Category: Light Bites & Snacks

Spiced Pumpkin Muffins

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No tricks, all treats here. Using dates to naturally sweeten these muffins with roasted pumpkin, autumnal spices and sultanas. Delicious as they are, they also can be topped with orange mascarpone icing for the final touch.

Makes 12 muffins

Ingredients

  • 200g pitted dates
  • 50ml boiling water
  • 200g roasted pumpkin flesh
  • 175g vegetable oil
  • 3 eggs
  • Zest and juice of 1 orange
  • 100g sultanas
  • 200g self raising flour
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon of grated nutmeg
  • 200g mascarpone

Method

  • Preheat the oven to 180°C fan/ 200°C convection
  • In a jug add the dates and boiling water. Allow to sit for 5 minutes before blending to a paste with the roasted pumpkin flesh.
  • In a large mixing bowl add the oil, eggs and date pumpkin puree. Mix together before adding the orange zest and sultanas. Mix again to combine.
  • Sieve the flour, spices and bicarbonate of soda into the wet mixture and fold in.
  • Line a muffin tray with 12 muffin cases. Evenly divide the batter between the 12 cases and bake for 25 minutes, or till a skewer inserted into the muffin comes out clean.
  • Remove from the tray and allow to completely cool on a cooling rack.
  • Just before serving mix the mascarpone and 1/2 the juice of and orange till smooth. Spoon onto the top of the muffin, and if desired decorate with more orange zest.
Spiced Pumpkin Muffins

Option to freeze the muffins once they are cooled for up to 3 months.

Per muffin: 364kcal/ 24g fat/ 6.4g saturated fat/ 31g carbohydrates/ 2g fibre/ 5.2g protein

Roasted Mushroom Pate

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Combining deliciously roasted and sticky garlic with vitamin D-enriched mushrooms (read my previous post on enriching your mushrooms with vitamin D by clicking here) for a delicious and nutritious spread. Make a large batch and I promise you won’t regret it! Try serving these up as little canapes on thinly sliced toasted bread at your next dinner party.

Roasted Mushrooms
Roasted Garlic

Makes 17 portions

Ingredients

  • 1 bulb of garlic
  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 500g mushrooms of choice
  • 1 tbsp rapeseed oil
  • 20 sprigs of thyme
  • 300g cream cheese
  • 15g chives, chopped
  • 1/2 tsp white pepper
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice

Method

  • Preheat the oven to 160°C fan/ 180°C convection
  • Slice the top off the garlic bulb to expose the very tops of the cloves. Place in a mini cocotte or on double-layered tin foil. Drizzle with the olive oil, cover and place into the oven.
  • Meanwhile, add the mushrooms to a large tray, drizzle with the rapeseed oil and 10 sprigs of thyme. Roast in the oven for 1 hour till the mushrooms are sticky and shrunken.

  • Once the mushrooms are cooked check the garlic is soft and remove from the oven to cool – it may need a further 10-15 minutes depending on the size of your bulb and your vessel.
  • Once cooled, to a food processor add the mushrooms, remove the thyme leaves from the roasted thyme, chives, white pepper, and lemon. Add the remaining fresh thyme leaves and 5-6 cloves of roasted garlic. Blend to the desired consistency, checking the seasoning is to your taste.
  • Serve with crusty bread, crackers or stir into a risotto just at the end. Any leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days, or frozen for up to 2 months.
Roasted Mushroom Pate

Per serving: 58kcal/ 4.8g fat/ 2.9g saturated fat/ 1.6g carbohydrates/ 0.5g fibre/ 1.7g protein

Sourdough Croutons

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Sourdough Bread

If you ever have stale sourdough bread, here’s the easiest way to use it up. No food waste in this house, they keep in an airtight container for a few weeks ready to sprinkle on anything that needs and extra piece of crunch!

The recipe is super easy, I roughly uses 1 sprig of rosemary, 1 clove of garlic and 1 tablespoon of oil for every 100g of bread. But of course you can change this up according to your taste.

