SPICED BUCKWHEAT WITH VEG

(It is an easy to cook lovely vegan dish)

Ingredients:

-1 large courgette

-1 cup of red kidney beans (or one tin)

-1 cup of organic buckwheat

-2 peeled plum tomatoes

-2 tbsp of cashew nuts

-1 tbsp freshly chopped coriander

-1 tsp cumin

-salt to season

-sesame seeds to garnish

 -1/2 tsp chilli sauce or fresh chilli

First you need to soak the beans for about 2hours and cook it until soft season it with a little salt only when its cooked otherwise it will take much longer to soften. It is much quicker to use tin beans but less healthy. (as tin food is refined and is loaded with additives and preservatives)

Peel and slice the courgette. Heat up 2 tbsp of oil and add the cumin and stirring it for few minutes then add the courgette and a little water and cook it for about 10 minutes or until the courgette is almost cooked but still a bit crunchy.

In the meantime cook the buckwheat. It does not need soaking as it cooks quick. Just rinse it through, put into a saucepan with enough water to cover and cook it until soft. It wont take more than 20 minutes the most.

 Finely chop some coriander and mix it with the tomato and a bit of chilli sauce. You can easily peeled the tomatoes if you drop them into hot water for few seconds.

 Add this mixture to the cooked courgettes along with the chopped cashew nuts and cooked beans and cook it for further  few minutes. Add the cooked buckwheat and mix it well together. Season it with salt.

Garnish it with sesame seeds and fresh coriander.

It taste good on its own but can be served with hummus and fresh salad.

Enjoy :)

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VEGGIE HOTPOT

                                                                

Serves 2

(Vegan recipe, free from added gluten, sugar, yeast, dairy products)

Ingredients:

-500g  potato                                                             -1tsp dried thyme
-600g selection of veg (e.g.onion,leeks, parsnips,        -1tsp dried rosemary
carrots, broccoli,courgettes, cabbage, beans)              -2tsp paprika
-2 garlic cloves                                                           -1tsp mustard
-olive oil                                                                     -1tbsp tomato paste
-chopped fresh parsley                                               -1tsp vegeta
-400ml water                                                             -salt and black pepper
-3tbsp rice flour

Boiled the potatoes with the skin on until is almost cooked. Leave it to cool, peel the skin and cut into 1cm slices.
Cut the selected vegetables into even chunks. Crush the garlic cloves and place in a saucepan with olive oil and sweat the vegetables for approximately 5 minutes.
Add the spices, mustard, tomato paste, water and the rice  flour. Bring to boil and stir constantly. Season it with salt and black pepper. Transfer to an oven proof dish.

Place the potato in a bowl with 2 tablespoon  of olive oil and toss until well coated. Season it with salt. Pile the potato on top of the vegatables.
Bake near to the top of a preheated 200 degrees oven for 45 minutes. Place under the grill for 5 minutes to get the potatoes brown on top.

Enjoy :)

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WINTER VEGETABLE AND PUMPKIN CURRY

Serves 4

(This recipe is free from added gluten, sugar, yeast, dairy products, saturated fat)

Ingredients:

-1 butternut squash flesh                                          -300ml water

-800 g selection vegetable                                       -1/2 tsp ground cumin

(e.g. parsnips, carrots, celeriac, swede,                   -1/2tsp ground cinnamon

mushroom)                                                             -1/2tsp paprika

-1 big onion                                                            -1/2tsp ground ginger

-1 garlic clove                                                         -1/2tps garam masala

-60g creamed coconut                                            -Salt

-olive oil                                                                 -black pepper

Cube the pumpkin flesh. Dice the onion and garlic. Place them in a saucepan with olive oil and sweat the vegetable until begin to soften. Add a bit of water if needed to prevent it from burning. Cover it and continue to sweat until the pumpkin is soft. Process or mash the mixture to a smooth pure.

