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AUBERGINE AND LENTIL “MEATBALL” PASTA WITH TOMATO SAUCE

by October 19, 2020

I made these “Meatballs” for dinner and they were very tasty.  Vegan, Dairy and Gluten Free and using cupboard ingredients so they are very quick and easy to make.  I used the “Meatball” recipe from the Speedy Bosh cookbook.  The Tomato Sauce I had in the freezer, as I had made it from my tomatoes from my polytunnel  (See my post for Roast Tomato Sauce) and I used Brown Rice Pasta which I really like.  I love the two Bosh cookbooks I have, the recipes are easy enough to do for weeknight dinners, are very tasty!!!

  • 4 Sundried Tomatoes plus 2 Tablespoons of oil from the jar
  • 1 x 250g pouch of pre cooked Puy Lentils
  • 75g gluten free Breadcrumbs
  • 50g Pine Nuts
  • 10g fresh Mint Leaves
  • 10g fresh Parsley
  • 4 Tablespoons of Baba Ganoush * (store bought or you can make your own)
  • Sea Salt and Ground Black Pepper
  • 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil for cooking

 

 

* I used this brand of Aubergine Meze and it is really tasty!!  It is also delicious just to use as a dip or to spread on some Oat Cakes with the leftover Sundried Tomatoes and some Basil.  A quick and tasty lunch or snack.

 

 

 

 

Preheat oven to 200 degrees.

Put your saucepan of water on to cook your Pasta.

Put all the ingredients (except for the Olive Oil for cooking) into a food processor.

Blitz to a course paste.

Taste and make sure the seasoning is how you like it.

 

Using your hands, make the mixture into small balls.

Cover each ball with Olive Oil.

 

 

 

Place them on a lined baking tray, and bake in the oven for 14 minutes – after 7 minutes turn them over.

 

Whilst they are cooking you can cook your Pasta and reheat your Tomato Sauce.

Combine your Pasta with the “Meatballs” and the Tomato Sauce and serve sprinkled with Basil.

 

 

 

 

 

ALMOND AND BERRY GLUTEN FREE MUFFINS

by October 6, 2020

These tasty Muffins are perfect for a morning tea/coffee snack or even for breakfast if you are in a rush.  They are Vegan, so Dairy Free and are also Gluten Free, just remember to use Gluten Free Oats and Baking Powder!!

  • 2 tablespoons ground Chia Seeds (you can also use ground Flax Seeds)
  • 6 tablespoons of warm water (this is to make your Chia Seed Egg)
  • 180 g Oats
  • 110 g Ground Almonds
  • 40 g Desiccated Coconut
  • 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
  • 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
  • 120 g Coconut Oil
  • 120 g Maple Syrup
  • 2 teaspoons Vanilla Essence
  • 1 punnet of fresh Berries – I used Raspberries, but Blueberries or Blackberries would also be lovely
  • 20 g Flaked Almonds

 

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees

Make your Chia Seed Egg – mix the ground Chia Seeds and the water in a bowl and stir – leave to sit whist you get your other ingredients ready.

Place your Muffin Cases into your Muffin Tray ready for the oven.

Mix all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl – Oats, Ground Almonds, Desiccated Coconut, Baking Powder and Baking Soda.

Melt the coconut oil carefully and add to it the Maple Syrup, Vanilla Essence, stirring it into the Dry Ingredients together with the Chia Seed Egg, until it is all mixed together really well.

Add the Berries and the Flaked Almonds, folding carefully through the mixture so you don’t break up the berries too much.

Dollop the mixture into your prepared Muffin Tray.  Ensure you have the same amount in each Muffin Case.

 

Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes, checking they are cooked in the middle.  If not leave another couple of minutes and check again.  (This might depend on your oven!)

Leave to cool and enjoy them with a cuppa !!!!

 

A DELICIOUS BOWL OF NOODLES , TOFU AND VEGETABLES

by October 6, 2020

These Noodles are Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Vegan, easy and delicious.

This recipe I got from the Bosh Healthy Vegan cookbook, but again changed it slightly for our taste.

Here is how I made it.

