Tag: Vegan

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

Snack

Roasted Cashew Nuts

Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve found myself reaching for chocolate and crisps in an evening as I’ve been so tired from looking after a toddler 24/7. I’m doing a lot more yoga and walking than I have for a long time so I don’t feel guilty for eating these things. However, I do feel like I’m now ready for some healthier options so this week I’ve made home roasted cashew nuts.

They hit the salty and the sweet craving whilst the cashew nuts are packed full of iron, magnesium, zinc, copper, phosphorus, and manganese, you just need to make sure you don’t eat all of them in one go as they do contain 2tbsp of maple syrup!

I have made these with a mixture of cashew nuts and peanuts before which worked well, so I imagine they would work well with most combinations of nuts if you wanted to mix it up a bit. You can also play around with the flavour combinations too, I find that cinnamon works well.

Ingredients for Roasted Cashew Nuts:

  • 250g raw cashew nuts
  • 2tbsp maple syrup
  • 2tbsp low salt soya sauce or tamari
  • 1/2tsp Chinese 5 spice

Method:

  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas 4
  2. Mix the maple syrup, soya sauce and Chinese 5 spice together in a bowl
  3. Add to cashew nuts and stir until coated
  4. Place the cashews in a single layer on a lined baking tray and cook for 20 minutes, stir half way through
  5. Remove them when they start to turn brown, the nuts will be soft but will harden when they cool
  6. Allow the nuts to cool, and then break up and store in an airtight container

I’d love to hear how you get on with this recipe, so pop a comment below. If you’d like more healthy snack ideas the check out my other snack recipes

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.

Snack

Vegan Fruit Scones

These vegan fruit scones are super quick and easy to make. Until recently I’d never made scones, and then inspired by a holiday in Scotland I decided to make cheese scones for my toddler. When they came out of the oven they looked and smelled delicious, however, I was unable to eat them due to being lactose intolerant so I decided to play around and came up with these vegan fruit scones.

I tested them on my baby yoga class and at my mini retreat and they went down a treat! I served them with my heathy chia jam and some coconut cream. To make the coconut cream I simply got a can of coconut milk, placed it in the fridge for a couple of hours and then scooped the thick cream off the top of the milk.

These vegan fruit scones have no added sugar they are simply sweetened by the dried fruit and you can use whatever dried fruit you have, raisins, sultanas and apricots work well. This makes them a great snack for toddlers too.

Ingredients for Vegan Fruit Scones:

Makes 14 mini scones

  • 225g self-raising flour
  • 1tsp baking powder
  • 40g melted coconut oil
  • 140ml almond milk
  • 50g dried fruit

Method:

  1. Pre heat the oven to 220C/gas mark 7
  2. Line 2 baking trays with grease proof paper
  3. Sieve the flour and baking powder into a bowl
  4. Melt the coconut oil and add to the flour
  5. Use a spoon to mix the coconut oil into the flour until it has the consistency of fine breadcrumbs
  6. Add the dried fruit and stir well
  7. Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture and pour in a little bit of the milk
  8. Using your hands fold in the milk, keep adding the milk and folding until you have a dough, the dough will be slightly wet
  9. Place the dough on a chopping board or clean surface that has been dusted with flour
  10. Knead the dough for a couple of minutes
  11. Roll out the dough with a rolling pin until it is about 2cm thick
  12. Using a biscuit cutter cut the dough into scones
  13. Place the cut dough onto the baking trays, leaving enough space between the scones for them to expand
  14. If you have any dough edges left you can knead them again, roll them out and cut more scones
  15. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes
  16. Cool on a wire rack and enjoy

If you’ve enjoyed this recipe why not check out my other vegan recipes?

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?

Snack

Classic Houmous Recipe

I love houmous, I think I could eat it until it came out of my ears! This houmous recipe is quick and easy to make and is super versatile. It can be made with different beans or you can add spices to change the flavour.

I have to confess I don’t tend to make houmous very often, I usually buy it, I’m not organised enough to remember to make it in advance! It is a great snack to have in the fridge for all the family. My little girl loves it so when I need a quick snack for her I grab it out of the fridge and give it to her with some breadsticks. I aim is to get more organised and make houmous more often as the shop bought brands are quite high in salt.

