Category: Recipes

Asparagus and Tomato Pasta Salad

Posted in Main Meals, RecipesTagged , , , , , Leave a comment

It’s British Tomato Fortnight as well as being halfway through the British Asparagus season, so I’m combining the two to make a delicious pasta salad that is perfect either hot or cold. Remember, allowing your pasta to cool helps create resistant starch which is fibre fuel for your gut microbes!

Serves 3

Ingredients

  • 250g pasta
  • 200g asparagus tips, roughly chopped
  • 100g spinach, roughly chopped
  • 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 lemon, zest and juice
  • 100g British tomatoes, roughly chopped
  • 1/2 bunch basil, roughly chopped
  • 1/2 bunch flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped
  • 1/2 bunch chives, roughly chopped
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 30g pecorino cheese

Method

  • Bring a large pan of water to the boil and cook the pasta for 2 minutes less than the packet instructions. In the last minute of cooking add the asparagus tips before draining.
  • Add the spinach and olive oil, and stir to combine before adding all the remaining ingredients except the pecorino.
  • Serve the pasta in bowls, hot or cold, with pecorino shavings over the top.
Asparagus and Tomato Pasta Salad

Easter Chocolate Nests

Posted in Dessert, RecipesTagged , , , , Leave a comment

With Easter approaching, here is an easy way to add a little extra goodness to chocolate with a fun twist. Perfect for entertaining the kids over the holidays whilst getting a little added fibre into the diet.

Makes 12

Ingredients

  • 200g dark chocolate
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 80g dried fruits (I’ve used dried cherries)
  • 225g bran cereal sticks
  • 12 mini eggs

Method

  • Melt the dark chocolate over a bain-marie. Add the olive oil, dried fruits and bran cereal and mix till evenly distributed.
  • Divide the mixture into 12 equal portions in cupcake cases. Add a mini egg on the top of each nest.
  • Allow to set completely (option to chill in the fridge for 30 minutes if you can’t wait) before enjoying.

Per nest: 203kcal/ 11g fat/ 4.5g saturated fat/ 21g carbohydrates/ 3.8g fibre/ 3.1g protein

Prebiotic Winter Soup

Posted in Light Bites & Snacks, Main Meals, Recipes, SidesTagged , , , , Leave a comment

What do Jerusalem artichokes, garlic, onions and leeks all have in common? They’re all prebiotics, which means they help feed the good bacteria in your gut.

If you’re not used to eating lots of prebiotics in your diet, you may well feel a little gassy after, but that’s your gut microbiota enjoying these special fibres. When they enjoy them, they ferment them, producing extra gas which you may notice either as bloating or flatulence. All good things, but always good to know in advance of this happening.

Serves 10

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 large onions, sliced
  • 2 leeks, sliced
  • 4 sticks of celery, sliced
  • 5 garlic cloves
  • 400g celeriac, roughly chopped
  • 800g Jerusalem artichokes, roughly chopped
  • 250ml white wine
  • 1 stock cube dissolved in 1.2l hot water
  • 1 bunch of thyme
  • 150ml double cream

To serve

  • Extra chopped herbs e.g. thyme leaves, chives, flat leaf parsley
  • Sourdough bread

Method

  • In a large pan, add the oil, onion, leeks and celery and cook for 5 mintues till soft.
  • Add the garlic, celeriac and Jerusalem artichokes followed by the wine, stock and thyme. Cook till the vegetables are soft.
  • Remove the woody herb stems before blending with the double cream. Season to taste with pepper.
  • Serve sprinkled with extra herbs and pepper and a slice of sourdough bread
Prebiotic Winter Soup

Per serving of soup: 204kcal/ 11g fat/ 5.6g saturated fat/ 15g carbohydrates/ 5.1g fibre/ 3.4g protein

Chocolate Orange Ricotta Pancakes

Posted in Breakfast, Dessert, RecipesTagged , , , , Leave a comment

We often think of fluffy buttermilk pancakes, but sometimes I struggle to find buttermilk in the shops. However, these ricotta pancakes are just as fluffy and oh-so delicious!

At this time of year, oranges are in season, including these gorgeous blood oranges with their vibrant red flesh. They’re extra sweet too, so for me they work perfectly as a little drizzle over the top of the pancakes just before serving, helping to enhance the lovely orange flavour of the pancakes.