  • 280 g Firm Tofu – press using a Tofu press or  place it between a clean tea towel and put a weight on top
  • 10 cm piece of Ginger – peeled and cut into fine matchsticks
  • 4 Garlic cloves –  thinly sliced
  • 2 fresh Green Chillies – seeds removed, halved lengthways and sliced thinly
  • 10 Spring Onions –  thinly sliced
  • 400 g Shitake Mushrooms – roughly chopped
  • 2 Red Peppers – thinly sliced
  • 2 Carrots – peeled and then using the peeler slice it into think ribbons
  • 1 packet Soba (gluten free) or Rice Noodles – cooked according to packet instructions
  • 2 tablespoons rapeseed oil
  • 2 teaspoons Sesame Oil
  • 1 teaspoon Maple Syrup
  • 2 tablespoons Hoisin Sauce
  • 4 teaspoons Tamari
  • 1 packet Bean Sprouts – rinsed
  • 2 teaspoons Sesame Seeds
  • Ground Black Pepper

Heat the rapeseed oil in a wok over a medium heat.

Add the Ginger, Garlic, Chilli and most of the Spring Onions and cook stirring for 1 minute.

Add the Sesame Oil and  Maple Syrup and stir again.

Crumble the pressed Tofu into the wok and let it sit so it browns slightly, then stir around for 2 to 3 minutes.

Add the Shitake Mushrooms, Red Pepper and Hoisin Sauce and stir for 2 to 3 minutes.

Add the Carrot to the wok and cook for 1 minute.

Add the drained Noodles and the Soy Sauce and toss to combine.

Cook for another 2 minutes.

Add the Beansprouts and toss again.

Taste and Season to your tastebuds.

 

Serve the Noodles and Vegetables, garnished with the remaining Spring Onions and the Sesame Seeds.

 

“LOTS OF VEG” TACOS

by October 6, 2020

We have been eating Vegan during the week for the last 3 weeks, and so I have been trying lots of different Vegan recipes.  Some very successful, some not so unfortunately.  Those I will not share !!!

However, this Vegetable Taco was delicious and I used the cookbook Bosh Healthy Vegan.  I find this cookbook really good, I have made quite a few things out of it and they are delicious and simple to do.  As always I have changed things slightly for our taste, so here is what I did to make these Tasty Tacos !!!!

These Tacos are also Dairy and Gluten Free !

Like most tasty Vegan cooking there is a lot of preparation and chopping.  For example, for this meal there is Roasted Peppers, Roasted Corn, Black Beans, Salsa, Avocado Cream and then the serving accompaniments.  However, all of the above is simple and it is worth it.   If you have any leftovers, they are equally delicious the next day!

 

  • 1 Red Onion – halved and sliced
  • 2 Red and 1 Orange Pepper – cut into thick slices
  • 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
  • Sea Salt and Ground Black Pepper to taste

 

  • 1 large tin Sweetcorn – drained
  • 1 teaspoon Smoked Paprika

 

  • 2 cloves of Garlic -crushed
  • 1 tin Black Beans – drained and rinsed
  • 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon Ground Cumin
  • Sea Salt and Ground Black Pepper

 

  • 300g Cherry Tomatoes – quartered
  • 1 Spring Onion – thinly sliced
  • 1 bunch Coriander
  • 1/2 teaspoon Chilli Powder
  • Juice of 1 Lime

 

  • 1 Avocado
  • Juice of 1 Lime

 

  • 1 Green Chilli – finely sliced
  • 2 Limes – cut into wedges
  • Corn Tortillas
  • 1 bunch Coriander

 

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.   Line two baking trays with baking paper.

Roast the Peppers – put the Peppers and Onion into a bowl with the Olive Oil and Salt and Pepper.  Toss to combine.  Put on the tray on the baking paper and put in the oven and bake for 25 minutes.  Toss around after 15 minutes.

 

 

Put the Corn Kernels into a bowl with the Smoked Paprika and stir to combine.  Place on the second baking tray with baking paper and cook for 20 minutes, stirring after 10 minutes.

 

 

 

While the Peppers and Corn are cooking make the Black Beans.  Mash the beans with a fork.  Heat the Olive Oil in a saucepan, add the Garlic and stir for 30 seconds.  Stir in the Cinnamon and Cumin.  Add the Black Beans and stir.  Add enough water to loosen them up to a texture you like.  Season with Sea Salt and Ground Black Pepper.

 

Now make the Salsa – Put the Chilli Powder and Lime Juice in a bowl and stir.  Place the Tomatoes, Spring Onion and Coriander Leaves into the Juice and stir around.

 

 

Avocado Cream – Scoop the Avocado flesh into a bowl and add the Lime Juice.  Mash with a fork till its is creamy.

 

Heat your Corn Tortillas according to packet instructions.

