lemon chilli spaghetti with garlic mushrooms and asparagus

This is my first post for over two weeks.. I've been off gallivanting on holidays and haven't cooked a single thing. Unless you count hummus and tomato sandwiches as cooking, in which case I've been cooking EVERY.SINGLE.DAY. Camping = hummus, tomato, bread, repeat. 

Today was my first day back to work and in true post-holiday blues style, all I wanted to do was come home, hit the couch and order a takeaway. I managed to refrain (!!) from hitting up Just-Eat  - need to save some £'s/lose some lb's now that I'm home and back to normality (boo). This dish is cheap to make, low in fat and really satisfying - hello carbs! 

This recipe yields four servings.

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 250g pack of chestnut mushrooms, thickly sliced
• 1 Portobello mushroom, thickly sliced
• 1 bulb of garlic, thinly chopped (I LOVE garlic, use less if this is too strong for you!!)
• Small bunch of parsley (leaves only), chopped
• 1 courgette, sliced
• 1 white onion, finely chopped
• 2 400g tins of chopped tomatoes
• 3 tbsp of tomato puree
• 1 red chilli, finely chopped (deseed if you prefer less heat)
• 2 tbsp chilli flakes (omit if you prefer less heat)
• Glug of red wine
• Dash of balsamic vinegar
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 handfuls of spinach
• 400g of dry spaghetti
• Bunch of asparagus tips
• 1 lemon

Method

Heat 1tbsp of olive oil in a pan, add the mushrooms then fry over a medium-high heat for about 4 minutes until they have softened and look golden. Add garlic and fry again for a further 2 minutes. Remove from heat and tip into a bowl with parsley. Set aside. 

Add the chopped onions to the pan and fry for around 2 minutes, add the courgette then fry for a further 3 minutes until everything is softened and the onions look translucent. Add chilli and chilli flakes to pan and fry for a minute. Tip in tomatoes, tomato puree, red wine and balsamic vinegar. Reduce heat and simmer for around 20 minutes until sauce has thickened. Add salt and pepper to taste (I used a tsp of salt and half a tsp of pepper). When sauce is done, stir in spinach and remove from heat. 

Whilst the sauce is simmering, prepare spaghetti as per package instructions and steam asparagus (approximately 10 mins for spaghetti and 5 mins for asparagus). Drain spaghetti and and fold in sauce. Top with garlic mushrooms and asparagus. Squeeze the juice of a lemon on top and serve. 

aloo karahi

Friiiiiiday again (TFI), craving takeaway AGAIN - the weekly struggle!

I decided to try another fakeaway tonight, curry this time. I adapted this dish using a few 'chicken karahi' recipes I found online, taking different elements from each. Many of the recipes I looked at used yoghurt at the end to add some creaminess, however to keep this dish vegan I subbed yoghurt with lentils - these help thicken up the sauce. CoYo coconut yoghurt could be a good addition to this recipe, I'll add some next time and see how it turns out!

Ingredients

• 12 baby potatoes, cut into thick slices
• 1/2 a cup of red lentils
• 1 red onion, sliced thinly length-ways 
• 4 large vine tomatoes, diced
• 2 green chillies, minced 
• Thumb-sized piece of ginger, grated
• 7 cloves of garlic
• 1 tbsp of coconut oil
• 3 bay leaves
• 2 tbsp of cumin
• 2 tbsp of ground coriander
• 2 tbsp of fenugreek leaves
• 1 tbsp of 'chicken' bouillon (I use Massel)
• 1 tbsp of chilli powder (in place of deggi mirch - if you can find this, use it!)
• 1 tbsp of turmeric
• 1 tbsp of garam masala
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tbsp of tomato puree
• Juice of half a lemon
• Half a cup of chopped coriander (about one small bunch)

Method

Heat coconut oil in deep pan or wok to medium-high. Add garlic and ginger and fry for a minute. Add red onion slices - fry these until they are golden and caramelised, about five minutes - if they begin to stick, add a little water. Add cumin and chillies and fry for another minute. Add chopped tomatoes, stir well and cook for two minutes. Add spices - coriander, fenugreek, chilli powder, turmeric, garam masala and salt/pepper - mix well then stir in bay leaves. Add potato slices, lentils, water, bouillon and tomato puree. Cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Allow to simmer for twenty minutes. Remove lid and check that potatoes are cooked. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice and coriander. Serve with boiled rice. ENJOY. 

one pot Mexican quinoa

One pot recipes are my thang. Minimal effort (chuck ingredients in..leave to simmer for a while) and barely any dishes afterwards, win win!