I love these served with Greek yoghurt and extra orange segments, but if you have an extra sweet tooth you could serve them with some maple syrup.

I’ve used wholemeal flour in this recipe, which adds an extra 3g of fibre per serving in comparison to plain white flour. That’s an easy add of 10% of your daily recommendation of fibre with minimal effort! Plus you won’t be able to tell the difference with the end product.

Serves 5

Ingredients

  • 250g plain wholemeal flour
  • 50g caster sugar
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of Soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 4 eggs
  • 250g ricotta
  • 250ml milk
  • 1 orange, zest and juice
  • 120g 70% dark chocolate

To serve

  • 5 tablespoons of greek yoghurt
  • 2-3 oranges, segmented, and the remaining juice squeezed out

Method

  • In a large bowl mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, bicarb and salt together.
  • In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, ricotta and milk together. Add the orange zest and 50ml orange juice.
  • Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix together before adding the chocolate – don’t over mix the batter, keep some lumps of flour to ensure you get really lovely and fluffy pancakes.
  • Heat a pan over a low heat and brush with a little oil. Place 1 ladle spoon of batter into the centre of the pan and allow it to cook for 3 minutes (the pancake will spread out slightly so if cooking more than one in a pan at a time ensure there is sufficient gaps between them), watching for little bubbles to appear on the surface and the edges to start to darken before flipping and cooking for 2 minutes on the second side.
  • Repeat with the remaining batter, keeping the cooked pancakes covered and warm (option to keep the oven on at 50°C). You should make around 10 pancakes with the batter.
  • Serve warm with a spoonful of yoghurt, some orange segments and a drizzle of orange juice.
Chocolate Orange Ricotta Pancakes

Per serving: 763kcal/ 37g fat/ 20g saturated fat/ 67g carbohydrates/ 9.4g fibre/ 35g protein

Sundried Tomato and Red Pepper Pasta Bake

Posted in Main Meals, RecipesTagged , , , , , , Leave a comment

This Sundried Tomato and Red Pepper Pasta Bake is so simple and yet so tasty. You could make the pasta sauce and stir it through hot pasta and sprinkle the cheese on to eat it as it is to make it every quicker, but I do like the extra texture you get from baking it in the oven.

There are many sources of vitamin B12, but plant-based sources are limited to fortified foods including some breakfast cereals, dairy alternatives, nutritional year and yeast spreads and some specially grown mushrooms.

With vitamin B12, the more frequently you have it, the less you body needs as it is more efficient at absorbing it. Therefore, if you have B12 less often, your requirements go up to 10μg/day (if only have one intake of B12), or 2000μg per week. Each serving of my pasta provides you with 3μg, which is the daily recommendation if you are having multiple sources of B12 per day. Therefore, this can help you achieve the daily requirement if paired with other vitamin B12 containing foods throughout the day.

Serves 4

Ingredients

  • 100g sundried tomatoes
  • 200g cooked red peppers in brine
  • 60g almonds
  • 30g basil, stems removed from leaves
  • 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tbsp oil from the sundried tomatoes (or use extra virgin olive oil if you prefer)
  • 150ml soya milk fortified with vitamin B12
  • 20g nutritional yeast fortified with vitamin B12
  • 300g pasta
  • 300g broccoli
  • 100g vegan cheese fortified with vitamin B12
  • 2 tbsp breadcrumbs

Method

  • Bring a pan of water to the boil and cook your pasta according to the cooking instructions, adding the broccoli in for the last 4 minutes.
  • Preheat the oven to 180°C fan/ 200°C convection
  • Blend the tomatoes, peppers, almonds, basil stems, balsamic vinegar, oil, soya milk and nutritional yeast together to make a sauce.
  • Mix the sauce through the cooked pasta and broccoli, adding the basil leaves, and use a little pasta cooking water to get every scrap of sauce from the blender before pouring into a baking dish.
  • Mix the breadcrumbs and vegan cheese together and sprinkle over the top of the pasta bake. Cook for 20 minutes till golden brown and crispy.

Per serving: 704kcal/ 34g fat/ 3.2g saturated fat/ 67g carbohydrates/ 14g fibre/ 25g protein/ 3μg vitamin B12

Mushrooms on Toast

Posted in Breakfast, Light Bites & Snacks, RecipesTagged , , , , Leave a comment

This was a childhood recipe I would make it every weekend. I loved this recipe so much, but the original recipe used cow’s milk. I’ve turned it vegan by using some unsweetened soya milk and rapeseed oil in place of the butter. I still get that nostalgic feeling when eating this vegan version.

