Classic Italian Basil Pesto Pasta

One of the things I love the most about summertime is the abundance of fresh herbs. They not only inject a huge amount of flavour to any dish but they are also super nutritious and rich in vitamins and antioxidants. 

Basil especially is one of my go to herbs and I love to use it in almost all of my summer cooking, think herby summer salads or fresh pasta sauces. It's just so delicious. 

My classic Italian basil pesto pasta is such a dish, the basil brings the whole dish alive and burst with flavour.

INGREDIENDS
serves 4

500g pasta
2 courgette 
225g peas
150g pine nuts
2 handfuls of basil leaves (50g)
4 tbsp olive oil
30g grated vegan parmesan cheese
salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. Place the pine nuts, basil leaves, olive oil and parmesan cheese in a food processor, whiz for about a minute until until all ingredients form a smooth and creamy pesto paste.

2. Cook the pasta in salty water, according to package instructions. 

3. In the meantime while the pasta is cooking, chop the courgette into thin slices and fry in pan with a little olive oil on both sides until they are perfectly cooked and golden brown.

4. Place the peas in a saucepan of cold water, cook them until the water boils and then drain.

5. Finally, once the pasta has finished cooking and has been drained, toss the pasta together with the pesto, peas and courgette

6. Season with salt and pepper and serve with freshly grated parmesan 

Greek Giant Butter Beans

This greek inspired recipe is a real goodie and makes for a perfect midweek plant-based dish that is jam-packed with protein and nutrients. It’s also beautifully fragrant, simple to make and utterly delicious! To make this dish super easy to prepare and quick to make I used canned butter beans instead of dried ones. This will safe you a lot of time cooking and you will have this delicious veggie dish in no time hot and ready on your table.

INGREDIENTS

400g canned or pre cooked giant butter beans 
1 red onion 
4 cloves of garlic
1 tsp tomato paste
1 can of chopped tomatoes
1 tsp dry oregano
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp vegetable powder or half a stock cube
extra virgin olive oil
salt & pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. Chop the onion into small cubes and fry with some olive oil in a medium size saucepan until soft and golden, chop garlic and add to the pan, cook for a minute together with the onions on a low heat.

2. Add the tomato paste and brown the paste for a couple of minutes, then add the chopped tomatoes and a little bit of water, season with oregano, chilli powder, vegetable powder, salt and pepper to taste.

3. Now add the cooked giant butter beans and simmer on a low heat for 15 minutes until all the juices and flavour of the tomato sauce is soaked up by the butter beans.

Serve with brown rice or on top of a thick slice of sourdough bread.

Enjoy

Almond And Peanut Butter Energy Balls

These tasty and chewy Almond and Peanut Butter Balls are the BEST energy booster! They are perfect to have as an after workout snack when you feel your energy is low or on busy days when you are on the go and want something quick and easy.

The chocolaty, sweet and and nutty flavour is everything you need in a snack. If you like peanut butter, then these are definitely for you! Plus they’re they are plant based, gluten free and are packed with protein, what else could ask for in a healthy snack? 

INGREDIENTS

150g almonds
250g pitted medjool dates
2 tbsp raw cacao powder
2 tbsp of peanut butter
1 tbsp chia seeds
1 tbsp coconut oil

DIRECTIONS

1. Place the almonds in the food processor and whiz until they are finely ground.

2. Add the rest of the ingredients to the food processor plus 1 tbsp of water and blend again until all the ingredients are mixed and well combined

3. Roll the mixture into small balls

4. Place the balls in the fridge and chill for 1 hour to harden, once the balls are cooled and harden up you can  store them in the fridge in an air tight storage container for up to 3-4 days

Enjoy 

Crunchy Asian Coleslaw With Peanut Butter And Lime Dressing

I am a big lover of eating raw foods in the hotter summer month, especially in salads. There are so many benefits and not only is eating raw and fresh foods providing your body with more vitamins and minerals than what you would get from cooked food but it also good for weight loss. This is because raw foods are usually low in calories, and plant-based foods are high in fiber, making you feel full for longer.

