White bean and Vegetable Soup
There is nothing like a hot bowl of soup to make you feel nourished and this White Bean and Vegetable Soup ticks a lot of boxes when it comes to giving you a hug in a bowl. With a good shot of garlic, it provides […]
Tag: vegan
Allergy Friendly Flapjacks
It’s always so helpful to have a quick and easy recipe up your sleeve which uses store cupboard ingredients and tastes delicious too. Even better if it’s accessible to as many people as possible. These healthy flapjacks are great for those who might not […]
Cauliflower, Spinach and Lentil Curry
Curries are my go-to when I have random veggies to use up, lots of friends to visit or need to meal-prep some lunches in the freezer. I know a lot of people are scared of making their own curies from scratch and the list of ingredients can look daunting, but once you have bought a few basic spices you are good to go. It’s such a cheap and easy way of making flavourful food and best of all it tastes better the next day!
I’m not the world’s biggest cauliflower fan so this is a great way of making it tasty. The lentils add some oomph and also protein to keep you feeling fuller for longer and the spinach ups the iron content too. By making the spices and onions into a sauce the flavour is really concentrated into the veggies and it makes it more palatable for kids too.
Whether you serve it with rice or an Indian style bread, in a wrap or even on a baked sweet potato, it’s a fab way to get more veggies on your plate.
Cauliflower, Spinach and Lentil Curry
September 17, 2018
: 6
: 5 min
: 30 min
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp ghee or coconut oil
- 2 onions, chopped
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp chilli flakes
- 15 dried curry leaves
- 400g tin of chopped tomatoes in juice
- 250g uncooked red lentils
- 600g cauliflower, broken into florets
- 250g spinach
- Salt and pepper
Directions
- Step 1 Melt the oil and when hot add the onions. Soften with the lid on for around 5mins until cooked.
- Step 2 Add all the spices and fry off for a minute or so, if you need to add a tiny bit more fat to do this. Remove from the heat.
- Step 3 Pour in the chopped tomatoes and their juice then blend together until you get a sloppy paste. Return to the pan and fill the tomato tin with water to rinse and add this to the pan too so you have a sauce.
- Step 4 Add the lentils and cauliflower, cover and cook together on a medium heat for 20mins.
- Step 5 Add the rinsed spinach and stir through the lentils and cauliflower. Cover again and cook for 5-10mins until all everything is soft.
- Step 6 Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.
Apple and Cinnamon Energy Balls
If you love apple pie then these Apple and Cinnamon Energy Balls are for you. They take minutes to prepare and are perfect to keep in the fridge or wrap up and pop in your gym bag. These bite size wonders are a nutrition powerhouse […]
Healthy homemade ice pops
Homemade ice pops were pretty much the only way you were going to get an ice pop when I was a kid. There was a choc-ice and maybe a Mini Milk if you were lucky. But certainly not the crazy array on offer at supermarkets […]
Easy Healthy Korma Sauce (gluten, dairy and sugar free)
Korma is one of the favourite curry choices on takeaways across the UK. But it’s also one of the most calorific, commonly packed with cream. And some of the jar versions also pack a rather hefty sugar punch too. But this Easy Healthy Korma Sauce can be whipped up in the time it takes to get a curry delivered and used with whatever you like – vegetables, paneer, fish, prawns, meat, fake meat, tofu…the list goes on. Or you could use it to dip your chips in like a true Brit!
This version of korma sauce is heathier than the usual as it contains no added sugar, minimal fat, one portion of vegetables and can be made completely gluten free. If you look at many ready-made sauces they are bulked out or use thickening agents which can contain gluten. This one can be made with both regular plain flour but also coconut flour which is gluten free. Similarly the extra creaminess can be added with regular or low fat Greek yoghurt or unflavoured coconut yoghurt making it vegan too. Perfect if you have any allergies or dietary restrictions in your house or for visitors.
Easy Healthy Korma Sauce
June 26, 2018
: 4
: 5 min
: 20 min
: easy
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon ghee/vegetable oil/coconut oil
- 450g roughly chopped onions
- 20g root ginger, peeled and grated
- 5 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon plain flour or coconut flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 6 soft dates, roughly chopped
- ½ litre water
- 3 heaped tablespoons of Greek yoghurt, any fat content, or coconut yoghurt
Directions
- Step 1 Place the ghee or oil of your choice into a medium saucepan with the onions and cook on a medium heat with the lid on for around 10mins until all the onions are soft but not brown. If they start to catch a little then add a splash of water.
- Step 2 When the onions are soft add the ginger, garlic, cumin, coriander, turmeric, cinnamon and flour to the onions and stir well. Cook for another 5mins with the lid off on a low heat.
- Step 3 Add the salt, dates and water and cook for 10mins on a low simmer with the lid off. At the end add the the yoghurt of your choice and cook for another minute.
- Step 4 Cool and blitz in a blender.
- Step 5 To use the sauce simply cook whatever you want in your korma and add the sauce 5 to 10mins before the end and cook together on a medium heat.
Pea and Broad Bean Risotto
I was lucky enough to pick up a massive bag of broad beans when I was visiting my parents recently. As a kid they were my favourite vegetable and I loved shelling them as much as I did eating them. The velvety pods, trying to […]
White Bean Pate
I’m not entirely sure what children ate in the world before houmous. Was there even a world before houmous?!?! Is there a single way of spelling it we can all agree on?!? It’s certainly one of those foods which ends up on the table or […]
Chickpea and Squash Tagine
This is such a classic in our house. You could call this ‘sleepwalking cooking’ as I make it as I go along with no recipe really. But I have paid attention and written down how to make this Squash and Chickpea Tagine because it’s such a brilliant, versatile dish.
Pretty much everyone loves this meal and it’s perfect for big groups as it goes with so many other things on a buffet table like salads, breads, couscous or grain salads. You can have it vegan as it is or serve as a side with some halloumi, roasted fish or chicken. If there’s a little bit left over I even mash it up, wrap in filo and bake for a tasty little pie! Or simpler still you could blitz ‘not quite a portion’ and combine with stock for a tasty soup. Either way this is a brilliant must have dish.
It’s really easy to make a double amount of this tagine and freeze it for meal prep dinners or lunches too, so don’t hold back on the quantities. And it’s one of those dishes which is almost better made in advance.
Chickpea and Squash Tagine
May 16, 2018
: 15 min
: 45 min
: Easy
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons oil of your choice
- 2 red onions, in thin semi-circular slices
- 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped or minced
- 2 heaped teaspoons harissa paste
- 750g butternut squash or other tasty squash
- 700ml passata, rinse out the bottle with another 200ml of water
- 120g dried cranberries
- 2 tins of chickpeas, drained
Directions
- Step 1 Soften the onions in a large saucepan, lid on with the oil, this should take around 5mins. Add a splash of water if it’s looking dry and sticking.
- Step 2 Remove the lid and add the garlic and harissa paste. Fry for a minute or two with the onions, stirring so everything is well combined.
- Step 3 Add the squash, passata, water from the bottle and cranberries and stir well. Replace the lid and leave to cook on a medium heat for around 35mins, checking and stirring now and then.
- Step 4 Add the chickpeas and combine well. Allow to cook for another 10mins with the lid off, stirring occasionally. If the sauce does start to stick add a splash of water.
- Step 5 When all the vegetables are soft, but not breaking up, the tagine is ready!
Creamy Vegan Thai Carrot Soup
Personally, I don’t think there is very much which can go wrong in the kitchen which is a total disaster. Usually there is some kind of fix or adaptation which can be made to make the dish work in another way (or hide some bits […]