In the mean time, cut the selection of vegetables into pieces that will cook in an equal amount of time. Place in a bigger saucepan with olive oil and sweat the vegetalbes until they begin to soften and brown.
Add the spices and cook for 2 minutes.

Dissolve the creamed coconut in 300ml of hot water and add to the pan. Bring to boil and simmer until the vegetables are just cooked.

Add the puréed pumpkin, mix well and continue to cook for few more minutes to allow the flavours to blend.
Season it with salt and black pepper.

Serve with rice and/or nan bread.

Enjoy :)

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CARROT AND CORIANDER SOUP

Serves 4

Ingredients:

-5 large carrots                                                    -800ml water

-handful of fresh coriander                                   -salt

-1 onion                                                              -black pepper

-1 medium potato                                               -1 knorr vegetable cube

-1-2 garlic cloves

Chop the onion and garlic. Peel and chop the carrots.

Place all the ingredients in a saucepan bring it to boil and simmer it for about half hour or until the carrots are soft. Season it with black pepper and salt.

Let it cool for a bit then blend it with a hand blender.

Garnish with freshly chopped coriander and serve it .

Enjoy :)

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PARSNIPS AND MUSHROOM PASTA

Serves 4

(vegan/vegetarian)

Ingredients:

 

 

-1onion                                                                       -salt

-3parsnips                                                                   -black pepper

-150g mushroom                                                         -thyme

-50g strimmed beans                                                   -200g pasta of your choice(e.g.Gluten free)

-single cream or soya cream (to make it vegan)                                      -olive oil

 

 

Finely chop the onion, peel and slice the mushroom and beans. Peel and grate the parsnips.

 

Sweat the onion in the olive oil for couple of minutes then add the beans and mushroom and sweat it for further  few minutes.

Add the grated parsnips, herbs and a bit of water and simmer it for about 10-15 minutes. Stir occasionally. 

 

When the time is over add the cream and stir it well in.

 

In the mean time cook the pasta according to the instruction then mix everything together.

 

 

Serve it with freshly sprouted seeds.

 

 

Enjoy :)

 

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WALNUT AND BANANA BREAD

 (This is an easy to bake vegan cake)

Ingredients:

-225g peeled banana                                                  -1 tsp ground cinnamon

-125ml water                                                             -1/2tsp grated nutmeg

-egg replacement for 1 egg                                         -60g walnut

-60ml sunflower oil                                                    -90g raisins or 10g brown sugar

-240g rice or wholemeal flour                                   

-2tsp bicarbonate soda

Place the banana, water, egg replacement and oil in the food processor and process until smooth.
Add the flour, bicarbonate soda and spices and process again.

Break the walnut into small pieces and add to the mixture along with the raisins or sugar. Mix in.
Process only for few seconds until the walnut and raisins are mixed in but not broken.

Place the mixture into a greased loaf tin pan. Bake in a preheated 170 degrees oven for 45 minutes or until brown on top and firm to touch.


Cool for few minutes in the pan then turn it out.

NOTE: If you don`t have a food processor, mash the banana until smooth and mix it with the rest of the ingredients. Either way, the cake will come out lovely.


Serve sliced when cool.
  Enjoy :)

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NUT ROAST AND VEGGIE RICE WITH DAHL

Serves 2

(Veggie rice with dahl and nut roast from the shop. Home made nut roast recipe coming soon.)

Ingredients dahl:

-1 cup dahl
-1/2 tsp ginger
-1 garlic clove
-1/2tsp turmeric
-1/2tsp cumin
-1/2tsp Indian spicy mix
-salt and pepper

For the rice:
-1 cup of rice
 1/2 onion
-salt

-trimmed fine beans or sugar snap peas

-water
olive oil

For the nut roast:

-pack of granosa mixed nut roast mix( readily available in health and food stores)


Soak  the dahl for few hours so it cooks quicker. Place in a saucepan with water.
Bring to boil and after half hour add the ginger, crushed garlic and spices.
Simmer gentle until the dahl is cooked, thick and smooth. Salt it to taste.