Raw foods are also considered very cleansing and have shown to improve better digestion and gut health, more natural energy, and better skin.

This lovely Asian coleslaw is a great way to get a great variety of raw vegetables in your diet. The creamy peanut dressing takes the salad to a whole different level. It’s creamy, delicious, just a little sweet, full of flavor and I promise you’ll want to eat it by the spoonful.

One of my favorite ways to serve this salad is as a side salad to a main dish or at a BBQ. The freshness from the vegetables and the creaminess of the peanut butter goes wonderfully together and spices up any simple dish or brings your BBQ alive with flavor.

INGREDIENTS

1/2 small cabbage
3-4 carrots
1 small spring green cabbage
1 red pepper
3 spring onions
a handful of fresh coriander
a handful of sesame seeds

For the dressing

3 tbsp of peanut butter
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 whole lime
1 tsp fish sauce
1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp rice vinegar 

DIRECTIONS

1. Chop all of the salad ingredients into small thin slices and add to a large bowl.

2. Combine all of the dressing ingredients in a high-powered blender and blend until smooth and creamy.

3. Drizzle peanut dressing all over the salad and toss until well combined and coated in the dressing. If your dressing is a little thick, you can add a little water or lime juice to thin it out a bit.

4. Sprinkle with some sesame seeds and enjoy!

Green Pea Hummus

Hummus is one of of those snacks that I like to have in my fridge at all times. I find that whenever I get hungry between meals and I start making myself a little mezze with raw veggies and a big dollop of hummus it totally satisfies any of my hunger cravings.

The combination of fresh raw vegetables that are packed with fibre and water together with the high amount of protein that comes from the chickpeas is the perfect combination to keep you satisfied and hunger free until your next main meal.

I also recommend making your own hummus and stop reaching for the ones in the shop. It only takes 5 minutes to make and when you start making your own hummus, you are also in control of how much fat you put into your recipe, helping you to keep your hummus low fat and therefore keeping calories at a minimum.

Take my green pea hummus, it is twice as packed with protein that comes from the peas and chickpeas and has a lovely sweet flavour compared to the the classic  hummus version. Using peas in hummus also increases your nutrient intake as peas are packed full with all kinds of nutritious goodness including Vitamin C, A and K plus they are a good source of iron too.

INGREDIENTS

200g fresh or frozen peas
250 g chickpeas
30g fresh coriander
1 tbsp tahini
1 tbsp olive oil or sesame oil
juice of half a lemon
salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. To make the hummus, add all the ingredients,  peas, chickpeas, coriander, tahini, lemon juice, oil, salt and pepper in a high speed blender and puree until completely smooth.

2. Transfer into a bowl and garnish with a drizzle of olive oil

It is best to serve the hummus fresh and enjoy with some crackers, toasted bread or sweet potato chips.

Stuffed Pepper With Spicy Harissa Quinoa

These stuffed peppers are a quick and easy meal that’s vegan, healthy, filling and delicious! Peppers always remind me of when I was younger, I remember not really liking them and finding them quite boring. But these days I am in love with them, I love the fresh flavour and sweetness that you get when you bite into a fresh pepper. 

They are also low in calories and exceptionally rich in vitamin C and antioxidants such as carotenoids with give them their vibrant colour, making them an excellent addition to a healthy diet.

In this recipe, I roasted my bell peppers in the oven before stuffing them with some spicy harissa quinoa filling to give them an extra kick and intensify their flavour.

INGREDIENTS

4 bell peppers (2 red and 2 yellow)
200g quinoa 
1 tsp harissa paste
1 can chopped tomatoes
1 onion
2 garlic cloves
50g green pitted olives
olive oil
salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/ Gas 5

2. Cut the bell peppers in halve and remove the seeds but leave the stork on to help the peppers remain their shape. Place on a roasting tray and drizzle with olive oil, season with sea salt. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes.

3. In the meantime wash and cook the quinoa according to the package instruction. It will quadruple in size so make sure you use the correct pan. Drain and set aside.