Ingredients

  • Sourdough bread, cut into 1″ cubes
  • Garlic cloves, crushes
  • Rosemary, roughly chopped
  • Olive oil

Method

  • Preheat the oven to 150°C fan/ 160°C convection
  • Mix the oil, garlic and herbs together in a large bowl. Add the bread cubes and mix to completely coat the cubes.
  • Transfer to a baking tray, spreading the cubes out and bake for 25-30 minutes, till golden brown and crispy.
  • Sprinkle over your favourite soups or salads, or allow to cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

Baked Goats Cheese and Blackberries

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Blackberries are a quintessential fruit of British summer. Growing wildly in hedgerows all over the UK, these delicious dark jewels can be easily picked at your leisure for both sweet and savoury dishes.

Serves 4 as a starter

Ingredients

  • 180g log of goats cheese
  • 200g blackberries
  • 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • A few sprigs of thyme

To serve

  • Bread of choice, toasted if desired

Method

  • Preheat the oven to 180°C fan/ 200° convection
  • Slice the goats cheese in half and place in an ovenproof dish.
  • Scatter the blackberries around the edge, then drizzle the oil, honey and thyme over the top. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes.
  • Serve immediately with your choice of bread.
Baked Goats Cheese and Blackberries

Per serving: 198kcal/ 13.0g fat/ 8.2g saturated fat/ 9.4g carbohydrates/ 3.4g fibre/ 9.8g protein

Coffee, Banana and Vanilla Smoothie

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We’re in the middle of a heatwave, and you’d be forgiven for thinking I had lost the plot as it may sound like a weird combination, but honestly you have to try it before you judge. I also think the secret is the perfect pairing is with the use of Alpro Soya Vanilla drink. Completely unendorsed, I fell in love with this product many moons ago whilst at university studying for my undergraduate nutrition degree and stumbled upon this. The combination of flavours which worked so well it became my signature drink of choice. Perfect as both breakfast on the go, or as a mid-morning snack along side a coffee pick me up when packaged away in a thermos flask to keep it nicely chilled.

It’s the perfect smoothie for a heatwave where you would love a coffee but don’t want a hot drink. Also great for preventing any banana wastage as once they start turning spotty brown simply peel and freeze in chunks ready to make this drink.

Each serving provides you with:

  • 1 of you 5 a day
  • 35% of your daily calcium requirements
  • 18% of your potassium requirements
  • Source of fluids for hydration

Serves 1

Ingredients

  • 1 banana, frozen overnight
  • 50ml coffee of choice
  • 200ml Alpro Soya Vanilla drink

Method

  • Place all of the ingredients in a high-speed blender till smooth.
  • Pour into a glass, or into a thermos flask to save for later.
Coffee, Banana & Vanilla Smoothie

Broad Bean and Mint Hummus

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Do you like broad beans? I think they’re a little bit like Marmite, you either love them or hate them. And I also firmly believe that those leathery little jackets surrounding each green bean is responsible for so many people not liking them, including to some extent, myself. They’re currently in season (from the end of June to the middle of September) so why not pick up a bag.

Many people will peel each bean out of its leathery jacket, revealing a bright green bean inside. I, however, do not do this because it’s time-consuming, wastes food, but also impacts the nutritional content. Those papery jackets actually contribute to the phenolic compounds as well as the fibre content.

However, the good news is that I have a delicious recipe with doesn’t remove the skins which both saves time and also keeps the maximum nutrition of the beans in the dish. It’s delicious, I promise that if you’re a fan of hummus this is going to be right up your street.

Serves 10

Ingredients

  • 750g broad beans in their pods, or around 300g depodded
  • 45g tahini
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 15g chives, chopped
  • 3 sprigs of mint, leaves removed
  • juice of 2 large lemons (around 90ml)
  • 50ml extra virgin olive oil

To serve

  • Toasted sourdough
  • A few reserved cooked broad beans
  • Mint leaves
  • Olive oil

Method

  • Bring a large pan of water to a boil. Cook the broad beans for 2 minutes before draining and plunging them into iced water. Drain once cool, reserving a few for decoration if desired.
  • In a food processor, add the cooked broad beans with all of the remaining ingredients.
  • Blitz till the desired consistency, adding a little extra water if needed. I like mine a little chunky.
  • Serve on toast dressed with extra broad beans, mint and olive oil, or with crudites.
  • Any remaining hummus can be stored in an airtight container for 3 days in the fridge.