This quinoa dish is deeelicious. I've made it a million times and it's turned out perfect every time - fail-safe recipe. This can be used as a main, a side dish or even as part of a burrito bowl. 

This recipe yields four portions. 

Ingredients

• 1 cup of quinoa, rinsed in cold water
• 1 tin of black beans, rinsed
• 1.5 cups of 'chicken' bouillon (I use Massel, you can find it here)
• 1 brown onion, diced
• 1 small tin of sweetcorn (198g)
• 1 jalapeno, finely chopped
• 2 peppers (I used red & yellow), diced
• 4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tin of chopped tomatoes
• 2 tbsp of ground coriander
• 2 tbsp of chilli flakes
• 1 tbsp of cumin
• 1 tbsp of chilli powder
• 1 tbsp of tomato puree
• Salt/pepper to taste
• Juice of half a lime
• Toppings - avocado slices, chopped spring onion and chopped coriander leaves

Method

Heat up a large pan to medium-high and add onions, garlic and jalapeno. Fry for a couple of minutes until softened. Add peppers and fry for a further 2-3 minutes. Add quinoa, black beans, 'chicken' bouillon, sweetcorn, tinned tomatoes, coriander, chilli flakes, cumin, chilli powder, tomato puree and salt/pepper. Give this a good stir then cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer for 30 minutes then remove from heat.

Squeeze in the juice of half a lime and stir. Top with avocado slices, sliced spring onion and chopped coriander. IT'S THAT EASY. Enjoy :) 

vegan pad thai

This is my vegan version of pad thai - it was really quick and easy to make and super tasty.. I thought there would be enough left for lunch tomorrow but alas it is ALL gone. Back to the lentils!

I spiralized the courgette and carrot, and ATTEMPTED to spiralize the red pepper to no avail. If you don't own a spiralizer just chop them up into noodle-y shapes.

This recipe yields around 3 generous portions. 

Ingredients

• 125g buckwheat noodles
• 225g block of Clearspot Smoked Tofu
• 2 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 courgette, spiralized
• 1 carrot, spiralized
• Handful of beansprouts
• 1 red pepper, chopped into thin strips (or spiralized if you can!)
• Toppings: Sliced spring onion, sesame seeds and chopped cashew nuts

Ingredients - sauce

• 4 tbsp of aminos
• 2 tbsp of coconut sugar
• 2 tbsp of lime juice
• 2 tbsp of sesame oil
• 2 tbsp of rice wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp of sriracha 
• 1/2 tsp of garlic powder

Method

Add 1 tbsp of sesame oil to a pan on medium heat. Chop tofu block length-ways into 1/2 inch thick slices. Fry for around 10 minutes on the first side then flip and fry for a further 5 mins. Remove from heat, set aside and chop into cubes once cooled. Prepare your noodles per the pack instructions then remove from heat, rinse with cool water and set aside.

Mix all sauce ingredients together, stir well and set aside. 

Heat 1 tbsp of sesame oil in a pan and add courgette, carrot, beansprouts and red pepper. Stirfry for around 3 minutes until veggies are cooked but still crunchy. Remove veggies from pan and place into a bowl. Add buckwheat noodles to pan and stirfry for 1 minute. Add veggies and sauce to pan and stirfry until everything is coated and the sauce becomes sticky. Serve in bowls with spring onions, sesame seeds and cashew nuts sprinkled on top, ENJOY. 

curried green lentils with fresh tomatoes

I threw this dish together at around 10.30pm last night. I'd just arrived home from a festival a couple hours earlier - tired and fragile, cooking was the last thing I wanted to do. I put it off for hours but eventually found the will to move away from the couch - summer holidays are looming so I'm trying to keep spending to a minimum/eat as healthily as possible, so packed lunch it was! 