4. Finely cut the onion and gently fry on a medium heat in some olive oil. After a few minutes add crushed garlic.

5. Next add the chopped tomatoes, harissa paste and halved olives to the pan. Fill the half way with some water and add, let it simmer for a few minutes before adding the quinoa to the sauce. Stir well and season with salt and pepper. If you want your mixture to be a little bit more spicy you can also add another spoon of harissa at this point.

6. Remove the peppers from the oven and carefully fill each half with the filling.

7. Top with some fresh parsley and serve.

Apricot Frangipane Tart

We all like to have something sweet from time to time, but try and resist reaching for anything that is heavily loaded with sugar and unhealthy fats. Instead I like to incorporate fruit as much as possible into my sweet afternoon treats. Especially when it comes to baking, not only does the fresh fruit provide a nice contrast of taste and texture but it also makes it a healthier choice to have and you can keep the sugar levels low. By choosing fresh fruit in your baking you no longer need the extra sugar as the sweetness comes mostly from the ripe fruit plus you get a good amount of fibre which will fill you up faster than any other cake that is made with processed ingredients.

Take my Apricot Frangipane Tart, this healthy tart is mostly made from ground almonds and fresh apricots, with a little bit of coconut sugar. When you eat this tart I guarantee you that the sweetness of the apricots and the nuttiness of the almonds will satisfy your tastebuds and you won’t be missing the any other sweet treats.

INGREDIENTS

For the pastry 

275 spelt flour
150g cold butter small cubes)
pinch of salt
2-3 tbsp cold water 

for the almond frangipane filling

125g ground almonds
100g coconut sugar
2 large eggs
1 tbsp almond extract

12 fresh apricots 

DIRECTIONS

1. Sieve the flour into a medium size mixing bowl, add salt and the butter, rub in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add cold water and knead into a firm dough. Chill in the fridge while preparing the filling.

2. For the  frangipane filling, mix the sugar, eggs and almond extract together until creamy and then add the ground almonds to make the cake batter.  

3. Roll out the pasty on a floured surface and transfer onto a flan baking dish. Press the sides of the pasty to the baking dish and prick the base of the pastry using a fork. 

4. Next, use the frangipani mixture to fill the flan. Top with sliced apricots and sprinckle with a little sugar on top.

5. Bake in the oven at 190C/ Gas 5 for 40 minutes until the inside of the filling is cooked through.

Enjoy 

Creamy Courgette & Thyme Tagliatelle

Carbs! Over the years, carbohydrates have gotten such bad reputation. So much so that many people like to completely remove this essential macronutrient from their diet in the hope that they will lose weight and stay slim.But this is a misconception, and losing weight should never be achieved by removing one such important food group.

Here is why

• When you limit carbohydrates, you deprive your body of a main source of fuel — and many essential nutrients that you need to stay healthy.

• Carbohydrates are foods that get converted into glucose in our bodies during digestion. Glucose is a main source of fuel for our body and provide energy for our brain and muscles to function.

• FIBRE - is important for your digestive health as well as regulating blood glucose. Refined carbohydrates, such as white rice and white pasta, have had their fiber and nutrients removed. Whole grains, such as brown rice and whole-wheat pasta, have not. Therefore, the glucose from refined carbohydrates can get into the bloodstream faster than the glucose from whole grains.

Bottom Line 

Carbohydrates are a major source of fuel and nutrients for our bodies. They should be part of a healthy diet and play a vital part when it comes to long term sustainable weight loss.

This simple and tasty pasta recipe is a great way to get more veggies into midweek family meals and the courgette goes really well together with thyme in a creamy pasta sauce.

INGREDIENTS

250g wholegrain tagliatelle 
1 courgette
1 small onion 
2 garlic cloves
10g fresh thyme
30 ml soya cream
salt & pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. Fill a large pot with water and bring to the boil. Season the water with salt and cook tagliatelle for 10-12 minutes until soft and al dente. 

2. In themeantime heat a large frying pan with some olive oil and add chopped onion, glently fry on a low heat until soft.