Per 50g serving: 97kcal/ 8.0g fat/ 1.1g saturated fat/ 3.2g carbohydrates/ 1.9g fibre/ 2.8g protein

Griddled Asparagus and Poached Egg

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I adore asparagus season, fleeting as it is. Therefore having it for breakfast seems the perfect way to enjoy the season to the max.

I love having asparagus soldiers dipped in a soft-boiled egg. But if I have the time I love nothing more than griddling it over a hot pan and serving it with a beautifully soft poached egg and some sourdough. For me this is the perfect springtime brunch.

Seasonal British asparagus also emits 5 times less CO2 in comparison to those transported from abroad. Therefore if you want to reduce your food carbon footprint, enjoy British asparagus in its peak season from mid-April to the end of May.

Serves 1

Ingredients

  • 1 small bunch of fresh British asparagus
  • 1 slice of sourdough
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 egg
  • Butter (optional)
  • Salt and pepper

Method

  • Prepare the asparagus by snapping off the woody ends
  • Preheat a griddle pan
  • Oil one side of the sourdough and place on the griddle pan to cook.
  • Lightly oil the asparagus and place it in the griddle pan alongside the bread
  • Before flipping the bread, oil the second side.
  • Cook for a few minutes till charred
  • Meanwhile, bring a pan of water to a gentle simmer, gently swirl and poach the egg for 3-4 minutes depending on your taste
  • Assemble the asparagus on the sourdough, adding the optional knob of butter on the asparagus if desired before topping with the poached egg
  • Season with salt and pepper to your taste and enjoy

Wild Garlic and Prawn Dumplings

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I’m not sure it would truly count as Spring if I didn’t make something glorious and green with wild garlic!

If you can’t get wild garlic, or it’s out of season, you can use garlic chives as an alternative and still get that lovely allium flavour through the dumplings. If you can’t get these either you can replace with spinach, and then add a minced garlic clove to the prawn filling – you will still get a gorgeous green hue in the dumpling wrappers, and the addition of a garlic clove to the mixture will add all the flavour you need.

Makes 12 dumplings

Ingredients

For the dumpling skins

  • 50g wild garlic or spinach leaves
  • 108g plain flour
  • 12g corn flour

For the filling

  • 150g raw prawns, minced
  • 50g bamboo shoots, roughly chopped
  • 5g fresh ginger, finely chopped
  • 1 tsp corn flour
  • 2 tsp soy sauce
  • 1 tsp sesame oil, plus extra for cooking
  • White pepper to taste
  • (1 garlic clove, minced if using spinach)
  • 1 tsp rapeseed oil

Method

  • To make the dumpling skins start by blending the wild garlic leaves to a paste. Strain the liquid off, weighing it as you do.
  • In a bowl, add the plain and corn flour, mixing together.
  • Take the strained liquid and top up with boiling water to make a total of 62g of liquid. Add this hot mixture to the flour and stir to a shaggy mixture. Cover and leave for 10-30 minutes.
  • Knead the dough till it is smooth and elastic. Cover and rest for 30-60 minutes.
  • Meanwhile prepare your filling by mixing all the ingredients together, except for the rapeseed oil.
  • Roll the dough into a long sausage shape and divide into 12 equal rounds.
  • Take one round, and cover the reaming pieces of dough, and press down with the palm of your hand on the cut surface to create a flat disk. Using a rolling pin, roll from the centre out, turn a quarter and repeat till you have created a round flat disk with a thin edge.
  • If not using immediately, cover to prevent it from drying it out as you continue to roll out the remaining dough.
  • Take one dumpling skin and fill it with a heaped teaspoon of the mixture. Using a little water over one half of the inside of the dough, start from one end and gently pinch with an overlap to seal each dumpling in a crescent shape. Repeat with the rest of the dough and mixture.
  • Add the rapeseed oil to a frying pan and heat gently. Arrange the dumplings so they have at least 1cm between each dumpling – you may need to cook them in batches depending on the size of your pan.
  • Cook for 2-3 minutes on a medium heat till the bottom turns golden on the bottom.
  • Boil the kettle and add water directly into the pan so it come up to the bottom third of the dumpling. Immediately cover with a lid to steam the dumplings.
  • After 5 minutes, remove the lid and allow any remaining liquid to evaporate off, add a dash of sesame oil to finish and crisp the bottom for 1 minute.
  • Remove from the pan and enjoy hot.
Wild Garlic & Prawn Dumplings

Per 4 dumplings: 232kcal/ 5.3g fat/ 0.8g saturated fat/ 32g carbohydrates/ 2.7g fibre/ 13g protein

St. Clement Hot Cross Buns

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These citrusy hot cross buns are plant-based using vegetable oil and dairy-free milk to create an enriched dough without the use of dairy and eggs.

