be my choice.

Fed Beats Hungry. Always.

In fact, I like to keep some homemade meals in the freezer—like mashed potatoes with garden peas and spicy tofu strips. On hot or low-spoon days, all I have to do is pull them out of the freezer and microwave them.

And while, ideally, I should defrost them overnight, my spoonie reality is more like this: Grab them from the freezer when I’m already starving, and let the microwave do all the work.

The important thing is: fed beats hungry. No matter how many kitchen ‘rules’ you break.

Yet, some days, even heating a freezer meal (or eating hot food) is more than you can stomach. That’s where this week’s recipe comes to the rescue:

When Even Easy Is Too Hard

A single-serve cherry yoghurt trifle. It’s a super easy treat you can assemble in minutes. And it ticks all of these boxes:

• It’s served cold (no cooking).

• Can be assembled from ready-to-use ingredients.

• Yoghurt and cherries provide moisture and freshness.

• Gluten-free.

• Vegan or vegetarian, depending on your choice of ingredients.

Single-Serve Cherry Yoghurt Trifle

So, what are your go-to kitchen tips for hot summer days when your spoons are gone? Cold meals, freezer meals, or something else entirely?

Don’t be shy. Just hit reply or leave your answer in the comments. I’d love to know!

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Your friendly spoonie chef

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Early July, and we’ve already experienced two heatwaves with temperatures of up to 39 centigrade where I live. Like many Spoonies, I don’t deal well with heat.

Truth be told, I’ve been barely functional lately. My blog posts went from two to just one per week—and even that’s a struggle—and I’m not sure how long I’ll be able to keep them coming.

Hi, I’m Daan 👨‍🍳! I’m a wheelchair-rocking foodie, sharing gluten-free plant-based recipes and low-spoon kitchen strategies for Spoonies. I also write about accessible home design where beauty and comfort are just as important as function. Because every Spoonie deserves beauty and good food.

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Too Hot to Cook

What’s worse, I’ve not been eating.

Not only has my appetite dwindled, but even the thought of having to prepare food (no matter how simple) has become daunting.

What disappears first for you during a heatwave:
hunger, energy to cook, or deciding what to eat?

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Yet, as my mum used to say, ‘if you don’t eat, you’ll die.’, and I have no intention of dying anytime soon.

But that means I need to keep eating. So how do I do that?

How does any Spoonie keep themselves fed during a murderous heatwave?

What’s your go-to zero-effort food?

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Here’s How

I looked at my easiest recipes. The ones that require just a few minutes to prepare. Preferably without cooking.

And I compiled them all into a list: 10+ Gluten-Free Vegan Breakfast Ideas For Spoonies.

That’s right: More than 10 breakfast recipes, which also work surprisingly well as lunch or even dinner.

10+ breakfast ideas for Spoonies

Because every Spoonie deserves to eat well.

Even when Summer is stealing all your spoons.

Especially then.

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Your friendly spoonie chef

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Tiramisu.

Sounds like a character who got cut from The Barber of Seville.

Probably ate too much pudding. Poor sod.

Anyway.

The Idea of Tiramisu

When my mother-in-law first introduced me to Tiramisu, I wasn’t impressed. Sure, the mascarpone, the cocoa, the sponge fingers… so far so good.

But then… coffee.

Big, fat ‘nope’. I hate coffee. (Unless it’s Irish, with more whisky, cream, and sugar than actual coffee.)

Still… the idea of Tiramisu is good. It looks good. Most of the ingredients are absolutely fine. But the coffee ruins it all.

That, and the effort.

So much work for something that gets scarfed down in mere minutes.

Well, guess what? I solved both problems.

My No-Bake Vegan Tiramisu-Style Cheesecake Cups are everything I like about tiramisu—minus the coffee and the fuss. I even veganised them.

Tiramisu-Style Cheesecake Cups

Unfortunately, one shall not live on cheesecake cups alone.

At least, that’s what my mother told me.

Ratatouille for Spoonies

Doesn’t mean I have to enjoy spending hours working my arse off in a hot kitchen. So what’s a guy to do?

Here’s what: make an easy Slow Cooker Ratatouille, of course.

Sure, it still takes hours, but I’ll be lazing on the couch and let the slow cooker do all the hard work. And long before it’s ready, the house will smell amazing!