3. Chop the courgette into small pieces and add together with the chopped garlic to the pan and fry for another 5-7 minutes.

4. Once the courgette is cooked use some of the pasta water and add it to the pan to make the pasta sauce. Add the soya cream and fresh thyme and season to taste with salt and pepper, stir well.

5. Drain the pasta and place all the tagliatelle in to the pasta sauce and make sure that all of the pasta gets a good covering of the sauce.

Serve with a sprinkle of vegan or normal parmesan cheese and enjoy.

Tropical Mango and Coconut Pudding

When it comes to loosing weight we don’t have deprive ourself of any sweet treats and desserts. All we have to do is make better choices and read ingredient list and inform ourself what’s gone into making the dessert. If your dessert choice for example was made with lots of butter and sugar then of course it wouldn’t be wise to have a large serving of it and mess up your calorie intake of the day and stop your weight loss progression. 

But that doesn’t mean you can never have dessert. After all, we all know that the only way to satisfy a stong sweet craving is with something sweet.

For my go to afternoon or after dinner pudding I often like to mix some fresh and ripe fruit with plain coconut yogurt. I find that the riper the fruit is the sweeter and better the dessert it will be and the more satisfying.

This delicious mango and coconut pudding can be made within minutes and all you need is just 3 ingredients.

The combination of the sweet mango and the creaminess of the coconut yogurt is a perfect match that will lift your mood and satisfy all you sweet desires without being heavy and calorie rich. Guaranteed! 

INGREDIENTS

1 whole ripe mango
250g coconut yogurt
1/2 tsp vanilla paste
a handful of coconut flakes

DIRECTIONS

1. Peel, remove the pip and chop mango into small pieces. In a blender put the coconut yogurt, mango pieces and vanilla paste and blend until smooth.

2. Fill the mixture into small dessert glasses and chill for 1 hour.

3. Decorate the desserts with some coconut flakes on the top and serve.

Enjoy

Beetroot Gazpacho

Since traveling abroad seems like a far distant dream right now, I thought I would bring a little bit of Spanish cuisine into my life, to not completely miss out on those fabulous flavours of summer.

Gazpacho is one of those dishes that is bursting with flavour. At its best, gazpacho is super refreshing and this luscious chilled soup is packed full of fresh vegetables and herbs perfect for those hot summer days when you fancy something cooling and healthy.

While I love the original Spanish tomato gazpacho I thought I would make my own little version with beetroots instead. The earthiness of the beets give the soup a real dept of flavour and go really well together with the cucumber and dill.

INGREDIENTS

3 large beetroots
half cucumber
half red onion
2 garlic cloves
20g fresh dill
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp vegetable stock powder
salt & pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. Half or quarter beetroots and place them in a pot and cover with water and add vegetable stock and salt. Bring to a boil and cook for about 45- 60 minutes, until beets are soft. Chill beets and their cooking liquid.

2. Once beets are cold, slip off their skins using your hands. Slice into smaller pieces and place with 2 cups of the cold cooking liquid into blender, add the half of the chopped onion, garlic cloves, cucumber, salt, pepper, vinegar and the fresh dill. Blend until very smooth. 

3. Taste and adjust salt and vinegar. Place in the refrigerator until ready to serve. When you are ready to serve, drizzle a little olive oil or a swirl of coconut yogurt if you like. Sprinkle with herbs and serve immediately!

Enjoy 

Green Puy Lentil And Roasted Broccoli Salad With Halloumi

I must confess, I have a slight obsession with lentils. No matter whether it is cold or warm outside, you will see me have them on a very regular basis. I just love how versatile they are in the kitchen and how many different kinds of dishes you can create from lentils, salads, soups, casseroles, dahls …. Plus there is all this amazing variety in colours and sizes, that you are bound to find one that you really like and enjoy. Nutrition wise they really pack a punch in its protein and fibre content making them a perfect option when you want to consume less meat and looking to boost your protein intake from plants. 

This very green and healthy salad is one of my go-to summer salads. I love the hearty and warm combination of the lentils and roasted broccoli, together with the freshness of the rocket leaves and tangy lemon dressing.