I’m using mushrooms which naturally contain vitamin D. I’ve written about this before where I talked about exposing shop-bought mushrooms to sunlight to make your own vitamin D mushrooms at home. You can buy mushrooms which have already been exposed to UVB rays, and therefore already contain vitamin D2. This can be useful if it’s not a sunny day or you don’t have time to let your mushrooms make vitamin D.

Serves 1

Ingredients

  • 10g rapeseed oil
  • 100g vitamin D mushrooms
  • 1 tbsp plain flour
  • 1 tbsp mushroom ketchup
  • 150ml unsweetened fortified soya milk
  • 1 slice of toast

Method

  • In a saucepan, heat the oil and fry the mushrooms till they release all their juices and they evapourate off.
  • Add the flour and mix into the mushrooms before adding the mushroom ketchup. Add the soya milk in a little bit at a time, stirring continuously to get a smooth sauce.
  • Once all the milk has been added, cook for a couple of minutes before serving piled high on a slice of toast
Mushrooms on Toast

Per serving: 409kcal/ 14g fat/ 1.6g saturated fat/ 56g carbohydrates/ 3.8g fibre/ 15g protein/ 6.2μg vitamin D2

Chipotle Chilli Beans

Posted in Main Meals, RecipesTagged , , , , Leave a comment

Iron can be found in animal sources e.g. meat and fish (known as haem iron) or from plant sources e.g. beans, pulses, nuts and fortified product such as cereals and bread (known as non-haem).

Serves 6

Ingredient

  • 1 chipotle chilli
  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 red onions, chopped
  • 2 sticks of celery, diced
  • 3 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1/2 tsp white pepper
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tin black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 tin haricot beans, rinsed and drained
  • 2 bell peppers, sliced
  • 1 tin of chopped tomatoes
  • 2 tbsp tomato puree
  • 30g coriander, chopped, leaves reserved
  • 200g kale, finely sliced

To serve

  • 6 portions of cooked brown basmati rice
  • 1 avocado, sliced
  • 6 tbsp soya yoghurt
  • 30g dairy-alternative cheese
  • 1 lime, cut into 6 wedges

Method

  • Soak the chipotle chilli in 100ml boiling water for 5 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, add the olive oil, onions and celery to a large pan and cook for 5 minutes till soft. Chop the now soaked chipotle chilli and add to the pan along with the garlic and cook for a few minutes.
  • Add the dried spices, beans and peppers and cook for 1 minute before adding in the tinned tomatoes, tomato puree, chipotle soaking water and around 200ml extra water. Add the coriander stems and cook for 20 minutes.
  • In the final 5 minutes of cooking, add the kale.
  • Serve in bowls with rice, and add the optional extras of avocado, soya yoghurt, dairy-free cheese and a squeeze of lime.

Per serving: 473kcal/ 13g fat/ 2.1g saturated fat/ 64g carbohydrates/ 15g fibre/ 16g protein/ 4.1mg iron

Crispy Tofu with Broccoli

Posted in Main Meals, RecipesTagged , , , Leave a comment

Firm tofu can be a good source of calcium on a fully plant-based diet if it is set with calcium chloride or calcium sulphate rather than nigari. Here’s how I love to cook my tofu. There are plenty of other vegetables you could use in this dish such as kale, spring greens, kai lan or pak choi which all contain calcium. Alternatively, other non-calcium containing vegetables that would be delicious in this dish include onions, peppers, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, carrots or mushrooms.

Serves 4

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp corn flour
  • 2 tbsp mushroom sauce (vegan oyster sauce)
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 1/4 tsp white pepper
  • 150ml water
  • 1.5 tbsp rapeseed oil
  • 1 block of calcium set tofu
  • 300g sprouting broccoli
  • 2 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1/2 inch piece of ginger, chopped

To serve

  • 4 portions of cooked rice
  • 2 spring onions, sliced
  • 1 red chilli, sliced
  • 2 tsp toasted sesame seeds