Slow Cooker Ratatouille

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Your friendly spoonie chef

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Last week I lived in survival mode.

My best friend’s death—though not unexpected—hit me hard. My mind keeps replaying our final conversation.

When she sent me that message, ‘The cardiologist said I should use my remaining time to say my goodbyes’, I thought I would never see her again. But my ex drove me to the hospital, over a hundred kilometres away, so we were able to say goodbye one last time.

She died only twenty minutes after we left.

Living on Emergency Food

My life has come to a standstill, and when that happens, food becomes far harder than it should be.

I can’t brain, my body stops registering hunger signals, and I’m too wiped to prepare a proper meal.

So I live on emergency food instead. Corn thins with peanut butter. A freezer meal. A tin of baked beans.

And, when I have just a tiny bit of energy, these oat protein bites.

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Oat Protein Bites

Note: don’t skip the resting time. The oats will continue to soak up moisture and the dough will firm up, making it easier to handle.

And just in case you need it: a recipe for gluten-free muesli is on my website.

Storage: these should keep for several days in an airtight container in the fridge, though mine are always gone within 24 hours.

Meanwhile…

Life goes on

Thankfully I had some new recipes already scheduled. Two hit the blog this week: Easy Vegan Dutch Pancakes, and High-protein Vegan Cream Cheese.

No gym bro nonsense or wellness vibes here. Just honest plant-based food for spoonies who need some extra staying power.

This Week’s Music

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That’s why I was immediately intrigued when one of my readers mentioned ‘Lunchables’.

Honestly, I’d never heard of them before, but a quick Google search was enough to convince me. As a concept, it’s remarkably suitable for Spoonie cooking. The execution however, could be improved upon. So that’s what I did.

Spoonie Lunchables

I designed an easy system to build a healthy(ish) lunch in mere minutes, using less than a handful of common ingredients.

• Avoid decision fatigue.

• MIx-and-match.

• Use what you have.

That’s basically the entire framework. And yes, you can totally use frozen, tinned, or jarred food. It’s all fair game.

I explain the entire Spoonie Lunchables method more in-depth on the blog. You’ll find examples, Spoonie tips, and combinations, to help you get a clearer picture.

Spoonie Lunchables

Free Printable

But even better, I created a free Build Your Own Spoonie Lunch Box printable—and it’s already waiting for you on my Buy Me A Coffee. Donations are welcome, but strictly optional. Because this is something I want all of you to have.

Build Your Own Spoonie Lunchbox

PS: If you’re interested, I also have a new post on disability and identity, and how internalised ableism can still make us feel like impostors.

Disability Identity

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She moved into a house just across the street from me, but our village wasn’t exactly welcoming of strangers. And if there was one thing they hated more than outsiders, it was outsiders without a job.

Those were just two of the things Fauzia and I had in common. We soon became friends, and our mutual interest in cooking only strengthened our bond. We’d cook together, eat together. Share stories over plates full of Qabuli Palau: fragrant basmati rice with carrots, raisins, and almond shavings.

She taught me how to cook many of her favourite dishes, like bolani: a soft, pliable flatbread stuffed with a leek-and-potato filling: the perfect portable lunch. Then, there were the soups, the pasta dishes, the potatoes, and other delicacies. Many of them became staples in my own household.

In the evenings, we’d often watch TV together, sipping cardamom-infused Earl Grey tea, nibbling on roasted sugar-coated chickpeas, dried mulberries, nuts, and sometimes gleaming black fresh Mazafati dates.

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Those dates, sometimes also called ‘the Black Diamond of Dates’ are the main ingredient in my recipe for Date Energy Bites. They are so good, I can never stop at just one. And while they can (theoretically) be stored in the fridge for up to two weeks, they never make it that long in my house.

If you want to try them, the recipe’s on the blog.

Date Energy Bites

Or, if you’d rather try something savoury, my recipe for an easy roasted vegetable traybake just made its way onto the blog yesterday.

Easy Roasted Vegetable Traybake

But don’t feel like you have to choose. You can totally make both–if spoons allow.

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Daan👨‍🍳
Your friendly spoonie chef

I keep this space free and accessible for everyone. If you’d like to support my writing, you can leave a tip in my Tip Jar. Totally optional, but deeply appreciated.

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Remember my Bread Machine Banana Bread recipe from last summer?

