Tag: vegan

3 Ingredient Snickers Bars (aka Reindeer Poops)

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As someone who is allergic to most nuts, I’ve never had a Snickers bar, but I have heard they are filled with crunchy peanuts, sweet caramel and coated in chocolate. I’ve not got a very sweet tooth, so I’m subbing in dark chocolate for milk, adding extra plant polyphenols which my gut will love. It’s also got the benefit of fibre from the naturally sweet and caramel-like date, and the crunchy almond butter has been blended with the skins on for even more fibre benefit, as these are the nuts I’m not allergic to.

All in all, this is a really easy recipe which will help to satisfy your sweet tooth when you might normally reach for a shop-bought version. Make a larger batch and keep them in an airtight container, if they last that long!

Serves 5

Ingredients

  • 5 Medjool dates, pitted and split down one side
  • 5 tsp crunchy almond butter (or any other nut butter of choice)
  • 100g dark chocolate, melted

Method

  • Add a teaspoon of nut butter to the middle of the date and close as best you can
  • Roll the stuffed date in the melted chocolate, getting an even coating over the whole surface
  • Allow to set on baking parchment for around 30 minutes
  • Enjoy straight away, or store in an airtight Tupperware for up to 2 weeks
Reindeer Poops

Per serving: 257kcal/ 15g fat/ 5.5g saturated fat/ 24g carbohydrates/ 4.4g fibre/ 4.6g protein

Air Fryer Falafel

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I used to work at King’s College London as a postdoctoral researcher and there was this little falafel stall just around the corner which would be mine and my colleagues go to spot when we were treating ourselves to lunch out (or running back to the metabolic research unit!).

These falafel are a nod to those which I used to have more frequently than I would like to admit, but I’ve put a healthy twist on them by cooking them in the air fryer, making no deep fat frying. This helps to reduce the overall fat of the falafel, as well as using extra virgin olive oil, which is a healthy fat which probably wasn’t the oil used for frying at the stall.

Makes 24 falafel

Ingredients

  • 250g dried chickpeas, soaked for at least 8 hours in cold water
  • 1 large red onion
  • 45g flat-leaf parsley
  • 20g dill
  • 30g coriander
  • Green chillis to taste (optional)
  • 1 tbsp ground cumin
  • 1 tbsp cumin seeds
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 2-3 heaped tablespoons of gram flour
  • 30g sesame seeds
  • 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Method

  1. Add the soaked chickpeas, onion, herbs, spices, salt and bicarbonate of soda to a blender and pulse till everything is finely chopped and combined.
  2. Mix in the gram flour to get a consistency that is still wet, but just holds together when gently pressed.
  3. Rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.
  4. Using a 2 tbsp measure, create little pucks of the mixture and gently top with sesame seeds on each of the flat sides.
  5. Place each falafel onto a non-stick baking tray (or line with baking parchment) leaving a 1cm gap between them.
  6. Brush with olive oil on the top and bake in the air fryer* for 15 minutes, flipping halfway through.
  7. Serve hot and crispy!

*option to bake in an oven set to 200°C fan for 15-20 minutes

Air Fryer Falafel

Per serving (4 falafel): 280kcal/ 12g fat/ 1.7g saturated fat/ 24g carbohydrates/ 11g fibre/ 13g protein

Spiced Butternut Squash & Lentil Soup

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My friend doesn’t like thick soups, which is often the case when using curcubits. This, however, is a very thin soup, which still packs a punch.

Each serving provides you with a third of your daily fibre requirements, making it a great meal choice on cold winter days.

Serves 4

Ingredients

  • 1 large red onion, roughly chopped
  • 2.5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
  • 1 tbsp cumin seeds
  • 650g pumpkin, skin on and roughly diced, seeds reserved
  • 100g red lentils
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp white pepper
  • 1 tsp ground turmeric
  • 15g fresh coriander

Method

  • Gently fry the onion and 2 tbsp oil in a large pan till soft and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for a further 2 minutes.
  • Add the cumin seeds and cook till fragrant before adding in the butternut squash and lentils with 1 litre of boiling water.
  • Allow to simmer for 20 minutes till the lentils and squash are cooked through and soft.
  • Meanwhile, coat the squash seeds with the remaining 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil and roast in an oven set to 180°C fan for 12 minutes, or 6-8 minutes in an air fryer.
  • Blend till smooth, seasoning with the remaining spice and serve with the crispy seeds and coriander leaves.
Spiced Butternut Squash and Lentil Soup

Per serving: 302kcal/ 13g fat/ 2.0g saturated fat/ 29g carbohydrates/ 10g fibre/ 13g protein

Sourdough Blueberry Bagels

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Blueberry sourdough bagels. Just a small amount of work and you will have the most delicious bagels – chewy crusts with a soft centre, filled with sweet and tangy blueberries which you know will do you good.