Lentils have been my go-to ingredient for lunches for ages now. They're so versatile, cheap and easy to prepare - definitely a cupboard essential. 

I'm really bad with chucking in spice after spice, no measurements required (love spicy food!) so the below is just a rough estimate of what I use to make this dish, these can be easily amended to suit your taste buds :) 

This recipe yields approximately 4 big portions of curry.

Ingredients

• 2 cups of green lentils
• 5 cloves of garlic (garlic obsession rages on), chopped
• A thumb sized piece of ginger, grated
• 1 brown onion, diced
• 2 peppers - I used green and yellow, diced
• 2 vine tomatoes, diced
• 1 tin of chopped tomatoes
• 2 tbsp of tomato puree
• 1 tbsp of turmeric 
• 2 tbsp of ground coriander
• 2 tbsp of cumin
• 1 tbsp of garam masala
• 1 tbsp of dried fenugreek leaves
• 1 tbsp of 'chicken' bouillon (I used Massel - you can find this on Amazon)
• Approximately 1.5 litres of boiling water, add to this as necessary

Method

Heat a large pan/dish to medium on your stove. I didn't use any oil in this recipe since I'm trying to cut down on my fat intake, but feel free to add a tablespoon of coconut oil/rapeseed oil. Add onions, peppers, garlic and ginger to your pan - fry until soft, around 3 or 4 mins. Pour in lentils and stir to coat. Add all spices and continue stirring for about 30 seconds. Add boiling water, tomato puree, 'chicken' bouillon powder and tinned chopped tomatoes to the pan and bring to the boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 45 mins. Remove from heat and stir in chopped vine tomatoes - they give the dish a lovely freshness. 

Serve with your choice of rice, potatoes, salad or veggies. Enjoy!

falafel burger with portobello mushroom bun, hummus and sweet potato wedges

I've been craving some kind of badness alllll week but I managed to refrain (yay)! The temptation to grab a takeaway for this evening's dinner was high but something managed to stop me, maybe the thought of having to fit into summer clothes in two weeks, hmm.. 

Falafel has been my go-to takeaway lately, I just absolutely adore it! Falafel-y, hummus-y goodness, the best! SO I decided I would try to recreate this dish at home tonight, fakeaway stylee. These burgers were surprisingly easy to make so I'll definitely revisit soon for weekday dinners. Initially I had planned to try to keep this as healthy as possible by only baking, however once I started working with the mixture I realised they would probably need fried on each side for a few mins - this stopped them disintegrating! I used 1 tbsp of unrefined coconut oil for shallow frying the burgers - no guilt required.

This recipe yields 2 large burgers and 2 small falafel balls (these didn't even make it to our plates..). 

Ingredients - Falafel burgers 

• 1 can of chickpeas, drained
• Half a red onion
• 3 cloves of garlic
• A handful of flat parsley sprigs (about half a bunch)
• A handful of coriander springs (about half a bunch)
• 4 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp unrefined coconut oil
• 1 tbsp cumin
• 1 tbsp coriander
• 1 tbsp tahini
• 2 tbsp buckwheat flour
• 2 portobello mushrooms
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Salad for serving - I used lettuce, tomato and cucumber

Ingredients - Hummus

• 1 can of chickpeas, drained
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp tahini
• 4 tbsp water
• 1 tsp cumin
• Pinch of smoked paprika

Ingredients - Sweet potato wedges

• 3 sweet potatoes, cut into wedges
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp paprika

Method

First we'll start by making the falafel burger 'dough'. Add the garlic, fresh herbs and onions to your chopper/food processor - pulse until chopped. Add in the chickpeas, lemon juice, spices and tahini - pulse until the chickpeas are well mixed in but still slightly chunky. Remove mixture from chopper and place in a bowl. Add buckwheat flour and stir well. Take a handful of dough and form into the shape of a burger, continue until you have used up all of the dough.

Once you have formed the burgers, set aside for a moment. Pre-heat oven to 180°. Add the sweet potato wedges to a heat resistant dish and pour over olive oil. Make sure the wedges are well coated then place in the oven - we will bake these for 40 minutes. 