Guess what? I revisited that recipe, gave it several more rounds of testing, and now I have a new and improved recipe. (And new, better photos.)

And this time you get to choose: use the bread machine, or bake it in the oven.

No matter which method you use, you’ll have lovely, sweet, gluten-free banana bread that’s neither too moist nor too crumbly. Who doesn’t want that?

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I could eat it for breakfast, lunch, late-night snack… And in fact, I do. All of these and more.

But the best thing about my banana bread is how easy and Spoonie-friendly the recipe is.

Bananas Going Brown? Perfect!

Here’s what makes this banana bread recipe better than others:

• It uses simply ingredients you probably already have (including those bananas that have seen better days)

• Takes very little effort to make

• Can be made in the oven or bread machine

• No gluten, no rice

And did I mention it’s also 100% vegan?

It’s that, too.

Everyone wins!

Bread Machine Tip

Not all bread machines are created equal. Some will take longer to fully bake the loaf, others might not mix the batter completely.

With these easy fixes, however, neither of these need to be a problem.

• When the machine beeps that it’s done, insert a skewer to check for doneness. If it doesn’t come out clean (a few dry crumbs is fine), just give it 10 more minutes using the bake function.

  • Check again and repeat as often as needed. Usually once is enough.

• Banana bread comes out with a few patches of unmixed flour at the sides (usually the corners). This is mostly a cosmetic issue. Just brush it off.

  • Next time, try to give the batter a good stir somewhere before the baking cycle starts. That should solve the problem. (But don’t worry if you lack the energy to do this. Like I said, it’s just cosmetic.)

Hungry already?

You’ll find the full step-by-step recipe (including a free printable recipe card) on my blog.

Gluten-Free Vegan Banana Bread

You’ll get exact measurements, instructions for both the oven-method and the bread machine, and even more tips to ensure your success.

And if you make it, could you do me a big favour and rate the recipe? That would really help me.

Before you go

Ever wondered what happened to my plans for creating a wheelchair-accessible home library? I posted an update just before the weekend. If you haven’t seen it yet, why not give it a read while you’re enjoying that homemade banana bread?

👉 Read the wheelchair accessible DIY project update.

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From my kitchen to yours,
Daan👨‍🍳
Your friendly spoonie chef

I keep this space free and accessible for everyone. If you’d like to support my writing, you can leave a tip in my Tip Jar. Totally optional, but deeply appreciated.

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When I started this Substack back in June last year, I never expected it to become more than just a little hobby. But as the number of my subscribers grew to over a thousand within mere months, I knew Gourmet Spoonie was much more than that.

It was fulfilling a need.

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So I registered my domain and built my own website, so I could reach even more Spoonies and serve you even better.

Consequences

But… there are consequences: I now have recipes scattered across my Substack and my own website—and that’s not ideal.

So I decided to revisit my Substack recipes, do some additional testing, and bring them over to my own blog. Complete with more tips and information, new and better photos, and a free printable recipe card.

This week I revisited two recipes: my Spoonie Muesli, and my Vegan Potato Salad. These are two of my personal favourites, as they are so quick, easy, and nutritious. And did I mention budget-friendly? Because they’re very easy on your bank account, too.

Here’s what I did

• Complete rewrites

• New photos that burst with flavour

• Test, test, and test again

And last but not least, I also created some mouth-watering pins you can save directly to your own Pinterest board, so you’ll always be able to find your favourite recipes easily.

If you’ve seen these recipes before, here’s the updated versions of them:

Easy Gluten-Free Muesli

Easy Vegan Potato Salad

For those of you who haven’t seen these recipes before, they’re both very low-fuss and big taste. (I even took the potato salad to my family’s Easter brunch last weekend, and everyone—even the pickiest eaters—wanted seconds!)

Over the next couple of months I’ll be bringing my older Substack recipes into the blog, so they’ll all sit together in one place, complete with a free printable recipe card. And yummy photos, of course.

But there’s more!

Alongside my one weekly Substack post, I aim to publish two blog posts every week. There will be the recipes (at least one per week), but also other reads: kitchen tips and tales, Spoonie home design, and Spoonie lifestyle.

All to make Gourmet Spoonie even better for you. One place where you can turn to for answers to all these practical things that complicate our lives. A place for joy and fulfilment.