Topped with the fried halloumi this salad is a sure crowd pleaser and a family favourite.

INGREDIENTS

200g puy lentils
1 medium size broccoli
100g rocket salad leaf
1 tsp bahrat spice ( if you don’t have spice just season with salt)
salt &pepper
1 litre vegetable stock
1 bay leaf
juice of a lemon
2 cloves garlic
olive oil
250g vegan or regular hallumi 

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 220˚C. Place the broccoli and garlic (with skin) on a baking tray and drizzle with olive oil, then sprinkle with baharat spice and sea salt. Roast for 20-25 minutes until tender and charred on the outside.

2. Meanwhile, to cook the lentils place them together with the stock in a saucepan, add a bay leaf and bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low and cook for 20-25 minutes until lentils are cooked but still retain some bite. Drain.

3. To make the salad dressing remove the skin from the roasted garlic and cut very finely. Then squeeze in the lemon juice, 2tbsp olive oil and salt and pepper, whisk together. Toss dressing through hot lentils, then add roasted broccoli and rocket leafs.

4. Slice the halloumi into 5mm slices and heat olive oil in a frypan over medium heat. Cook halloumi, turning once, for 3-5 minutes until golden.

5. Serve salad warm scattered with halloumi.

Baked Aubergine With Harissa And Yogurt Sauce

BAKE AUBERGINE WITH HARISSA AND YOGURT SAUCE 

Aubergines is a vegetable that can feel quite intimidating to people and they don’t know what to do with it and how to use it in recipes. But in the Middle East this delicious veggie is quite a staple to everyday cooking and rightfully so.  

While it can be eaten raw, aubergine is the most wonderful when it's grilled, baked or braised. The texture becomes soft and creamy saviorness 

Aubergines are rich in antioxidants, specifically nasunin found in aubergine skin - which gives it its purple colour. A potent antioxidant and free radical scavenger, nasunin has been found to protect the lipids (fats) in brain cell membranes. Cell membranes are almost entirely composed of lipids 
Quite an amazing vegetable, huh? In todays recipe is brushed the baked aubergine with some harissa paste to give it even more flavour and depth. Together with the zesty yogurt sauce this dish becomes something of its own and tastes delicious.

INGREDIENTS

2 aubergines
olive oil
sea salt
1 tsp harissa paste
half a cucumber
3 cloves of garlic
25g fresh mint
25g fresh dill
1 tbsp lemon juice
200g almond yogurt or greek yogurt

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat your oven to 200 C/ Gas 6.

2. Cut Aubergines lengthways in half and score the flesh into a diamond pattern, cut about 1 cm deep.

3. Place the aubergine halves in a baking tray cut side up, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes until completely soft.

4. In the meantime prepare the yogurt sauce. Peel the cucumber and garlic. Slice the cucumber into small  cubes, press the garlic through a garlic press and chop the herbs finely, then add everything into a small bowl together with the yogurt. Season with lemon juice, salt and pepper. 

5. Once the aubergines are ready and cooked though, mix in a small bowl the harissa paste with 1 tbsp of olive oil and brush the aubergines gently with the paste.

6.To serve, place two aubergine halves on each plate and top with the yogurt sauce. Garnish with fresh mint.

Enjoy

Simple French Style Potato Salad

There are so many ways to make a delicious potato salad and each country, even down to the smallest region have a different interpretation of what the perfect kind of potato salad should look like. Some like to keep it really simple while others go all out and add a whole list of ingredients to this classic dish.

I seem to like the simpler way more, like most of my cooking. The simpler the better, because even though I love to cook I don’t like to spend hours in the kitchen.

And this French-style interpretation of a classic potato salad with my way of keeping things simple. Using just a few ingredients that are cupboard staples and lots of fresh herbs to make this classic dish a feast for all senses.