St. Clement Hot Cross Buns

Makes 9 buns

Ingredients

For the buns

  • 2 oranges, zest and juice
  • 100g sultanas
  • 100g strong wholemeal flour
  • 250g white strong flour
  • 30g rapeseed oil, plus a little extra
  • 7g yeast
  • 30g caster sugar
  • 50g mixed peel
  • 2 tsp ground mixed spice
  • 125ml milk, I have used unsweetened soya milk

For the crosses

  • 5ml rapeseed oil
  • 25g strong white flour
  • 25-30ml water

For the glaze

  • 50ml of reserved juice from the oranges
  • 15g sugar
  • pinch of ground mixed spice
  • Buns ready to be bakes
  • Fresh out of the oven and glazed

Method

  • Zest and juice the oranges, reserving 50ml of the juice for later.
  • Weigh out the remaining orange juice and top up to 100ml if needed with water. Add the sultanas and allow to soak while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
  • To a freestanding mixer bowl, add the flours, oil, yeast, sugar, mixed peel spices, soya milk and orange zest. Add in the orange juice and sultanas and knead for 5 minutes on a medium setting. Alternatively you can do this by hand but resist the temptation to add more flour – the dough should be ever so slightly sticky.
  • Lightly great a large bowl the oil, place the dough in and cover. Allow to double in size for 1-2 hours.
  • Knock the dough back and evenly divide into 9 balls.
  • Line a baking tin with baking paper and arrange the balls in a 3×3 format.
  • Cover and allow to double in size again, about 1-1.5 hours.
  • Once the dough has almost fully risen, preheat the oven to 200°C fan/ 220°C convection.
  • Prepare the batter by mixing the ingredients together to form a smooth pipeable mixture. Place into a piping bag.
  • Once the oven it up to temperature, pipe crosses over the tops of your buns.
  • Bake for 15 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, prepare the glaze by heating the orange juice, sugar and spices together till the sugar has dissolved.
  • Once the buns are cooked, generously glaze them, using all of the liquid.
  • Remove the buns from the tray onto a wire cooking rack, removing the baking parchment as well.
  • Best enjoyed fresh on the same day, or delicious toasted if a day or two old.

Per bun*: 254kcal/ 4.6g fat/ 0.4g saturated fat/ 46g carbohydrates/ 2.8g fibre/ 6.1g protein

*Analysis based on unsweetened soya milk

Roasted Tofu and Mediterranean Vegetables

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I love this simple combination. It’s a great base for so many different dishes, and it’s perfect for Veganuary. Tofu is a good source of vegan protein, while also being a source of calcium if it’s been set with either calcium sulfate or calcium phosphate.

Other vegetables that work really well in this include:

  • Marrow
  • Squashes
  • Pumpkins
  • Mushrooms
  • Tomatoes
  • Onions
  • Garlic (roast in their skins)
  • Fennel
  • Leeks

No tofu? Here are your protein alternatives:

  • Chickpeas, either roasted or stirred in at the end
  • Tempeh
  • Halloumi (making the dish vegetarian)
  • Serve with hummus in a sandwich, salad or with cous cous

Serves 4

Ingredients

  • 2 aubgerines
  • 2 tbsp rapeseed oil
  • 1 large, or 2 small courgettes
  • 2 peppers
  • 1 block of firm tofu

Method

  • Preheat an oven to 180°C fan/200°C convection.
  • Add the oil to a large roasting tray.
  • Slice the aubergine into chunks and immediately toss in the oil.
  • Chop the remaining ingredients, add to the tray and mix together, seasoning with pepper.
  • Roast in the oven for 50-60 minutes, stirring halfway through, till the edges of the vegetables and tofu go golden.
  • Serve with your choice of carbohydrates such as lemon and herb cous cous or kale pesto pasta – swap the parmesan for nutritional yeast to make it vegan
Delicious served with lemon and herb cous cous, or pesto pasta

Store any leftovers in a sealed tupperware for up to 3 days in the fridge.