Because that’s what Gourmet Spoonie stands for: nurturing both the Spoonie body and the Spoonie soul.

If you’re as excited about this new chapter for Gourmet Spoonie as I am, then hop over to the blog to check out the updated recipes, save your favourites, and see what else is coming soon—everything in one spot for easy Spoonie-friendly cooking and living.

Gourmet Spoonie - The Blog

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Your friendly spoonie chef

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‘What’s for supper?’

It’s a daily (and often unwelcome) refrain. Out of spoons, too foggy to brain, and hurting like nobody’s business, the last thing you want to be thinking of is supper.

But we still have to eat.

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That’s why I love soup. Easy to make (especially in the slow cooker or Instant Pot), tasty, and yes, it can totally be a full meal. In fact, I think the best soups are those that double as a meal.

My carrot-ginger soup is one of these. While the recipe is for the Instant Pot, I’ve also included instructions on how to make it on the hob or in the slow cooker, so you won’t have to miss out if you don’t have an Instant Pot.

Sweet and bright orange from the carrots, and with a spicy kick from the fresh ginger (but you can absolutely use pre-chopped or even ginger powder; just make sure you use a generous amount) it’s one of my favourite soups on cold days. And on warmer days, too, BTW.

Also, this would be a perfect soup to brighten up your Easter lunch or dinner.

But you know what’s the best thing about this soup?

It freezes like a dream. So make a double batch and store half of it in the freezer for later. Future-you will thank you for it.

As always, you’ll find the free printable recipe card on the blog, so if you want to try it, you know what to do. 😉

Easy Carrot Ginger Soup

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The Easy Lentil Soup I Make on Zero-Energy Days

This comforting vegan lentil soup has saved many low-energy dinners in my kitchen.

Some recipes become part of your life. Quietly and without fanfare. You make them once, then again, and before you know it they’ve been showing up in your kitchen for decades.

This easy lentil soup is one of those recipes for me.

If you want the printable recipe card, you can find the full recipe here:

Easy Lentil Soup

I’ve been making this soup for roughly 30 years, and it’s still one of my favourite low-effort meals. It uses simple pantry staples, cooks in a single pot, and turns into a warm, satisfying, and incredibly comforting soup in about half an hour—with minimal effort.

On days when energy is low and cooking feels like too much, this is the kind of recipe that saves dinner.

Why I Love This Easy Red Lentil Soup

The best part about this red lentil soup is how little effort it takes. Red lentils cook fast and break down easily, creating a thick, creamy texture without any extra work or fancy ingredients.

All you need are a few ingredients you probably already have on hand:

• red lentils
• onion and garlic
• tomato puree
• cumin and coriander
• vegetable bouillon

Simmer everything together and you get a a hearty, cheap, and super tasty vegan lentil soup.

A True Spoonie Comfort Soup

On zero-spoon evenings where cooking feels like one task too many, this recipe is a lifesaver. It’s forgiving, flexible, and easy to adapt.

You can:

• make it on the hob in about 30 minutes

• cook it in the slow cooker

• or throw everything in the Instant Pot

It also freezes really well, so one batch can easily provide several future low-energy meals.

Get the Printable Recipe

I’ve shared the full recipe on the blog, including variations, serving ideas, storage tips, and a free printable recipe card so you can keep it handy in the kitchen.

👉 Easy Lentil Soup: The Ultimate Spoonie Comfort Soup

Quick question before you go (just out of curiosity): how do you usually make lentil soup?

If you’ve been looking for a simple, nourishing meal made from pantry staples, this easy lentil soup might just become one of your go-to recipes too.

👉 Read the full recipe here: Easy Lentil Soup – The Ultimate Spoonie Comfort Soup

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Your friendly spoonie chef

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Those days when even the thought of cooking feels overwhelming… I’ve had rather too many of them lately—and if you’re reading this, chances are you know exactly what I’m talking about.

It’s not even that the recipes are complicated (because even the simplest recipe can already trigger an anxiety-attack), but rather that there’s too many decisions to be made.

• What should I cook?

• Do I have the ingredients?

• Do I have the energy?

• Will my brain even allow me to follow a recipe?

The problem is not the cooking itself. It’s all the braining involved. How can you be expected to think through an entire recipe when your brain is already running on empty?