Variations

I’ve played around a lot with houmous recipes to try and get a consistency and taste that I like. I have found the best way to get a smooth consistency is to add a splash of water, especially as personally I prefer it not to be too oily. I’ve recently experimented with cooking the garlic first so that it isn’t as bitter as raw garlic and this works really well.

The garlic can be roasted in the oven but if the oven isn’t on then I find the easiest way to do it is in a pan. Leave the garlic cloves whole and crush them with the skin on. Place them in a frying pan with a splash of olive oil and toss them regularly until they are soft. Remove the skin and then add to the food processor.

Most of my clients don’t have tahini in their homes and if they do it often goes off before they have had a chance to use it. Therefore this version of houmous uses toasted sesame oil instead.

Houmous Ingredients:

  • 1 x 400g tin of chickpeas
  • 2 gloves of garlic
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 2-3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil (or 1 tbsp of tahini)
  • 1 small handful of parsley
  • splash of water

Method:

  1. Roast the garlic in a little olive oil, either in the oven or in a pan (as above)
  2. Add all the ingredients to a blender and blitz until well combined
  3. Add more water if the consistency isn’t smooth enough for your liking

If you’ve enjoyed this recipe then why not check out more of my healthy snack ideas

Snack

Vegan Guacamole

This vegan guacamole recipe is super easy to make and tastes delicious. During our baby yoga sessions we talk about weaning and the importance of encouraging children to try lots of different flavours from a young age.

This guacamole is perfect as the avocado makes it nice and creamy whilst the basil and lime give it flavour. I love to add a couple of drops of tabasco sauce to mine which goes down a treat with my one year old!

However, when I made it for my baby yoga class to try I omitted the tabasco so as not too put any of the children off!

Avocados are fantastic for babies (over 6 months) and toddlers as they are very nutrient dense and have a high fat content which will help to fill them up. In addition the cream texture is usually a hit with most babies. I like my guacamole to be smooth but you can make it chunky which is a great way to encourage your baby to try new textures if you have started with purees.

You can buy guacamole from most supermarkets, however they often include preservatives and are filled out with other ingredients such as rice flour and salt. Personally I think it is so easy to make that I would never bother buying it, especially as most brands include milk based ingredients and vegan versions seem to be more expensive.

Guacamole isn’t just for babies either it works fantastically with my chicken fajitas recipe too.

Guacamole Ingredients:

  • 1 avocado
  • 1/2 lime (juice)
  • 6 cherry tomatoes
  • Small handful fresh basil
  • Few drops Tabasco sauce (optional)

Method:

  1. Remove the skin and pip of the avocado
  2. Place the avocado in a blender with the tomatoes,basil and lime juice
  3. Blend until combined

If you’ve enjoyed my guacamole recipe then why not check out more toddler friendly recipes or more of my vegan recipes.

Lunch

Cold Busting Chinese Broth

I often hear people complaining at this time of year that they are feeling more run down and getting more colds and winter bugs. Because of this I recommend this cold busting broth to my clients as it’s a fantastic way to give your immune system a boost.

It is packed full of anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties, is quick and easy to make and tastes delicious! My friends often request that I make it when they come to visit.

It can be made with tofu for a vegan version or chicken, if you prefer. Alternatively, I like to make it with left over roast chicken.

The soya sauce can be replaced with tamari to make the dish gluten-free. I recently made this cold busting dish with a large pinch of grated fresh turmeric instead of powder, I love how versatile this dish is.

Cold Busting Broth Ingredients:

Serves 4

  • 900ml of vegetable stock (I use reduced salt bouillon powder)
  • 220g of firm tofu, cubed or cooked chicken
  • 1cm piece of ginger, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 chilli, finely chopped (optional)
  • 1/4 tsp of turmeric powder
  • 100g rice noodles
  • 1 large handful sweetcorn (frozen or canned)
  • 1 large handful frozen peas
  • 200g mix of shiitake and button mushrooms, sliced
  • 2 spring onions, chopped
  • 2 tbsp soya sauce
  • Small handful of fresh mint or basil
  • Sesame oil
  • 1 tsp sesame seeds (optional)

Method:

  1. Put the stock, ginger, garlic, half the chilli and tofu/chicken into a pan and simmer for 5 minutes
  2. Add the sweetcorn, peas, mushrooms, 2 spring onions, rice noodles and soya sauce. Simmer until the noodles are cooked
  3. Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with the remaining chilli, spring onion and mint/basil and drizzle a tiny bit of sesame oil and sprinkle with sesame seeds to finish
Cold busting broth made with chicken or tofu

If you’d like more tailored information on who to support your immune system during the winter months then why not email me for a consultation?