Method

  • Mix the corn flour, mushroom sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil, white pepper and water together and set aside.
  • Meanwhile, heat a frying pan with 1 tbsp rapeseed oil and cook the tofu on both sides for a few minutes till golden brown and crispy.
  • Remove the tofu and set aside. Turn the heat up and add the broccoli, cooking to 2 minutes till it starts to char.
  • Add the garlic, ginger and remaining oil and cook for 1 minute before adding the sauce mixture and cooking for 2-3 minutes till the sauce thickens and coats the broccoli.
  • Serve with the cooked rice and sprinkle the spring onions, chilli and sesame seeds over the top.
Crispy Tofu with Broccoli

Per serving: 408kcal/ 18g fat/ 2.8g saturated fat/ 37g carbohydrates/ 7.5g fibre/ 21g protein/ 462mg calcium*

*based on Cauldron Tofu

Baked Rice Pudding

Posted in Dessert, RecipesTagged , , , , , , Leave a comment

Iodine is a nutrient we need to make thyroide hormones. If we don’t get enough iodine in our diets it can lead to something called goitre where our thyroid glands swell up in our necks in order to increase the capture of low levels of iodine in our diets. This was a common disease in 1950’s before iodine was used in the dairy industry to help improve sterilisation techniques for dairy cattle. Since plant-based dairy products has boomed over the years, we are starting to see the increase of this goitre again as dairy intakes are reduces. Other sources of dietary iodine include shellfish and certain white fish. For those following a fully plant-based diet it is essential that you look for alternative sources of iodine, such as fortified milk alternative products. Many products are now starting to add this nutrient back in, but not all have to be sure to carefully check the ingredients or the nutritional information chart where they will proudly state it has been added.

One delicious way I like to use iodine-fortified milk alternatives is in my Baked Rice Pudding. For the creamiest and richest rice pudding I use the barista version, very close in taste to rice pudding enriched with cream. The standard unsweetened oat milk still makes a delicious rice pudding without so much richness, and is the basis for my nutritional analysis, although most iodine containing milk alternatives are fortified to around 20μg per 100ml.

Serves 4

Ingredients

  • 5 medjool dates, pitted
  • 800ml unsweetened oat milk fortified with iodine
  • 100g pudding rice

To serve

  • 200g frozen cherries
  • 30g flaked almonds
  • 30g coconut flakes

Method

  • Preheat the oven to 130°C fan/ 140°C convection
  • Blend the dates with 400ml oat milk
  • In a large baking dish (approximately 1.3l) mix the rice, date milk and the remaining oat milk. Bake in the oven for 1 hour 45 minutes.
  • On a baking tray add the coconut and almonds. Bake for the last 10 minutes.
  • Defrost the cherries over a low heat, allowing their juices to slightly concentrate.
  • Serve the rice pudding hot with the cherries, almonds and coconut sprinkled over the top.
Baked Rice Pudding

Per serving: 399kcal/ 12g fat/ 4.8g saturated fat/ 62g carbohydrates/ 6.7g fibre/ 6.7g protein/ 45μg iodine

Omega-3 Enriched Granola

Posted in Breakfast, RecipesTagged , , , , Leave a comment

Looking to increase your intake of omega-3 fatty acids when you don’t eat fish? Here’s an easy fix you can use to help increase your dietary omega-3 intake.

Makes 20 servings

Ingredients

  • 100g pitted dates
  • 30g chia seeds
  • 30g linseeds
  • 150g rolled oats
  • 50g rye flakes
  • 50g barley flakes
  • 50g spelt flakes
  • 100g chopped walnuts*
  • 30g sunflower seeds
  • 50g desiccated coconut
  • 50ml extra virgin olive oil
  • 100g sultanas
  • 100g dried cherries

Method

  • Preheat the oven to 120°C fan/ 130°C convection
  • Soak the dates in 200ml boiling water for 5 minutes, before adding the chia and linseeds and blending to a paste.
  • In a large mixing bowl add the oats, rye, barley, spelt, walnuts, sunflower seeds and coconut. Add the date paste and mix thoroughly before adding the olive oil and mixing again.
  • Spread the mixture out evenly on a baking tray. Bake for 30 minutes before turning the mixture, keeping large chunks. Bake again for 20 minutes, before flipping over again one last time, breaking up any very large chunks before baking for a final 20 minutes.
  • Allow the granola to completely cool before mixing in the dried fruit and storing in an airtight container.
Omega-3 Granola

Per 50g serving: 202kcal/ 10g fat/ 2.4g saturated fat/ 21g carbohydrates/ 4g fibre/ 4.4g protein/ 1.035g omega-3

Christmas Leftover Pasta

Posted in Main Meals, RecipesTagged , , , , Leave a comment
Christmas Leftover Pasta

Looking for alternative ways to use up your leftovers from Christmas Day? I’ve already got a leftover pie recipe, but after making two already this year for the freezer I needed to use up my leftovers in a different way.

