Parsnip is a root vegetable closely related to the carrot and grown as an annual. It has a sweet flavour, delicious in stews and soups, roasts well and I enjoy them cut into fries or chips and cooked in coconut oil. Parsnips are high in vitamins and minerals, especially potassium and also contain both soluble and insoluble dietary fibre. Choose firm parsnips with light coloured skin in season.

Cauliflower is one of the cruciferous vegetables that should be eaten on a regular basis, as it has huge health benefits. One cup of cooked cauliflower provides you with 73% of your DRI of vitamin C, it's also a good source of vitamin K. You will find several dozen studies linking cauliflower to cancer prevention.

I use this extensively throughout my recipes; from soups to dinners to desserts and cakes. I think it is the best dairy-free alternative. It gives so much flavour and creaminess to a wide variety of dishes. When purchasing in the can read your labels, even some organic brands contain gums and thickeners, choose full-fat not low-fat versions. I use Honest To Goodness organic cream 400ml and Ayam which isn't organic but has no additives or thickeners and is much creamier and thicker than other brands (that's why I love it), it comes in 400ml, 270ml and 140ml size cans.

The olive fruit of the olive tree is pressed and crushed to released the oil. Healthy fats like olive oil are essential for brain function and to transport vitamins and minerals throughout our bodies. This is a delicious oil to drizzled over salads and vegetables.

Black and white pepper both come from the fruit of a tropical vine. Black pepper is the cooked and dried unripe fruit, known as a peppercorn and white pepper is from the ripe fruit seed. Pepper is usually coupled with salt, sprinkled over or added to food.

Parsley would be the most widely used herb worldwide. The two main varieties of this herb are curly parsley with ruffled leaves and Italian parsley with flat leaves. In general flat-leaf parsley has a more robust flavour than the curly leave parsley. Its fresh green flavour and colour can be much more than just a garnish. Both kinds of parsley may be used in cooking. Fresh parsley contains useful amounts of vitamin C, calcium, iron and potassium. Parsley is also high in bioflavonoids and other anticancer compounds.