Heat the coconut oil in a pan on med-high heat then add the falafel burgers. Fry on each side for about 3-4 minutes - until golden brown. Once golden, carefully (they're very soft!) remove the burgers from the pan and place on a baking sheet. Place baking sheet in the oven - we will bake these for 30 minutes, flipping halfway through. 

While the falafel burgers and wedges are baking we'll make our hummus. Add chickpeas, lemon, tahini, garlic, olive oil, water and cumin to your chopper/food processor and pulse well until you reach a smooth consistency. Sprinkle some paprika on top and set aside. 

We will prepare our mushroom buns when there's about 15 minutes cooking time left. Take the mushrooms and remove stems. Brush a little oil on both sides then place in the oven (gills side up) turning over after about ten minutes. Let the mushrooms bake for another 5 minutes then remove - you'll need to dab these with a clean cloth to remove some of the cooking juices. 

Once everything is cooked assemble the burgers with mushroom 'buns', salad and hummus. Serve with sweet potato wedges and your choice of hot sauce (I recommend CHOLULA - so good!)

buddha bowl

This Buddha bowl was delicious and super easy - I was after something quick (little bit hungover - needed sustenance ASAP) and I had some things in my fridge that needed used. 

Buddha bowls can be adapted in many ways, but as a general rule I try to include some sort of healthy grain, greens, legumes/beans and whatever else I want/need to use just gets chucked in!

I won't list a specific recipe because you can change this up in so many ways, but here is a list of what I included in this particular bowl:

• Black rice
• Roasted sweet potato slices
• Raw red cabbage
• Mango
• Steamed black kale
• Roasted chilli and garlic chickpeas
• Sprouted buckwheat
• Fermented salsa (the last of the jar - need to make more immediately!)

Roasted chickpeas are delicious and so simple to make. I used a tin of organic chickpeas, rinsed and patted dry. Sprinkle over some hot chilli powder, smoked paprika and garlic granules and bake in the oven @ 180° for around 30 mins :)

P.S. I said I would report back on the fermented salsa! I've been using it for about a week now and I'm hooked. It's so much more flavoursome than 'normal' salsa. I've been using it with salads, sweet potatoes, tortilla chips (bold!) and everything else in between. For a recipe that was so simple (chop everything and chuck in a mason jar with some pink salt) this was insanely good..! I will continue to make this regularly because it's a great option to have in the fridge - thumbs up!

pistachio, pomegranate and pink Himalayan salt chocolate bark

This chocolate turned out so good! And it took all of about ten minutes to make - even better! 

I used 85% cocoa chocolate to try to make this as healthy as possible. I've seen many variations of this recipe - using different dried fruits, nuts and seeds.

Ingredients

• 2 large bars of dark chocolate - the higher % cocoa you can get, the better!
• 2 handfuls of shelled pistachios, chopped in half
• 1 pomegranate - seeds extracted from fruit - for tips on how to do this check out this link

Method

To melt the chocolate you will need a pot, some water and a heat resistant bowl. Add some water to the pot and bring to the boil. Lower heat to medium and place your bowl on top of the pot - there should be no spaces between the pot and the edges of your bowl. Ensure that the water is not touching the bottom of the bowl. Crack chocolate into pieces and add to bowl. Stir continuously until chocolate is fully melted. Pour melted chocolate onto a silicone baking sheet (you also can use greaseproof paper on top of a baking sheet). Spread chocolate out - you can make it as thin or thick as you like! Sprinkle toppings onto melted chocolate while it is still hot. Place baking sheet into fridge for a couple of hours to harden. ENJOY. 

veggie stirfry with black rice noodles

I picked up these black rice noodles recently and I've been dying to try them with something! Stirfry is one of those tasty, easy dishes that's perfect for evenings when you just can't really be bothered 'cooking'.

This recipe is really simple and uses minimal ingredients - most of which you will probably already have in your fridge/cupboard.

Note: When making stirfry I find that I always over/under cook broccoli so I now just steam it and add it in at the end, this way it gets cooked properly and retains its lovely green colour!