Yellow Split Pea Falafel

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These little fritters have two main differences from the traditional falafel you would normally buy. Firstly their main ingredient is yellow split peas, as opposed to the traditional chickpea or fava bean. Secondly, they are baked in the oven rather than deep-fried. If neither of those facts have offended you then you’re in for a treat!

These make the perfect accompaniment to my easy hummus recipe to make a wrap, a nourish bowl or make large versions of the falafels and pop it in a burger bun for a vegan burger alternative.

Falafel and Hummus Salad Wrap

These falafel are packed full of nutrients, and each serving will provide you with:

  • 13g of plant protein
  • 18% of your fibre recommendation
  • 28+% of your daily iron requirements
  • 20+% of your zinc requirements
  • 10% of your calcium requirements

Serves 6

Ingredients

  • 200g yellow split peas, soaked overnight
  • 50g flat-leaf parsley, stems and leaves
  • 50g coriander, stems and leaves
  • 10g dill, stems and leaves
  • 1 medium red onion
  • 5 garlic cloves
  • 2 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 2 tsp sesame seeds
  • 120g gram flour
  • 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Method

  • Cook the yellow split peas in fresh water for 30 minutes. Drain and allow to cool slightly.
  • Roughly chop the herb stems before adding all the ingredients into a food processor. Pulse till the desired texture of your falafels – I prefer mine to have some texture throughout.
  • Transfer to a bowl, cover and chill in the fridge for 1 hour.
  • Preheat the oven to 200°C fan/ 220°C convection. Place a heavy-bottomed tray in to preheat with the olive oil. Allow to come to temperature.
  • Meanwhile, take the cooled mixture and gently press into disk shapes. The mixture should make around 18-20 falafels depending on how big you make them.
  • Once the baking tray and oil are up to temperature, transfer the falafels in. As they hit the oil they should sizzle slightly.
  • Bake for 20-25 minutes, flipping halfway through once golden brown and crispy.

Per serving: 273kcal/ 9.3g fat/ 1.2g saturated fat/ 30g carbohydrates/ 5.4g fibre/ 13.2g protein

Easy Hummus

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A super easy hummus recipe that can be ready in minutes. Use this as a healthy snack alternative, or as a component of a larger meal.

Chickpeas are good sources of plant-based iron, and the combination with lemon juice as a source of vitamin C means that the iron absorption from these sources will be increased; something that vegans and vegetarians will need to be aware of. Iron requirements differ according to sex and age; for pre-menopausal women a serving of hummus will provide 18% of iron requirements, whilst for men and post-menopausal women it’s over 30%.

Separately, chickpeas and sesame seeds, or tahini, in this case, are a good source of calcium. Each serving of hummus provides you with 8% of your daily calcium requirements, and that’s on its own. You could further increase the calcium content of your hummus meal by using broccoli crudités, or serving with brown or white bread which is fortified with calcium in the UK by law.

Makes 7 portions

Ingredients

  • 150g drained tinned chickpeas
  • 1 garlic clove, peeled
  • 45g tahini
  • 30ml extra virgin olive oil
  • Juice of 1 large lemon
  • ½ tsp ground cumin

To serve

  • Chickpeas
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Sesame seeds
  • Sumac
  • Vegetable crudités
  • Bread

Method

  • Add the chickpeas, garlic, tahini, olive oil, lemon juice and cumin to a food processor
  • Blend to your desired consistency, adding 1–2 tablespoons of water if needed
  • Serve in a bowl scattered with extra toppings such as cooked chickpeas, olive oil, sesame seeds and sumac with your favourite crudités
  • Any leftovers can be stored in the fridge in a covered container for three days

Per 45g serving: 114kcal/ 8.9g fat/ 1.2g saturated fat/ 4.0g carbohydrates/ 1.8g fibre/ 3.4g protein

For more information about key nutrients in vegan diets check out the blog I have written for MyNutriWeb.