Those are the days when I have three choices left:

1. Order take-away

2. Go to sleep on an empty stomach

3. Rely on a simple cooking framework

Since I don’t have a fat bank account, and skipping meals is a horrible idea (esp. when you’re already thin) I very much prefer the third option.

Because no such framework existed, I developed my own—and today, I’m sharing it with you, so you won’t have to figure it out on your own.

Read the Full Spoonie Meal Hack

The idea is stupid simple. You start with a flavour base (usually onion and garlic), add whatever vegetables happen to be in your fridge, include some legumes for protein, season liberally, and finish with something bright and tangy like lemon juice or vinegar.

Because the structure stays the same every time, you never have to overthink it. You simply build the meal step by step using whatever ingredients you already have on hand.

Some nights the result is surprisingly delicious. Other nights it’s simply warm, honest food that fills your stomach and keeps you going. On hard days, that’s enough.

You’ll find the full guide explaining the method, including a printable ‘recipe’ card, flavour variations and a few spoonie-friendly kitchen tricks that make cooking easier when you’re surviving on borrowed spoons.

Read the full article here:
👉 The Spoonie Meal Hack That Works (Almost) Every Time

This isn’t a recipe.

It’s more than that. It’s a safety net for the days when cooking feels like having to climb a mountain.

Barefoot.

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Your friendly spoonie chef

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Real Dutch boerenkoolstamppot

Enter Dutch Kale Mash—or, as we known it here in the Netherlands, boerenkoolstamppot.

Dutch cooking is uncomplicated, and while that can get boring at times, it’s also its greatest asset. This dish needs only handful of ingredients that thrive in a cold climate: potatoes, curly kale, and a smoked sausage. No fuss, no unnecessary extras, though a generous spoonful of gravy makes it chef’s kiss.

What I love most about Dutch Kale Mash is how easy and nourishing it is. Potatoes bring comfort and energy, kale adds flavour and makes it more filling, and the whole thing just turns out fantastic. It’s traditional winter cooking at its best: practical, filling, and designed to keep you going when the weather is doing its worst.

From pork-based to vegan

It’s also incredibly adaptable. While the classic version (the one my mum and grandmothers used to make) is served with rookworst (a pork-based sausage), I love its vegan alternative. Tastes almost the same, but without the drawbacks of meat. But in a pinch even lentils or beans are great with the mash.

This is one of these meals that don’t eat up all my energy, or mess with my sore joints. It’s just one pot, minimal prep, and leftovers that reheat like a dream. Cook once, eat twice. It’s a win-win!

Get the full recipe

If all this talk of food makes you hungry, I’ve shared the full Dutch Kale Mash recipe—including a free printable recipe card—over on the Gourmet Spoonie blog.

Get the recipe

If you want more recipes like this one—tasty, filling, and realistic for low-spoon days—then don’t hesitate and hit that subscribe button.

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Your friendly spoonie chef

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Because all your spoons are gone and you just can’t face the thought of standing at the hob, stirring, or basically just doing anything at all. Those are the days when all I want is a bowl of soft, creamy, polenta—the ultimate comfort food.

My earliest comfort food

When I was little, my parents were poor. Properly poor. The kind where my mum would quietly skip meals so my sister and I could eat. Our dinners were often brown beans with a sliver of bacon, maybe a spoonful of mayonnaise if we were lucky. No extras.

Our Italian neighbours knew. And instead of making a fuss about it, they helped the way kind people do—by pretending they’d cooked too much.

‘Would you like some spaghetti?’
‘Come eat with us tonight.’

That’s how I was introduced to polenta—soft, filling, and comforting. Nothing ever tasted better than a simple bowl of warm polenta, topped with grated Parmesan.

I no longer make polenta the ‘proper’ way

If you’ve ever made traditional polenta on the hob, you know why it’s absolute torture for a spoonie: the constant stirring, aching arms, standing over a hot pot while your feet burn hotter than hell.

Been there, done that. My arm still hates me for it.

These days, I make polenta in the slow cooker. I dump everything in, walk away, and come back to a pot of creamy comfort. No babysitting. No burning feet. No aching arms or dislocated shoulders.

Why this version works

This polenta turns out soft, creamy, and soothing—without the effort. It’s naturally gluten-free, gentle on the stomach, and endlessly adaptable. You can keep it savoury, make it sweet, eat it for dinner, or reheat it for breakfast the next day.