Ingredients

• Tbsp of sesame seeds - lightly toasted in pan and set aside
• 2 tbsp sesame oil
• 2 tbsp liquid aminos
• 3 cloves of garlic (I love garlic!)
• Thumb sized piece of grated ginger 
•  Red bell pepper
• Yellow Bell pepper
• Half a head of broccoli
• 1 sliced carrot
• Handful of peanuts
• 1 tbsp vegan 'chicken' stock powder (I use Massel - you can find this on Amazon!)
• 1 carton of chestnut mushrooms
• 2 sliced spring onions
• Warm water as required 
• Optional: Cornflour - you can use this if you want the sauce to be thicker
• Your choice of side - rice/rice noodles/cous cous - cooked per package instructions 

Method

Heat some sesame oil in a non stick pan on medium heat. Add garlic, ginger, and carrots and stir fry for 2 minutes. Add peppers, mushrooms and peanuts and stirfry for a further 2 minutes. Whisk together aminos, 'chicken' stock powder, a few tablespoons of water and cornflour (if desired) then add this to the pan. Stirfry for a further two minutes then serve with your choice of side. Top with sliced spring onions and toasted sesame seeds. 

fresh summer rolls with sesame tofu, basil and mint

These summer rolls are crunchy, light and quick to prepare (once you get the hang of working with rice papers!). Options for fillings are endless - any crunchy vegetable combo will taste great - I've since made another batch with rice noodles in the middle, this makes the rolls much more filling.

There are a couple of different rice papers you can use - bigger papers can be folded at both ends then rolled and cut in half (burrito stylee!), the smaller ones - which I used - can be folded up at the bottom then rolled. Having tried both methods I definitely feel like the smaller sheets are easier to work with, so may be a good choice if it's your first time too!

Ingredients - Rolls

• 16cm rice paper sheets
• Handful of beansprouts - blanched
• Bunch of basil
• Bunch of mint
• A few sprigs of coriander
• Bell peppers sliced into sticks
• Carrots sliced into sticks
• Cucumber sliced into sticks
• Sliced spring onions
• Tofu fried in sesame oil then cut into strips

Ingredients - Sauce

• 2 tbsp peanut butter
• 2 tbsp aminos
• 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• Pinch of chilli flakes
• 1 tsp maple syrup
• 1 clove garlic - grated
• Warm water to thin as required 

Method

Whisk all sauce ingredients together until the mixture reaches a smooth consistency - if the mixture is too thick, add warm water to thin as required. Set sauce aside.

Before preparing the rice paper rolls set a bowl of warm water next to you - you will need this to soften the sheets. Submerge a sheet in the water for about 15 seconds, you'll want to remove it before it's completely softened or it'll be impossible to lay out flat. Lay out flat on a plate and dab the top of the sheet with a clean cotton towel to remove excess water. Layer on your crunchy veggies, herbs and tofu. Fold the bottom of the sheet then roll. DONE. 

Serve right away with peanut dipping sauce :) 

fermented salsa

Having only recently become aware of the benefits of eating fermented foods I've been really looking forward to trying out a recipe of my own - the only thing holding me back was finding a decent mason jar. I managed to pick one up a few days ago so wanted to try this recipe straight away! 

Eating fermented foods introduces beneficial bacteria into our digestive systems which in turn can improve digestion, boost immunity and there are claims that they can even reverse some diseases. 

This salsa is sitting on my counter fermenting as we speak - I'm so excited to try it! I'll report back with pictures/review once I open. I plan to allow it to ferment for around 2/3 days on the counter and then move it to my fridge to be used - it will last for around 8 months in the fridge, however mine will probably be done by the weekend :) 

Ingredients

• 8 large vine ripened tomatoes
• 1 bunch of coriander
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 1 chilli (I used red) 
• Juice of 1 lime
• Juice of half a lemon
• 1 red onion
• 2 tablespoons of pink Himalayan salt (you can also use Celtic/sea salts)
• Your choice of spice - I used half a teaspoon of cumin, half a teaspoon of hot chilli powder and half a teaspoon of smoked paprika

Method

Chop all ingredients to desired size - I recently invested in a little Philips chopper, this has saved me so much time (and so many tears where onions are concerned!) when cooking. Transfer to a bowl and add lemon/lime juices, salt and spices. Give this a good stir around and transfer to mason jar. Leave mason jar on counter for 2/3 days and once this time is up, transfer to fridge to keep cool.