If you can’t find freeze-dried blueberries you can leave these out. Most shop-bought dried blueberries are sweetened with fruit juice and therefore won’t work as a replacement.

Makes 9 bagels

Ingredients

  • 200g frozen blueberries
  • 40g caster sugar
  • 150g active starter, refreshed 10-12 hours before
  • 500g bread flour
  • 8g salt
  • 75g freeze-dried blueberries (optional)
  • 20g molasses (to make vegan) or honey
  • Rice flour for dusting

Method

  1. Add the frozen blueberries to a large mixing bowl and pour over 200ml of boiling water. Allow the blueberries to thaw for 5 minutes.
  2. Add the caster sugar and sourdough starter and mix.
  3. Add the flour and salt, and mix in the bowl by hand for around 5 minutes before transferring to the work surface and kneading for a further 5 minutes. It will be sticky but keep working it.
  4. Transfer back to the mixing bowl, cover and rest for 1 hour.
  5. Top the dough back onto the work surface and knead for 1-2 minutes, adding the freeze-dried blueberries if using. Cover and prove at room temperature for 3 hours.
  6. Divide the dough into 9 equal portions around 125g and shape into a tight ball, using rice flour to stop them from sticking. Allow to rest for 30 minutes.
  7. Pinch the centre of each ball with your thumb and index finger, creating a hole. Then using both index fingers spin the dough around to create a bagel shape. Cover and rest in the fridge overnight, or for at least 8 hours.
  8. The next day, set the oven to 220°C fan, bring a large pan of water to a boil, and add the molasses.
  9. Boil each bagel for 30 seconds on each side before removing onto a wire cooling rack.
  10. Bake on a lined tray for 18-20 minutes, till golden brown and nicely puffed up.
  11. Delicious served with your favourite cream cheese and extra berries.
Sourdough Blueberry Bagels
Sourdough Blueberry Bagels
Sourdough Blueberry Bagels
Delicious served with fresh berries for further added phytochemicals

Sicilian Caper Focaccia

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Makes 1 large focaccia which will serve 8 minimum

Ingredients

  • 150g levain, refreshed 8-12 hours earlier
  • 15ml extra virgin olive oil plus extra for later
  • 150g wholemeal bread flour
  • 600g white bread flour
  • 12g salt
  • Salted caper
  • A few sprigs of rosemary

Method

  • Mix the levain, 500ml water and 15ml olive oil together before adding the flours and mixing to make a shaggy dough. Leave for 30 minutes covered.
  • Mix 12g of salt with 75ml water till dissolved, and pour over the dough, scrunching the dough with your hand to mix it in. The dough should look very rough and almost broken into small pieces. Cover and leave for 45 minutes.
  • Over the next few hours complete 4 sets of coil folds, allowing the dough to rest for 45-60 minutes between each fold.
  • Line and grease a large baking tray with olive oil. Gently transfer the dough to the baking tray and push the dough over the surface so it reaches the corners as best you can – there will be some resistance so don’t force it.
  • Cover the dough and leave in the fridge to slowly rise overnight – anywhere between 8-24 hours depending on your schedule
  • The next day preheat your oven to maximum temperature, add a small empty tray to the bottom of the oven for steam later, and remove the focaccia from the fridge.
  • Once the oven is up to temperature, uncover the dough and drizzle with a little olive oil. Using wet fingers, press your fingertips through the surface of the dough to create plenty of dimples before adding capers (with a little of their salt) and rosemary to the dimples.
  • Place the focaccia in the oven, adding water into the hot tray to create steam, closing the door as quickly as possible to trap the steam in, and reduce the oven temperature to 225°C fan/ 245°C convection for 20 minutes.
  • Remove the tray with water and bake for another 5 minutes* till the crust is golden.
  • Remove from the oven, and allow to cool on a wire rack.
Sicilian Caper Sourdough Focaccia

Bulgar Wheat Salad with Chickpeas

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Did you know that the average Brit spends £1000 buying lunch at work over the course of the year? This cost, coupled with the single-use packaging and missed opportunity for added nutrition is why I’ve teamed up with MyNutriWeb as part of Sustainable September to help you be more sustainable when it comes to lunch. It is estimated that 28% of people look to social media to influence their lunch choices, so let me influence you with my sustainable bulgar wheat salad with chickpeas which costs less than a meal deal, is packed full of fibre, and provides 20g of plant-based protein. You can read the full blog on MyNutriWeb’s webpage.

