My kitchen is … a little tight. I dream of having a huge space where I can have all my gadgets out, ready to use, all the time. One wall is entirely cupboards. On the other, I have a big blackboard with notes and cards and messages, and a set of wooden shelves with jars of all my favourite ingredients: brown rice, quinoa, almonds, pecans, raw cacao powder …
My favourite piece of kit is … my Magimix food processor. Along with my juicer and blender, it’s the thing I use most. I love how it turns something really simple into something much more exciting – a roasted aubergine becomes baba ganoush, nuts and seeds and dried fruit become energy bites.
My diet comprises largely … wholefoods and plants – no meat, dairy, sugar, gluten or anything processed. Until about three years ago, I didn’t really cook. But then I was diagnosed with postural tachycardia syndrome and was put on lots of medication. Nothing really worked, so I decided to try getting better through nutrition.
My storecupboard staple is … olive oil. Mix it with lemon juice and it will instantly bring whatever you’re eating to life. I add it to absolutely everything – even carrot sticks get exciting when drizzled with olive oil and lemon juice, plus a scattering of chilli flakes and black pepper.
When I’m starving I … head straight for homemade hummus with carrot sticks, then I throw together a quick meal. I always make a big batch of brown rice at the weekend so I’ll put that in a saucepan with a tin of cannellini beans, some tomato puree, a mix of herbs and spices (I love cumin and chilli flakes), some fresh spinach and lots of lemon juice. I let it cook through for 5-10 minutes. If I have avocado in the house, I’ll slice that over the top of the rice and bean mix. So simple, but so delicious.
Everything tastes better with … avocado. I eat it as many times a day and in as many ways as I can – in smoothies, sweet things, on top of stews or curries or rice, as a snack ...
My best-kept kitchen secret is … don’t be afraid to experiment and get creative. It’s great to adapt recipes to make them work better for you, or to even come up with your own – it makes cooking so much more fun.
I’m currently obsessed with … dates stuffed with almond butter. Remove the stone and put the almond butter in its place. Best snack ever.
deliciouslyella.com; Deliciously Ella by Ella Woodward (Yellow Kite) is available for £16 (RRP £20) at bookshop.theguardian.com