Are you hungry already? You’ll find the full recipe on my blog, including exact measurements, variations, storage tips, and allergy info.

And if you want more recipes like this one—gentle, nourishing, and realistic for low-energy days—then don’t hesitate and hit that subscribe button.

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Daan👨‍🍳
Your friendly spoonie chef

I keep this space free and accessible for everyone. If you’d like to support my writing, you can leave a tip in my Tip Jar. Totally optional, but deeply appreciated.

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Christmas is only a week away!

As I’m writing this, the joyful sounds of Christmas with Pavarotti fill my living room—and while that is a little bit distracting (especially because I’m a classical tenor myself, and I can’t write and sing at the same time)—I’m enjoying it to the fullest.

Are you already feeling festive?

Or could you do with some help getting into the mood? No matter what, I’m here to help you set the stage—and the word is Glühwein! Or in plain English: mulled wine.

This week I’ve got a recipe for mulled white wine for you.

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‘Why white? Isn’t all mulled wine red,’ you might wonder. And it’s true: most mulled wine is, indeed, red. I won’t go into the reason, but if you’re interested, Eat and Geek explains it far better than I ever could.

That said, white wine has become quite popular over the last years, especially in Europe. So I thought I’d give you all a taste of Europe, with an easy ‘dump and simmer’ slow cooker recipe for mulled white wine.

You’ll find the free printable recipe card, including spoonie notes and an alcohol-free adaptation, on my blog.

Before you go…

What’s your favourite holiday drink? Let me know in the comments!

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From my kitchen to yours,
Daan👨‍🍳
Your friendly spoonie chef

I keep this space free and accessible for everyone. If you’d like to support my writing, you can leave a tip in my Tip Jar. Totally optional, but deeply appreciated.

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Does the idea of cooking a big, festive meal this Christmas overwhelm you?

Don’t worry. I might just have the perfect spoonie-friendly solution for you. A total gamechanger, One that won’t gobble up all your spoons or tear through your budget like a money-devouring monster.

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Colourful, flexible, Spoonie-friendly, and low-effort.

I put together a lovely Christmas grazing board that could easily serve as your main festive spread, or a stunning snack table for friends and family. There’s dips, veggies, cheese cubes (or plant-based alternatives), falafel, and all these other little bites that make your board feel generous and luxurious.

This is the kind of relaxed, joyful approach to holiday hosting I feel everyone should know about.

The best part?

There’s no need to spend hours prepping, working yourself into a flare. You don’t need any special skills, and no fancy gadgets either. A beautiful serving board (any large, flat surface will do) and a bit of creativity. Those are the main requirements.

Oh, and food, of course, but go ahead and just order all your favourite snack food online—no use wasting your last spoons on battling crowded shops when you can have all your groceries delivered right into your kitchen.

Building a fabulous Christmas grazing board

I’m sharing my exact method for building a board that looks amazing but still respects your energy. I’m giving you a step-by-step guide that will help you make everything come together perfectly, even with limited energy.

How to make a killer, stress-free grazing board that looks amazing, with tips on layout and portions… It’s all waiting for you on my blog. The exact seven-step process I used to build my board, including a handy infographic with a portion guide.

My example board is gluten-free and vegetarian, but I’ve also included ideas for vegan options. And if you want to include meats, nobody will stop you from doing so. The guide is plenty flexible, so you can easily adapt it to your specific needs.

Are you ready to make your Christmas hosting easier (and more colourful)?

Read the full guide on my blog.

Gorgeous Christmas Grazing Board

Before you go…

Will you be making a Christmas Grazing Board this year? Or will you rather try out my Spoonie-friendly 4-course Festive Dinner? I’d love to know!

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From my kitchen to yours,
Daan👨‍🍳
Your friendly spoonie chef

I keep this space free and accessible for everyone. If you’d like to support my writing, you can leave a tip in my Tip Jar. Totally optional, but deeply appreciated.

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This week, I have not one, not two, but no fewer than three (yes 3, THREE) new recipes for you! All Spoonie approved, of course.

Because Christmas is only a few short weeks away, and we all deserve to celebrate in style. Even if we’re low on spoons.

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The first recipe is a clear vegetable soup that requires just 5 minutes of prep—and several hours slowly simmering away in the slow cooker while you rest.

