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 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.

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.

Autumnal honey fig salad

Fig season is in full swing and I am making the most of it! These little fruits of sunshine are just so delicious in a salad and perfect when you still fancy a fresh salad in the colder autumn days. I just love the unique sweet taste, soft and chewy texture and slightly crunchy seeds inside of a fig. Not only do they taste amazing they are also high in vitamin A and K, minerals such as potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron and copper and are a good source of antioxidants.
They also contain an amazing amount of soluble fibre, making them perfect to eat when you struggle with digestive issues or constipation.

So now that you know how good they are for you would you like to give this recipe a go.

Here is how you make it.

Ingredients

6 figs
100 g vegan feta cheese
250 g rocket salat
20 g of roasted pine nuts

For the dressing

2 tbsp of honey
1 tbsp of balsamic vinegar
1tbsp olive oil

Directions

1. Cut figs into small quarters and place on a bed of rocket leaves.

2. Sprinkle the vegan feta cheese and pine nuts on top and drizzle the dressing over the salad.

3. Serve with a slice of fresh sourdough bread and enjoy.