You can use whatever you have to hand, almost anything goes but here are a few substitutes for my recipe below:

  • Onions and leeks – shallots
  • Brussel Sprout Tops – shredded Brussel Sprouts, kale, cabbage, spinach
  • Turkey stock – pinch of stock powder with 100ml water
  • Thyme – other herbs such as sage, oregano or chives
  • Cream – use milk, but add an extra teaspoon of flour
  • Turkey – leftover roast chicken
  • Ham – bacon (cook with the onions if raw) or pancetta
  • Parmesan – any leftover cheese would work such as stilton, cheddar, goats cheese
Christmas Leftover Pasta

Serves 4

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp rapeseed oil
  • 1 onion, sliced
  • 1 leek, sliced
  • 100g mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
  • A few sprigs of thyme, leaves removed
  • 1 tsp plain flour
  • 100g turkey stock
  • 100g Brussel sprout tops
  • 150ml double cream
  • 100g ham, chopped
  • 150g cooked turkey, chopped
  • 100g peas
  • 300g pasta

To serve

  • Parmesan

Method

  • In a pan add the oil and onion. Cook for a few minutes before adding the leeks and mushrooms, cooking till soft.
  • Meanwhile, cook the pasta in boiling water for 2 minutes less than the cooking instructions.
  • Add the garlic and thyme, stir and add the flour. Mix well to coat everything before pouring in the stock. Cook till the sauce thickens.
  • Add the Brussel sprout tops and cook till just wilted before adding the cream. Mix well and add the cooked meat and peas.
  • Mix the cooked pasta into the sauce, using a little pasta water to loosen the sauce as needed.
  • Serve topped with parmesan and enjoy.
Christmas Leftover Pasta
Christmas Leftover Pasta

No Waste Vegetable Fritters

Posted in Light Bites & Snacks, Recipes, SidesTagged , , , , , , 1 Comment
No Waste Vegetable Fritters

Use your leftover vegetable peelings from your Christmas Dinner to make these delicious No Waste Vegetable Fritters. They are so versatile in terms of what vegetables you want to use in them. I have used a combination of potato, parsnip, carrot and sprout peelings, but other suitable vegetables include onion, cabbage, kale, cauliflower (leaves included), broccoli, mushrooms or leeks.

Save the peelings in a Tupperware in the fridge for up to 3 days before making these fritters – you can adjust the gram flour (also known as chickpea flour or besan flour) and water to the weight of the vegetables.

Delicious served with a quick riata which can easily be adapted to vegan by using a plant-based yoghurt.

No Waste Vegetable Fritters
No Waste Vegetable Fritters

Makes around 8 fritters

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp rapeseed oil
  • 400g vegetable peelings e.g. carrots, potatoes, parsnips and sprouts
  • 1″ ginger, grated
  • 1 clove garlic, grated
  • 1 tsp nigella seeds
  • 1.5 tsp cumin seeds
  • 250g gram flour
  • Juice of 1 lemon

To serve

  • 250g plain yoghurt of choice
  • 100g grated cucumber
  • 1 spring onion, chopped
  • 1 handful fresh mint, chopped
  • Juice of half a lemon

Method

  • Preheat the oven to 200°C fan/ 225°C convection
  • In a large baking tray add the oil and preheat in the oven
  • In a large bowl add the remaining fritter ingredients and mix together with around 150ml water, adding extra water if needed to get a thick batter consistence.
  • Remove the tray from the oven and drop patties of the mixture into the hot oil, evenly spaced out. You should make around 7-8 fritters.
  • Cook in the oven for 10 minutes, before flipping over, gently pressing down and cooking for a further 12-15 minutes till golden brown and crispy.
  • Meanwhile, mix the raita ingredients together.
  • Once the fritters are cooked through, serve alongside the riata.

Per serving*: 198kcal/ 5.2g fat/ 0.7g saturated fat/ 25g carbohydrates/ 5.2g fibre/ 10g protein

No Waste Vegetable Fritters
No Waste Vegetable Fritters

*Nutritional analysis completed based on particular vegetables listed and plain low fat yoghurt.