Serves 2 but can easily be doubled up to make more lunches

  • 100g bulgar wheat
  • 20g chives, finely chopped
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 6 sundried tomatoes, chopped, with
  • 200g cucumber, diced
  • 100g flat-leaf parsley, chopped
  • 1 tin of chickpeas, drained (look for those with no added salt)

Method

  1. Add the bulgar wheat and chives to a large mixing bowl and pour 120ml boiling water over the top. Cover and leave to steam for 10 minutes till all the water has been absorbed.
  2. Once cooked, fluff the bulgar wheat and stir in the remaining ingredients.

Substitutions:

  • Bulgar wheat for couscous, quinoa, or orzo
  • Chives for spring onions or finely diced red onion
  • Sun-dried tomatoes for fresh, or roasted peppers, or artichokes
  • Cucumber for courgettes, or leftover roast vegetables
  • Flat leaf parsley for lettuce, rocket, watercress, spinach or any other leafy green
  • Chickpeas for any other beans e.g. butter beans, kidney beans, haricot beans
Bulgar Wheat Salad with Chickpeas

Per serving: 448kcal/ 8g fat/ 1.1g saturated fat/ 65g carbohydrates/ 18g fibre/ 20g protein

Chocolate Courgette Cake

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Chocolate Courgette Cake

This cake secretly hides 2 courgettes in it, and you almost can’t tell bar the few flecks of green and yellow here and there. The courgette helps the cake stay moist, and it is in ways close to the texture of a brownie, but it also happens to be egg and dairy-free, meaning it’s suitable for those following a full plant-based diet.

Makes 16 pieces

Ingredients

  • 2 courgettes grated (approximately 325-360g)
  • 150g caster sugar
  • 120g vegetable oil (I used extra virgin olive oil)
  • 60g plant-based milk (I used unsweetened soya)
  • Juice of half a lemon (15ml)
  • 200g wholemeal plain flour
  • 60 cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 150g dark chocolate chips

Method

  • Mix the courgettes, caster sugar, vegetable oil, plant-based milk and lemon juice together in a large bowl.
  • In a separate bowl mix the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and bicarb together to evenly distribute.
  • Combine the dry ingredients into the wet, mixing well with the addition of 2/3 of the chocolate chips.
  • Spread out into a lined baking time approximately 25cmx25cm, top with the remaining chocolate chops, and bake for 25-30 minutes in an oven preheated to 160°C fan/ 180°C convection.
  • Allow to cool on a rack before slicing.

If you are feeling more decadent, this cake is delicious served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!

Chocolate Courgette Cake with Ice Cream

Per serving: 220kcal/ 13g fat/ 4.0g saturated fat/ 21g carbohydrates/ 3.6g fibre/ 3.6g protein

Tofu Pasta Bake

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The Summer holidays are upon us, and I’m sure we’ll all be in need of inspiration for family friendly recipes! 

I created this recipe for baby and child nutritionist Charlotte Stirling-Reed and it is an absolute winner. It’s really easy to prepare – all in one dish, filled with nutrition and flavour with no added salt making it the perfect family-friendly recipe!

Serves a family of 4

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp mixed chopped fresh or frozen herbs e.g. basil, sage, oregano, thyme OR 1.5 tsp dried mixed herbs
  • 3 garlic cloves, grated OR 1 tsp dried garlic powder
  • 250g orzo or other short pasta with a cooking time of around 12 minutes
  • 400g chopped cherry tomatoes* OR 1 400g tin of chopped tomatoes
  • 1 red onion sliced** OR 120g frozen chopped onion
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 block of soft set (silken) tofu (350g)
  • 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 1 tsp basil (fresh or frozen)

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 160°C fan/180°C convection.
  2. Mix the onion and olive oil together in a separate bowl.
  3. Add the mixed herbs, garlic and orzo to a large ovenproof dish with 500ml boiling water and mix to evenly distribute.
  4. Add the tomatoes over the top, the tofu in the centre and spread the onions out around the tofu.
  5. Bake in the oven for 45 minutes.
  6. Once cooked through add the nutritional yeast, extra basil and mix everything together before serving.
Tofu Pasta Bake

*For small babies and children cut the tomatoes into quarters

**For small babies and children cut the onion into small squares 

10 Minute Sesame Udon Noodles

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10 minute sesame noodles

This is my perfect working from home lunch when I have have 10 minutes to cook something. I want it to be nutritious but quick, and this is the perfect meal for that. You can sub the vegetables with what you have, but I always have frozen edamame beans in the freezer ready for a quick snack or meal. They’re a great source of plant-based protein, really affordable and conveniently shelled in the pack so you can just add them to whatever you’re cooking for the last minute or two.