 

 

On each Corn Tortilla, place some Black Beans, Roasted Peppers, Roasted Corn, Salsa, Avocado Cream and then add to taste, some sliced Green Chilli, a squeeze of Lime Juice and some Fresh Coriander Leaves.

Enjoy !!!

 

 

 

MUSHROOM SOUP

by October 6, 2020

I love soup for lunch on cold days and I made this delicious Mushroom Soup using both fresh and dried Mushrooms.  It gave it a great depth of flavour.  Good for freezing in portions for when you need a hug in a bowl!!!

It is Gluten, Dairy, Wheat free and Vegan, so ticks lots of boxes.

 

  • 1 tub dried Oyster and Porcini Mushrooms (25g)
  • 500 mls hot water
  • 1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1 Onion – diced
  • 1 clove Garlic – crushed
  • 1 packet Chestnut Mushrooms – sliced
  • 1 packet Portobello Mushrooms – sliced
  • 1 litre vegetable stock
  • Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper to taste

 

Put the dried Mushrooms in a small bowl and cover with the hot water.  Leave to soak for 30 minutes.  Strain through a sieve into another bowl, keeping the liquid also.

Heat the Olive Oil in a large saucepan and add the Onion and Garlic.  Sweat for 10 minutes until nicely soft.

Add the sliced Mushrooms and stir around for a few minutes.  Add the drained dried Mushrooms and stir around again for a few minutes.

Add the stock and the reserved Mushroom liquid, being careful if there are any gritty bits in the bottom of this liquid that you don’t add them to the soup mixture.

Add some Ground Black Pepper.

Bring to the boil and then turn down and simmer for 25 minutes.

 

Blend the soup to a consistency you like, it can still have bits of Mushroom or can be quite smooth and puree like.

Taste and adjust for seasoning with Salt as required.  Vegetable stock cubes or powder can be quite salty, so I don’t add extra salt until I have tasted it first.

 

 

If you did not want it to be Vegan you could add a dollop of Yoghurt or Cream to the soup in your bowl.

Enjoy !!!

I had my soup for lunch with two Oat Biscuits covered in Basil Humous and sliced Cherry Tomatoes from the Garden.  YUM!

 

BUCKWHEAT PANCAKES

by October 5, 2020

These Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Wheat Free, Vegan Pancakes make a delicious breakfast with a drizzle of Maple Syrup and some mixed berries.  These are more of a crepe type pancake than an “American” style one.  The mixture keeps really well in the fridge and I used it three days in a row and it was perfect.  It does thicken up quite a bit in the fridge though, so you do have to add some more milk of choice to thin it out on the second and subsequent days.  If you did not want to do this, you could make thicker more “American” style pancakes for a change.

 

Buckwheat is gluten free so ideal for those who are unable to eat gluten.  It is a good source of Manganese, Copper, Magnesium and Dietary Fibre.  It is also an excellent source of the flavonoid  Quercetin.  Quercetin is an important anti oxidant, protecting your cells from the harmful effects of free radicals.

 

A bit of science !!!   Free radicals are molecules that contain unpaired electrons.  They are a natural by product of biochemical reactions in the body and are happening all the time.  Electrons like to be in pairs, so these single electrons travel through the body looking for other elections they can pair up with.  This pairing can then cause damage to the cells they pair up with.  Anti oxidants are molecules which combat free radicals and stop the reaction before damage to the bodies cells occur.

 

Eating whole foods and making sure you “eat the rainbow” of colored vegetables and fruits is an excellent way to ensure you are supplying your body with lots of anti oxidants!

 

  • 200 g Buckwheat flour
  • 500 mls Almond Milk  (I use the Innocent brand as I find it tastes good and does not have a lot of additives which some alternative milks do!). You will need extra if keeping batter for a few days.
  • 1/2 Banana
  • 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
  • 2 tablespoons Tahini (good source of Calcium)
  • 1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon

 

Blend all the above ingredients together in a blender (I use a nutribullet).

 

Heat up a non stick pan, and put a very small amount of olive oil on the pan.  I use a piece of paper towel to spread it around and wipe off any excess.

 

Pour in your pancake batter and move the pan around to spread it around nice and thinly.

 

Cook until bubbles appear and pop over the surface of the pancake.

 

Turn the pancake and cook the other side.

 

I serve these with mixed berries and a dash of Maple Syrup, but you could serve them with so many things, it is up to your imagination.

 

 

 

 

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