You’ll find the full printable recipe card on my blog.

Printable recipe card: vegetable soup

Next up, my classic hummus recipe. An old post, actually, (imported from my old and forgotten free WordPress blog) completely revised, with new photos, better instructions and a free printable recipe card, of course.

Printable recipe card: classic hummus

Then there’s this incredibly good ABC pudding. Not just any ABC pudding, mind you, but a fully grown-up version, for the best festive dessert you can imagine. I’m calling it Dark Velvet Bliss. (I’ve also included non-alcoholic variations for those of you who can’t or don’t want to have alcohol.)

Read the full post and get the free printable recipe card on my blog.

Printable recipe card: dark velvet bliss

But wait! There’s still more…

In my latest blog post I share with you how you can wow your guests with an elegant four-course Christmas dinner that looks and tastes like you spent hours in the kitchen, when in reality you hardly lifted a finger!

If that sounds like the kind of festive dinner you’d enjoy, go have a read and find out what else I have in store for you.

Easy 4-Course Christmas Dinner

Before you go…

What will you be cooking this Christmas? Let me know in the comments. And if you found this useful, please share it with others.

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If you enjoyed this piece, a ❤️ below really helps others find it.

From my kitchen to yours,
Daan👨‍🍳
Your friendly spoonie chef

I keep this space free and accessible for everyone. If you’d like to support my writing, you can leave a tip in my Tip Jar. Totally optional, but deeply appreciated.

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Every autumn, as soon as the first cooking pears appear, I make my favourite Dutch cold weather treat: stoofperen. These pears, cooked for several hours in spiced wine, turn the deepest festive red and are super easy to make. They’re melty-soft, warm and comforting, and ideal for low-energy days. Exactly the kind of cooking I love.

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Stoofperen are usually made with the old Dutch cultivar Gieser Wildeman, but you don’t need them to enjoy this dish. Any firm pear works, and a slow cooker does most of the work. It’s one of those recipes that fills the house with the most tantalising smells, while you enjoy a good book and nice cuppa. That’s what I call spoonie-friendly cooking.

If you’d like the full printable recipe card, ingredient ideas, variations, step-by-step notes, and all the spoonie-friendly tips, the complete post is now live on Gourmet Spoonie.

I’ve even shared a small anecdote about the time I managed to destroy an entire pan of pears back in the early nineties—proof that slow cookers save more than just energy.

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It’s a beautiful winter dish: naturally gluten free, plant based, and perfect for the holidays. If you’ve never tried it, this is the season.

Read the full Dutch Stoofperen post and get the free printable recipe card on my blog.

Free Printable Recipe Card

Before You Go…

If you make stoofperen too, or have a family version of your own, I’d love to hear how you prepare them. Do you use wine, juice, or something else entirely?

Hit reply or leave a comment and let me know.

Leave a comment

Thank you for being here.

If you enjoyed this piece, a ❤️ below really helps others find it.

From my kitchen to yours,
Daan👨‍🍳
Your friendly spoonie chef

I keep this space free and accessible for everyone. If you’d like to support my writing, you can leave a tip in my Tip Jar. Totally optional, but deeply appreciated.

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Originally published on Gourmet Spoonie. Adapted for Substack readers.

It all started with a kitchen full of pumpkins. They’d been sitting there for weeks, staring at me from the worktop, after an almost too-good-to-be-true deal at the shop: just €0.99 each.

I told myself I’d only buy one—and came home with four.

They sat in my kitchen for a while, these pumpkins. Round-bellied reminders that I just might have been a tad bit too optimistic about my energy levels. Again.

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Thankfully, pumpkins are sturdy. They don’t go off fast in a cool autumn kitchen. But nothing lasts forever. Not even pumpkins. But as someone who’d never even seen a pumpkin before adulthood… it took a while for me to find a purpose for these beauties.

Then I remembered Bryna’s recipe request. She was looking for something veggie-forward, hearty, and spoonie-friendly, but without all the chopping, stirring, and juggling pots on the stove.

That was my lightbulb moment.

Pumpkin. Lentils. Slow cooker. Comfort.

Comfort in a Bowl

The result was this silky, mildly spicy soup that warms more than just your belly. There’s roasted pumpkin (half Hokkaido, half butternut), red lentils for substance, and a touch of apple for brightness.