Serves 2

Ingredients

  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1/2″ piece of ginger, minced
  • 3 tbsp tahini
  • 1 tbsp mirin
  • 1 tsp soy sauce
  • 1 tsp sake
  • 2 packs of udon noodles
  • 160g choi sum
  • 160g edamame beans
  • 3 spring onions, finely sliced
  • 2 sheets nori, cut into thin strips
  • 1 tsp sesame seeds

Method

  • Cook the udon noodles according to the packet instructions, adding the veg in for the last minute of cooking.
  • Meanwhile make the sauce by combining the garlic, ginger, tahini, mirin, soy sauce and sake together.
  • Toss the cooked noodles in the sauce to evenly coat, adding some cooking water to get a smooth sauce consistency to your liking, and add the veg, garnishing with the spring onion, nori and sesame seeds.
10 minute sesame noodles
10 minute sesame noodles

Per serving: 511kcal/ 23g fat/ 3g saturated fat/ 48g carbohydrates/ 11g fibre/ 21g protein

Wild Garlic Sourdough Focaccia

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I’m still trying to savour the wild garlic season, and I love baking it into bread. You can freeze the bread and use it in the months to come so further preserve the flavour of it.

For more information about making sourdough and the various stages visit my page on sourdough bread.

Makes 2 x 9″ square tins, but you could bake one large, or make a very deep focaccia

Ingredients

  • 150g levain, refreshed 8-12 hours earlier
  • 15ml extra virgin olive oil plus extra for later
  • 150g wholemeal bread flour
  • 600g white bread flour
  • 12g salt plus extra to top
  • A big bunch of wild garlic, roughly chopped – the more you put in the more garlicky the flavour
  • A few sprigs of rosemary (optional)

Method

  • Mix the levain, 500ml water and 15ml olive oil together before adding the flours and mixing to make a shaggy dough. Leave for 30 minutes covered.
  • Mix 12g of salt with 75ml water till dissolved, and pour over the dough, scrunching the dough with your hand to mix it in. The dough should look very rough and almost broken into small pieces. Cover and leave for 45 minutes.
  • Over the next few hours complete 4 sets of coil folds, adding the wild garlic in during the 2nd coil fold, allowing the dough to rest for 45-60 minute between each fold.
  • Grease two non-stick baking trays with olive oil (if not using non-stick line with baking parchment and add olive oil to the parchment). Tip out don’t the work surface and divide the dough into two. Gently transfer to the baking tray and push the dough over the surface so it reaches the corners as best you can – there will be some resistance so don’t force it.
  • Cover the dough and leave in the fridge to slowly rise overnight – anywhere between 8-24 hours depending on your schedule
  • The next day preheat your oven to maximum temperature, add a small empty tray to the bottom of the oven for steam later, and remove the focaccia from the fridge.
  • Once the oven is up to temperature, uncover the dough and drizzle with a little olive oil. Using wet fingers, press your fingertips through the surface of the dough to create plenty of dimples. Add rosemary to the dimples, sprinkle with a little extra salt and then flick water over the surface of your dough with your fingertips. Adding extra moisture will give a softer crust, so if you want a very crispy top omit this step along with the steam.
  • Place the focaccia in the oven, adding water into the hot tray to create steam, closing the door as quickly as possible to trap the steam in, and reduce the oven temperature to 225°C fan/ 245°C convection for 20 minutes.
  • Remove the tray with water and bake for another 5 minutes* till the crust is golden.
  • Remove from the oven, and allow to cool on a wire rack.
Wild Garlic Sourdough Focaccia

*if baking a thicker focaccia you may need an extra 5-10 minutes to fully cook the dough.

Wild Garlic Hummus

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I’ve had a few requests for some wild garlic recipes which are easy, so I’ve made this Wild Garlic Hummus which couldn’t be simpler for anyone wanted to use wild garlic which has arrived in their weekly veg delivery box. You can choose how much wild garlic you want to use, and obviously the more you use, the greener it will be as well as the stronger the garlic taste – you can always add more!

Ingredients

  • 50-100g wild garlic
  • 1 tin of chickpeas
  • Juice of 1-2 lemons
  • 50g tahini
  • 2tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Method

  • Add everything to a blender and blend to a desireable consistency, adding extra lemon juice of olive oil where needed.
  • Serve with your favourite crudités, bread, crackers, storing any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 7 days.
Wild Garlic Hummus

Wild Garlic Hummus

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I’ve had a few requests for some wild garlic recipes which are easy, so I’ve made this Wild Garlic Hummus which couldn’t be simpler for anyone wanted to use wild garlic which has arrived in their weekly veg delivery box. You can choose how much wild garlic you want to use, and obviously the more you use, the greener it will be as well as the stronger the garlic taste – you can always add more!

Ingredients

  • 50-100g wild garlic
  • 1 tin of chickpeas
  • Juice of 1-2 lemons
  • 50g tahini
  • 2tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Method

  • Add everything to a blender and blend to a desirable consistency, adding extra lemon juice or olive oil where needed.
  • Serve with your favourite crudités, bread, crackers, storing any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 7 days.
Wild Garlic Hummus