Prepare and bake the nut roast mix according to the packet instruction.


In the meantime cook the rice. 1 cup of rice 2 cups of water.
Use a bit more water if you cook brown or wild rice. Season it with salt.

Finely dice the onion  and cut the beans or peas.
Place in a larger saucepan with olive oil and sweat them for about 10 minutes.
Add the cooked rice and mix it together.






Please check back soon for the home made nut roast recipe.

Enjoy :)

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VEGETABLE LASAGNE

Serves 4

( Vegetarian dish, vegan if cooked without cheese)

Ingredients:

-1 onion

-1 garlic clove

-1 aubergine

-2 small courgettes
-200g mushroom
-6 wholewheat lasagne sheets
-half pack (180g) chopped tomato with basil&onion
-olive oil
-salt & pepper
-oregano
-grated cheese or 3tbsp chopped nuts to garnish




Ingredients for the white sauce:

-1 pack single cream (soya)
-1tbsp rice flour
-1tsp mustard
-1/4tsp grated nutmeg
-salt & pepper

Peal and cut the aubergine and courgettes and grill them in a pan with a little olive oil until almost cooked.

Remove from the the heat, sprinkle with salt and leave it to stand for a little, then pat gently to remove excess moisture.

Finely dice the onion and crush the garlic.Peal and cut the mushrooms.
Sweat the onion and garlic in olive oil for few minutes then add the mushroom and sweat them for further 5 minutes.
Add the chopped tomato and oregano and cooked it for about 10 minutes.


Now prepare the white sauce. Put the ingredients to a pan bring to boil and simmer for few minutes on low heat. Add a bit of water if the sauce is too tick.


Assemble the lasagne. Place 2 lasagne sheets into the baking pan cover it with half of the vegetable  mix and mushroom. Cover it with a layer of lasagne then pour over about half of the white sauce. Repeat the layer and use the remaining white sauce to cover the top.

Sprinkle it with either grated cheese or chopped nuts if you want it to be vegan.
Bake it in a preheated 200 degrees oven for about 40 minutes or until the cheese beginning to brown.

Serve it with fresh salad.
Enjoy :)

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FALAFEL WITH HOME MADE HUMMUS AND CARROT PATE

Serves 4

( this is a delicious vegan recipe)

Ingredients for the falafel:

-1 1/2 cups of cooked chick peas                           -salt

-1 garlic clove                                                        -black pepper

-1 tsp ground cumin                                               -rice flour for coating

-1 tsp turmeric                                                       -olive oil for brushing

-handful of fresh coriander                                     - 1/2 tsp chilli powder

-3 tbsp tahini

-50ml water

Soak the chickpeas overnight. Drain, rinse and cook in water until the peas are just cooked but not too soft.

(alternatively you can use canned chick peas in water, free from added salt and sugar)

Crush the garlic clove and place in the food processor with the cooked chick peas, cumin, turmeric,chilli powder and fresh coriander.

Process until the chick peas are finely chopped but not puréed.

Remove half the mixture and place in a bowl. Process the remaining half with the tahini  and water until the mixture is smooth and creamy.

Combine the two mixture and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

With floured hand roll walnut size balls and place on a well greased baking tray. Brush the surface of each falafel with olive oil.

Bake in a preheated 200 degrees oven until they begin to brown. Alternatively the falafels could be fried. 

While the falafels are cooking, prepare the hummus.

Ingredients for the hummus:

-1 big carrot

-1/2 cup cooked chick peas

-2 tbsp lemon juice

-2 tbsp tahini

-2 spring onion

-olive oil

-fresh herbs or nuts to garnish

Finely grate the carrot. Place the chick peas, lemon juice, tahini, chopped onion, olive oil in the food processor, and process until smooth pate is obtained. Use little water if necessary.

Add the grated carrot and process for further 20 seconds.

Garnish it with fresh herbs. 

Serve the falafels with the hummus, pitta bread and fresh salad.

Enjoy :)

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