I used a tart Dutch Belle de Boskoop, which balances out the sweetness of the pumpkin. (But you can use any tart apple.) A bit of ginger and tikka masala spices brings it alive, and then the slow cooker does all the hard work.

It’s one of those soups that tastes as though you’ve worked your arse off, when you really just did 10-15 minutes of prep work and then let the slow cooker work its magic.

Perfect for those days when you’re almost out of spoons, but still crave something nourishing and homemade. I love to make it in the early afternoon, then go about my own thing—book, cats, music—while the scent of autumn fills the house.

You’ll find the full printable recipe card over on my blog, along with tips for making it even easier, spoonie-notes, and a few variations (including SIBO/low-FODMAP and diabetes-friendly versions).

There’s also a rustic version with chunky root veg, a Hungarian-style one with smoky sausages and dill, and an Italian-inspired take with white beans, chard, and herbs. Each one has its own personality, but they all start from the same soothing base.

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If you’d like something to serve alongside, my Lentil Bread or Yellow Split Pea Muffins make perfect companions: soft, hearty, and sturdy enough for dunking. You can find both of those recipes here on Substack, ready to mix and bake whenever you’ve got a few spoonfuls of energy to spare. (But store-bought gluten-free flatbread or breadsticks work equally well.)

So, if you’ve got a pumpkin sitting on your worktop, this might be its moment. Grab the recipe card from my blog and let the slow cooker do the work. Then pour yourself a nice cuppa, rest, play with your pets or children, and enjoy the quiet satisfaction of simple homemade comfort food.

Free Printable Recipe Card

Before You Go…

What’s your favourite pumpkin recipe?

Hit reply or leave a comment. I’d love to hear what’s cooking in your kitchen this season.

Leave a comment

Thank you for being here.

If you enjoyed this piece, a ❤️ below really helps others find it.

From my kitchen to yours,
Daan👨‍🍳
Your friendly spoonie chef

I keep this space free and accessible for everyone. If you’d like to support my writing, you can leave a tip in my Tip Jar. Totally optional, but deeply appreciated.

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Originally published on Gourmet Spoonie. Adapted for Substack readers.

Pumpkin or hummus—which would you choose?

That’s what I asked you about a week ago. Some voted pumpkin. Others hummus. And a few clever cookies said, ‘Why not both?’

And just like that, this Savoury Pumpkin Hummus was born.

It’s rich, creamy, garlicky, and gently spiced. This dip is so good, you’ll wonder why you haven’t been making it your whole life!

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This isn’t your average sweet ‘pumpkin spice’ affair. Nope. It’s super savoury. Made with roasted butternut squash (my favourite), chickpeas, a touch of tahini, olive oil, and lime juice—all tied together with the warm cumin, coriander, and paprika trio.

It’s autumn in a bowl: colourful, comforting, and decadent.

Why I Love This Recipe

Aside from being delicious, this one’s wonderfully low-effort. Perfect for those low-spoon days.

Use canned chickpeas and pre-cut pumpkin if you need to. Or skip the roasting entirely and microwave the pumpkin instead. It’ll still come out creamy and full of flavour. Heck, you can even use tinned pumpkin puree, if you can find it.

Top with chopped seeds, nuts, or a drizzle of sweet chilli sauce, and you’ve got the kind of dip that makes you not want to share a single spoonful.

Try It With:

• Gluten-free crackers or flatbread

• Roasted veggies

• A tilapia fillet with lemon and dill

• Or just a spoon. (No judgement.) 🥄

You’ll find the full printable recipe card, ingredient notes, and Spoonie tips over on my blog.

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Before You Go…

What’s your favourite autumn comfort food?

Hit reply or leave a comment. I’d love to hear what’s cooking in your kitchen this season.

Leave a comment

Thank you for being here.

If you enjoyed this piece, a ❤️ below really helps others find it.

From my kitchen to yours,
Daan👨‍🍳
Your friendly spoonie chef

I keep this space free and accessible for everyone. If you’d like to support my writing, you can leave a tip in my Tip Jar. Totally optional, but deeply appreciated.

Leave a Tip

PS: You can also find me on Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook if you’d like more Spoonie kitchen content between posts.

Subscribe now

Originally published on Gourmet Spoonie. Adapted for Substack readers.