INGREDIENTS

500g new potatoes
half of a red onion 
2 tsp kapers
25g parsley
25g dill
2 tbsp white wine vinegar 
65 ml extra vigin olive oil
2 tsp dijion mustard
1/4 tsp ground coriander 

DIRECTIONS

1. Wash and slice the potatoes into half a centimetre thick slices. 

2. Place potatoes in a pot and add watered salt and boil for 7-10 minutes until tender.

3. In the meantime make the vinaigrette by adding the vinegar, olive oil, mustard and ground coriander in a small bowl and whisk until well-combined.

4. When potatoes are ready, remove from heat and drain. Place potatoes on a tray or large bowl and immediately add the vinaigrette (while potatoes are warm), toss to coat.  Let potatoes sit for 10 minutes until all the flavour from the vinaigrette has melted into the potatoes.

5. Chop red onions and fresh herbs very finely and add together with the capers to the potato salad. Toss gently to combine.

6. Transfer the potato salad to a serving dish and serve as a side salad for a lovely summer BBQ

Leek And Potato Soup

Soup for dinner have been my saviour grace this week. When the nights get colder and darker I often don’t feel like cooking long and extravagant dishes for the family. I want my dinners cooked fast but still deliver on taste and nutrition. Soups are perfect as they are deliciously satisfying, easy to make and super nutritious.

Leek and potato super is one of those soups that you will have prepared in minutes and will give you that comforting hug that we all need at this time of the year.

Here is how you make yours.

Ingredients

1 large leek
2 potatoes
1,5 L of vegetable broth
1 tbsp of apple cider vinegar
olive oil
salt & pepper

Directions

1. Cut the leek into two halves and wash well until all the dirt is gone. Chop into thin slices.
Wash, peel and cut the potatoes into big chunks.

2. In a large pot fry the sliced leek with some olive oil for 2-5 minutes until they are starting to brown.
Add the potatatoe and vegetable stock and bring to the boil. Add a splash of apple cider vinegar ( so that the leek keeps its green colour) and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 20 min or until the potatoes are soft.

3. Puree the soup in a blender until smooth and serve with freshly toasted sourdough bread.

Spicy Lentil Chilli

Stewed, boiled, tossed into a salad, sprouted, sauteed or pressed into a patty for burgers, the lentil is a versatile powerhouse. Lentils are also packet full of vitamins and minerals, some of those nutrients have even been proven to be effective in fighting depression. B Vitamins, Omega 3’s, Tryptophan, Folate and Chromium, are all heavy hitters, when it comes to improving low mood and depression. So to get you eating more lentils to improve your mood and mental health, I have created a lovely spicy lentil chilli recipe that you will love. You can make big batches of it and freeze it for those days when you feel low and don’t want to cook. This recipe with give you the comport and nourishment you need when you are not feeling your 100 %

Ingredients

1 white onion
2 cloves of garlic
1 red pepper
175 g of red lentils
I can of black beans or kidney beans
100g of sweetcorn (frozen or from a can)
1 can of diced tomatoes
300 ml of vegetable stock ( plus more if needed)
2 tsp of cumin
1 tsp of smoked paprika
1 tsp of chilli powder
olive oil
salt & pepper

for serving

bunch of fresh coriander (chopped)
one half red onion (thinly sliced)
lime (cut in quarters)

Directions

1. Chop the onion and garlic and lightly sauté in a large pot with some olive oil. Add the red pepper and cook for another minute or two.

2. Add the cumin, smoked paprika, chilli powder and tomato paste to the pot and brown for 30 seconds. Now add the chopped tomatoes and the vegetable stock. Bring to a low boil over medium high heat.

3. Once boiling, add lentils and reduce heat to medium-low or low, so it's at a gentle simmer. Cook for 20 minutes until the lentils are mostly tender.

4. Next add the sweetcorn and black beans to the chilli and cook for another 5 to 10 minutes to melt the flavours together. Stir occasionally.

5. Before you serve the chilli, chop some fresh coriander as well as red onion. Slice some lime into quarters and squeeze the juice over the red onion to sweeten the flavour of the onion and take away its sharpness. Sprinkle on top of the chilli and serve with brown rice and avocados.