Bún Chay (Vietnamese Veggie Noodle Salad)

Bún Chay is one of those dishes that will never get boring. The combination of fresh aromatic herbs along with crunchy fresh veggies, crispy sesame tofu and sweet/salty/sour sauce will keep me coming back to this recipe time and time again! This dish is so quick to throw together and is perfect for warm summer evenings. 

I used carrot and cucumber for this particular bowl but you can throw in whatever needs used in your fridge - I usually add some beansprouts too but I forgot on this occasion! Fresh bell peppers, sugar-snap peas and radishes will all work a treat in this dish.

The herbs are what give this dish such a fresh and interesting flavour - so don't be shy when adding them! 

Noodles/Tofu/Salad/Herbs

• 2 servings of dried rice vermicelli
• 225g pack of Clearspot Naturally Smoked Tofu (or a firm tofu of your choice)
• Sesame oil
• A few handfuls of chopped lettuce
• A handful of beansprouts
• Half a cucumber sliced into sticks
• 2 carrots sliced into sticks
• One handful each of fresh chopped basil, coriander and mint - plus some sprigs left over for decoration
• Chopped salted peanuts to top (I had none so I used toasted sesame seeds instead - still good!)

Sauce

• 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp liquid aminos (you can also use soy sauce)
• 2 tbsp lime juice
• 2 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 grated clove garlic
• 1 tsp coconut sugar

Method

Start by making your sauce - whisk all ingredients together and set aside. 

Cut your tofu block into squares about half an inch in thickness. Press these with some kitchen towel to remove excess water. Add a tbsp of sesame oil to a pan and heat on med-low heat then add tofu squares and fry for about 10 mins. Once this time is up, turn over and fry the other side for about 5 mins (or until nice and crispy). Remove from pan and allow to cool for a few minutes - once cool, chop into cubes and set aside. 

While your tofu is frying prepare your rice noodles per the package instructions. Once these are ready, rinse with cold water and set aside.

Arrange your lettuce, carrots, cucumber, beansprouts and fresh herbs in bowls. Add rice noodles to each bowl and pour over sauce. 

Add tofu cubes and garnish with chopped peanuts and leftover herb sprigs.

ENJOY :) 

summer salad feat. avocado rose attempt 1

The sun is STILL shining here in Belfast - summer has lasted longer than a day, yay! I really crave salad when it's sunny outside so here we have a random assortment of fruits (blueberries were a weird but good addition!) / veggies I found in the fridge, teamed with steamed baby spuds.

I've been seeing avocado roses all over Instagram recently - I've been dying to try making my own, so behold my first attempt! It turned out okay, however I will definitely cut the slices thinner next time.. If you're trying this please remember to use a firm (but still ripe!) avocado - mushy avos will just collapse.

Check out this link if you're interested in attempting your own avocado rose!

banana-berry nice-cream

Summer has finally decided to rear it's lovely little head here in Belfast, this can mean only one thing - ICE-CREAM!

None of the shops local to me sell vegan ice-cream (yet-!!) so I decided to whip up some nice-cream using only fruit and a tiny bit of coconut milk - this more than satisfied my sweet tooth and left me feeling relatively guilt free. 

Ingredients:

• 3 frozen bananas - peel and chop before freezing
• Handful of frozen mixed berries 
• Punnet of fresh blueberries
• Handful of fresh strawberries
• Any dairy free mylk - coconut, almond, rice and soy mylks are all good for this!
• Poppy seeds for topping - this is all I had, however any nut/seed combo will work.
• Fruit for topping

Method:

Using a high speed blender, blend together all of the fruits with a dash of coconut milk. Bear in mind that it's better to add a little milk at first then increase if needed, if too much is added the mixture will take on a smoothie consistency as opposed to ice-cream. Once blended spoon into a bowl and top with fresh fruit and your choice of nuts/seeds, et voila! DIG IN. 

There are endless possibilities where nice-cream is concerned so I'll definitely experiment more in future! I think I'll try it using frozen mango next, and possibly some frozen avocado to add some extra creaminess :)