Tag: plantbased

Snack

Flapjack Made with Only Fruit for Sweetness!

This delicious no added sugar flapjack came about whilst I was trying to find snacks to feed my toddler. I wanted something that could also be eaten at breakfast. As she is going through a phase of only wanting to eat fruit for breakfast and then having a meltdown because she is so hungry!

These flapjacks are vegan and can be made with gluten-free oats if required.

I use dates to add sweetness, fibre and a number of different vitamins and minerals to these flapjacks. Dates have a low glycemic Index (GI), so some studies suggest that they can help to stabilise blood sugar levels.

Whilst coconut oil is high in saturated fat it is solid at room temperature. This helps to bind the flapjack ingredients together instead of using syrup. It also adds a bit of extra sweetness and flavour. I consciously didn’t want these to be low fat as I want them to help fill my daughter up.

I have used rhubarb and orange compote as they go together really well and rhubarb is currently in season. As we come into apple season you can simply replace the rhubarb compote with stewed apples.

Flapjack Ingredients:

  • 100g coconut oil
  • 1 tsp vanilla essence
  • 12 dates
  • 280g oats
  • 200g rhubarb and orange compote

Method:

  1. Pre heat the oven to 180°C
  2. Make a rhubarb and orange compote, here is a recipe if you need it
  3. Chop the dates in a blender until they are finely chopped
  4. Gently melt the heat the coconut oil until it is just melted
  5. In a bowl combine the coconut oil, dates, vanilla essence and oats until well mixed
  6. Place half of the mixture into a small baking tray, pressing it down firmly
  7. Put the rhubarb compote on top and spread evenly
  8. Cover the rhubarb with the remaining oat mixture and press down firmly
  9. Bake for 25 minutes. Leave to cool and then slice

If you enjoyed this recipe then why not check out my other healthy snack recipes here

Lunch

Delicious Dhal Recipe

Some days you can’t beat a delicious Dhal for lunch! I love Dhal as it is so easy to prepare and it’s a great Ayurveda recipe for reducing pitta, which is something I’m usually in need of. Pitta dosha is known as your inner fire, it controls your digestion, metabolism and energy production. Therefore, during the summer months pitta dosha can be high due to a number of things including the warmer weather.

So getting back to the dhal recipe I’m loving my new Instant Pot (for those of you’ve who have never heard of it, it’s a 7-in-1 cooking gadget that does slow cooking as well as pressure cooking, as well as lots of other things) and playing around with recipes. This Dhal took just 30 minutes to cook. This dhal recipe will work equally well in a normal pan or a slow cooker it will just take longer for the lentils to soften.

Not only is this Dhal vegan and gluten-free it is packed full of protein so will keep you full for hours.

Ingredients for the Dhal:

Serves 4

  • 1 onion
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 2tbsp coconut oil
  • 2tsp turmeric
  • 1tsp cumin seeds
  • 2tsp grated fresh ginger
  • 1tsp ground cumin
  • 1tsp ground coriander 
  • 2tsp curry powder
  • 160g Moong Dhal
  • 700ml water
  • 2 large handfuls spinach
  • 1 small handful fresh coriander

Method:

  1. Chop the garlic and onions and grate the ginger
  2. If using an Instant Pot set it to the sauté function and add the coconut oil. If using a pan heat the coconut oil in the pan
  3. Add the onions, garlic and ginger and fry until softened
  4. Add the cumin seeds, ginger, cumin, coriander and curry powder and stir for a few minutes until the flavour of the spices is released
  5. Add the moong dhal and water, stir well. If using the Instant Pot set to manual pressure cooking for 10 minutes and left it to release for 10 minutes. If using a pan, reduce the heat and simmer for about 45 minutes (check with the cooking instructions on the Moong Dhal packet)
  6. Stir in the spinach, lemon and coriander and left it for a few minutes on keep warm setting (instant pot) or on a low heat (pan) to cook the spinach
  7. Serve with rice or chapati

If you’ve enjoyed this recipe why not check out my other lunch ideas and add a comment below.

Lunch, Uncategorized

Sweet Potato and Chickpea Salad

I find it can be hard to think of things to have for lunch especially if like me you’re not a big fan of sandwiches. Many of my clients also struggle with what to eat at lunch time.

I’m a big fan of leftovers and often I advise people to make more of their evening meal and have it for lunch the next day. However this dish is good if you are working from home or maybe on a weekend when you have a little bit more time but don’t want to spend to long doing prep work.

For a long time I wasn’t a fan of roasted chickpeas, I just didn’t get it! However, I tried again recently and realised why everyone raves about them! I think the trick is to roast them on a high heat so that they go super crispy.

So why do chickpeas feature so heavily in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern dishes?

Chickpeas are cheap, versatile and have many health benefits too. As well as being a good source of plant-based protein they are a great source of fibre which means they are great option for diabetics as they may help to improve blood sugar, insulin and lipid levels.

According to some research the high levels of fibre may also help to reduce cholesterol and are therefore a good option for people who are at risk of heart problems, however, they should be consumed in moderation by people taking beta-blockers.

Due to the high levels of protein chickpeas are great to add to vegetarian and vegan dishes.

Ingredients

Serves 2

  • 2 sweet potatoes
  • 1 avocado
  • 1 courgette
  • 150g button mushrooms
  • 1 tin chickpeas
  • 3 tbsp rapeseed oil
  • pinch chili flakes
  • 3 large handfuls of spinach
  • 1 lime
  • chili oil or olive oil

Method:

  1. Heat the oven to 200C/ gas mark 6. Put the oil on to two oven trays and heat in the oven
  2. Cut the sweet potato, mushrooms and courgette into large chunks
  3. Rinse and drain the chickpeas
  4. On one tray place the sweet potatoes and chickpeas, on the other place the courgettes and mushrooms. Sprinkle both with chili flakes and seasoning and shake well. NB I found that putting them on separate trays helps the chickpeas to go crispy
  5. Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes until the potatoes, courgette and mushrooms are soft and the chickpeas are crispy
  6. Cut the avocado into bite size pieces
  7. Place the spinach onto plates and then top with the remaining ingredients, drizzle with lime juice and chili oil, to taste

If you’d like more tailored information on how to fit healthy eating into your life then why not email me for a consultation?