Pumpkin Bread

Hello October

October is one of my favourite month of the year and to celebrate the beginning of October I have created an amazing recipe that everyone would love. This pumpkin bread is not only filled with warming Fall spices but it’s also made healthier than your average pumpkin bread by using ingredients like whole-grain flour, fresh pumpkin puree and sweetened with coconut sugar instead of white sugar.

The lovely lightness and gooeyness of this bread also makes this the perfect companion to a cup of afternoon tea and ideal for when you have any sweet craving.

Here is how you make it.

Ingredients

250g wholegrain flour
175g brown coconut sugar
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp salt
375g pumkin puree from a fresh pumpkin
60ml coconut oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 flax egg ( 1 tbsp of ground flaxseeds mixed with 3 tbsp of water)

Directions

1. Cut a whole pumpkin in half and the into 2 inch thick slices, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt. Roast in the oven for 30-45 min until pumpkin is soft and cooked.

2. In the meantime place all the dry ingredients in a large bowl and give it a good stir so that all the spices are evenly mixed.

3. When the pumpkin is cooked, take the slices from the tray and remove the skin and seeds from it, Cut into small chunks and place in a blender. Blend until the pumpkin puree is lovely and smooth.

4. Now mix the pumpkin puree, coconut oil, vanilla extract and flax egg all together and give to the bowl with the dry ingredients. Mix until its all well combined but don’t overmix.

5. Spray a 9×5 loaf pan with non-stick spray and then line it with parchment paper so that the parchment paper hangs over the sides, so that when the pumpkin bread is baked, you can easily lift it out of the loaf pan using the parchment paper.

6. Transfer the batter from the mixing bowl to the loaf pan and smooth down evenly.

7. Bake in the oven for an hour until the top is golden brown and the batter is well cooked through.

8. Remove from oven and lift the pumpkin bread out with the parchment paper and place onto a wire cooling rack to cool before slicing.

Serve your slice of pumpkin with a lovely afternoon tea and enjoy.

Sweetcorn and courgette fritters

Sweetcorn and courgette fritters 🌽⁣
Satisfying and tasty, those are two things my family want from a good dinner meal. And boy do those fritters deliver on that front. Best thing yet is they are super easy to make and won’t make you break out in a sweat in the kitchen😅⁣
⁣
Here is how you make them 👉🏼⁣

Ingredients
⁣
2 medium sized courgette⁣
200g of sweetcorn⁣
2 spring onions⁣
2 garlic cloves⁣
1 cup of chickpea flower⁣
2 tbsp of cumin⁣
1 tbsp or thyme⁣
1 tbsp of oregano⁣
salt & pepper⁣
⁣

⁣

Directions⁣
⁣
1. In a large bowl, combine shredded courgette, sweetcorn, green onions, chickpea flour, garlic, cumin, oregano, thyme, salt & pepper. Stir together until well combined. Allow to sit for at least 5 minutes. This step is important because the flour will absorb the moisture from the courgette and create a batter⁣
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2. Warm a large frying with some olive oil and spoon out some of the batter directly into the frying pan. Form into small burgers and gently fry on each side for 3- 4 minutes until golden brown⁣
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3. Serve and enjoy them on there own with some sweet chilli sauce or with some avocado and beans

Carrot and Lentil Salad

With so much talk going on about climate change lately you might be wondering what actions you can take to help the planet. Eating more plant based meals in your diet could be the “single biggest way” to reduce your environmental impact on the earth. Even if you just switch out one or two of your meaty meals for a vegetarian or vegan alternative during the week. Those seemingly small changes can have a big impact not only on the environment but also on your health.

To help with the switch I have come up with a lovely sweet and spicy carrot and lentil salad that I would love for you to try. This salad is so wonderfully tasty that you won’t even miss any meat and feel fully satisfied.

Give it a go, and I am sure you will come back for more.

Ingredients

300 g carrots
250g cooked puy lentils
80g of dairy free feta cheese
1 red onion
juice of one lemon
1 tsp of cumin seeds
1 tbsp of honey
olive oil
salt & pepper
one handful of fresh mint leaves

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 180C . In a shallow roasting tin, toss together half the oil, the cumin seeds, carrots and some seasoning. Roast for 25 mins. Drizzle with honey and return the roasting tin for another 5 minutes back in the oven.