Snack

Chocolate Fudge Drops

I created this recipe for healthy chocolate fudge drops as I frequently get asked for ideas to help people with sugar cravings. More often than not sugar cravings in the evening are due to habits that we have formed. This can be due to a number of things from feeling like we deserve a treat after a stressful day to not eating enough and still being hungry.

As a result, these delicious chocolate fudge drops are packed full of protein and healthy fats to give you an energy boost and a sweet treat in one go.

I’m happy for my toddler to eat them too as they have no added sugar. They are quick and easy to make and don’t require any baking! Making them perfect to make whilst keeping an eye on my toddler!

Not only are they tasty they are fantastic if you are breastfeeding to keep your energy levels up or in the early days of long nights with your baby!

Ingredients for Chocolate Fudge Drops:

Makes 20 (depending on size)

  • 9 Medjool dates
  • 3 tbsp Coconut milk
  • 2 tbsp coconut oil
  • 1 tbsp cashew butter
  • 2 tbsp cacao

Method:

  1. Put the dates into a small hand mixer and blend until they are finely chopped
  2. Melt the coconut oil, then leave to cool a little bit
  3. Add all the remaining ingredients to the blender and mix until combined
  4. Roll the mixture in to small balls and place on a lined baking tray
  5. Refrigerate for an hour to allow the balls to set

Variation:

I like to mix these up a bit and a great way to do this is to make with peanut butter instead. Simply add an extra tbsp of coconut milk and replace the cashew butter with peanut butter.

I’d love to hear how you get on with this recipe so leave a comment below. Alternatively click here for more of my healthy treats.

Vegan Chocolate Fudge Drops, packed full of protein with no added sugar
Lunch

Warm Grain Salad – Vegan

I’ve recently embarked on an Ayurvedic journey, looking at tweaking my diet and yoga practice to balance my doshas. Ayurveda is an ancient Indian holistic healing system that focuses on bringing your body, mind and spirit into balance in order to maintain and promote good health. Since having my daughter my health has been better than it has been for a long time, however, the underlying fatigue is hard to manage when I can’t guarantee the length and quality of my sleep in the same way I used to. I therefore felt that it was time to make some changes and get a fresh pair of eyes to look at my body as a whole. As a result of this I am currently working on eating a pitta reducing diet, I am making these changes slowly as I’m fitting it around being a mum and so it’s not as simple as throwing myself into it full throttle. It’s been a fantastic chance for me to experience what my clients do when they have a consultation with me. Why they ask the questions they do and what additional support I can offer.

Anyway, enough of me waffling on. Changing the way I eat has given me an excuse to play around with some new recipes and this recipe makes a delicious lunch or evening meal. For the grains I used a bought mix of different grains, but you can use whatever you have in the house.

Ingredients:

Serves 2

  • 125g mixed grains
  • 1 tsp vegetable stock powder
  • 2 tbsp pumpkin seeds
  • 2 tbsp sunflower seeds
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1tsp ground coriander
  • ¼ tsp ground turmeric
  • 2 tbsp coconut oil
  • 2 courgettes
  • 4 large handfuls of spinach
  • 2 spring onions

Dressing:

  • 1 avocado
  • Juice of 1 lime

Method:

  1. Cook your choice of grains in stock as per the instructions on the packet
  2. Whilst the grains are cooking dry roast the seeds in a frying pan until they are lightly toasted, then set to one side
  3. To make the dressing blitz the avocado and lime with a hand blender and set aside
  4. 5 minutes before the grains are finished going heat 1 tbsp of coconut oil in a frying pan, add the cumin, coriander and turmeric and heat for about a minute stirring constantly
  5. Slice the courgettes and add fry them in the spices until they are tender
  6. Slice the spring onions and add them to the frying pan
  7. Add the spinach to the frying pan and allow to wilt
  8. Drain the grains and stir the dressing through them, serve with the greens and enjoy