2. Lightly fry the onion in some olive oil until soft, add lemon juice and cooked lentils and gently warm through. Season with salt and pepper. Allow to cool slightly while the carrots finish cooking.

3.Toss the dressed lentils with finely chopped fresh mint leaves and lay the warm spiced carrots on top of the salad, scatter with vegan feta and serve.

Vegan Waldorf Salad

An apple a day keeps the doctor way! We all have heard this famous saying probably a thousand times and we most likely instinctively know that apples are good for us. But how good are they really? Here are a few facts that you probably didn’t know about apples. Plus an awesome Waldorf salad recipe just in case you get inspired and want to eat more of this humble fruit.

1. Apples can improve your digestion, thanks to its high contender of insoluble and soluble fibre.

2. Apples help prevent inflammation due to its many phytochemicals, such as phenolics, flavonoids and carotenoids.

3. Apples fight heart disease due to its specific type of fiber that is found in apples. Its called pectin and is especially known to be beneficial for lowering cholesterol levels naturally.

4. Apple helps keep your allergies away. Quercetin is a flavonoid that is found in apples and is a natural antihistamine making it effective for naturally lowering the effects of season and food allergies, plus asthma and skin reactions.

Are you impressed? I know, right. Apples are so often not talk about their amazing benefits. But now you can see why this old saying An apple a day keeps there doctor away might actually have some truth to it.

And because apples are right now in season why not give this amazingly fresh salad recipe a try.

Ingredients

4 sticks of celery
2 crisp eating apple
150g grapes
handful of walnuts
1 lemon
olive oil
1 tbsp of English mustard
5 tbsp of vegan mayonnaise or dairy free yogurt
salt and pepper

Directions

1. Heat up the oven to 180 C and place the grapes on a baking tray and season with lemon juice, lemon zest, olive oil and salt. Place in the oven for 15 min.

2. In the main time chop the apples and celery sticks into small chunks and place in a large salad bowl. Use some juice from the lemon and drizzle over the apples so that they don’t go brown.

3. To make the dressing, mix the English mustard and vegan mayo together, season with salt and pepper.

4. Remove the grapes from the oven and place the walnuts on the tray and to roast in the oven for another 5 minutes.

5. Add the grapes, roasted walnuts, and dressing to the remaining salad bowl and give it a good mix.

Serve the salad as a side dish and enjoy its amazing combo of flavours.

Blackberry Oat Crumble Bars

I found the perfect recipe for all your foraged blackberries that you have collected this September. These bars are not only healthy and totally plant based, gluten free and dairy free but they are also super deliciously gooey and crunchy. Perfect comport food that you don’t need to feel guilty about if you want another slice.

Here is how you make them!

Ingredients

300 g oats
100g almond flour
half a tsp of salt
half a tsp of cinnamon
100g of coconut oil
120g of honey/ maple syrup
35g of cashew nut butter

300g blackberries
1 tbsp cornflour

Directions

1. Place the dry ingredients (oats, almond flour, salt and cinnamon in a food processor and pulse a couple of times to chop the oats.

2. In a small pot place the coconut oil, honey and cashew nut butter and warm up until everything is melted and then give the mixture a good stir.

3. Now put all the wet and dry ingredients together in a large bowl and mix well so that the mixture becomes well coated and crumbly.

4. In a baking tray lined with baking paper, place half o the mixture and press firmly so that the bottom becomes evenly covert. Bake for 10 min in an oven at 180 C

5. While bottom crust is baking, add blackberries and tapioca starch to the food processor and pulse 3-4 times to break the blackberries up. Remove the crust from the oven and pour blackberry puree over crust. Crumble reserved oat mixture evenly over blackberries. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until topping is golden brown.

6. Remove from the oven and let it cool down for an hour and then refrigerate in the fridge for another 2 hours before slicing.