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Dinner Lunch & Light Bites Recipe

Creamy Italian White Beans

Posted on September 6, 2023
creamy white italian beans

Let’s Make Creamy Italian White Beans

This creamy Italian inspired White Bean recipe is vegan friendly, easy to make and doesn’t need any cream. The delicious sauce is made from roasted red peppers, garlic, herbs and white beans. Give this cheap and easy recipe a go for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

What ingredients do I need?

Butter Beans- The BEST beans going, are from Bold Bean Co. You can use the juice that comes in the jar of beans which makes the most creamy delicious stock. I didn’t think there would be much of a difference between cheaper beans in a tin, but there really is. I’ve noticed a big difference (that doesn’t leave you bloated and ready to explode). 

Roasted Red Peppers- To make the thick creamy white Italian beans sauce we need roasted red peppers as well as garlic cloves. This blends with a few of the butter beans and makes a delicious sauce you can use over pasta or the rest of the beans.

Fresh Basil- The basil adds loads of flavour to the dish, so try not to skip this part!

Dried Herbs- the sauce requires dried oregano as well as dried thyme. It gives a great flavour with the roasted peppers and garlic.

creamy white italian beans

Cooking Tips:

Good quality beans- The trick of this recipe is using good quality beans. There’s such a difference in texture, taste and quality. Even the stock that comes within the jar can be used. It helps create a really thick and creamy stock. 

Season well- To make a delicious creamy white Italian white beans sauce it needs good seasoning. Don’t refrain from adding a good pinch of salt in each stage. 

If you like this recipe why not try:

Harissa White Beans

Curried Butter Beans

Thai Green White Beans

One Pot Vegan Lasagne

creamy white italian beans

Creamy Italian White Beans

This creamy Italian inspired White Bean recipe is vegan friendly, easy to make and doesn't need any cream. The delicious sauce is made from roasted red peppers, garlic, herbs and white beans. Give this cheap and easy recipe a go for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Servings 2 people

Ingredients
  

  • 700 g Butter beans Bold Bean Co is the best!
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 2 romano red peppers
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 70 g spinach
  • salt to taste
  • 1 tsp chilli flakes
  • handful fresh basil

Instructions
 

  • Start by preheating the oven to 200ºC (fan) slice the peppers then place into an oven proof dish along with the garlic cloves, drizzle in olive oil, salt, dried oregano and thyme then pop in the oven for 20 minutes
  • Once the peppers and garlic have roasted, add them to a blender along with around 300g of the white beans (including the juice that comes in the jar) and blend together until smooth and creamy, you may need to loosen the stock with a splash of water
  • In a large pan, add a drizzle of olive oil, then empty the rest of the butter beans, then stir in that delicious creamy sauce, stir through and season with salt
  • Roughly chop the spinach and add to the pot along with the fresh basil, sprinkle with chilli flakes and enjoy
Lunch & Light Bites Recipe Sides & Savoury Snacks

Grilled Courgette and Potato Salad

Posted on July 24, 2023
grilled courgette and potato salad

Summer Grilled Courgette and Potato Salad

This Grilled Courgette and Potato Salad is a brilliant summer recipe. It celebrates seasonal courgettes pairing them with a simple potato salad. The dressing is really simple, just being freshly squeezed lemon, extra virgin olive oil and salt, it couldn’t be easier.

What Ingredients Do I Need?

Grilled Courgette- The summer season is perfect for using up courgettes, roughly chop them ad a diagonal angle to make them nice and chunky. Lightly season them with a little salt and pepper before grilling.

Potatoes- This pairs perfectly with the juicy courgettes. Crispy roasted potatoes work brilliantly in this salad, adding a salty and crunchy texture.

Lemon, dill and olive oil- the best and easiest dressing is freshly squeezed lemon, fresh dill and extra virgin olive oil.

grilled courgette and potato salad

Cooking Tips To Make This Grilled Courgette Salad:

Season throughout- The tip to a good salad is balancing flavours and seasoning. The crispy roasted potatoes are full of flavour from the rosemary and thyme, but it also helps to add loads of salt to the skin. Another step is to season the courgettes before grilling to really bring out their flavour. 

Grill the courgettes in olive oil- If you’re using a grill pan, using a little drizzle of olive oil helps prevent them from sticking to the pan.

Adding toasted seeds makes all the difference- If you’re not adding toasted seeds or nuts to salads, give it a try. It really does transform a recipe.

If you like this recipe why not try:

Courgette and Lemon Orzo

Accordion Potatoes

15 Minute Tomato Orzo

Lemon Chickpea Oro Soup

grilled courgette and potato salad

grilled courgette and potato salad

Grilled Courgette and Potato Salad

A delicious summer recipe that is easy and vegan friendly. Celebrating seasonal courgettes, this salad is paired with roasted potatoes. The dressing is really simple, just being freshly squeezed lemon, extra virgin olive oil and salt, it couldn't be easier.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 39 minutes
Servings 2 people

Ingredients
  

  • 250 g baby potatoes roughly quartered
  • 1 tbsp olive oil to roast the potatoes
  • 1 tbsp dried rosemary
  • 3 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 1 large courgette roughly chopped
  • 3 tbsp vegan greek style yogurt
  • 2 tbsp toasted pine nuts

For the dressing

  • 1/2 large lemon squeezed
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • salt
  • 3 sprigs fresh dill

Instructions
 

  • Start by preheating the oven to 200ºC fan
  • Wash and roughly quarter the baby potatoes, add to a baking tray and drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and top with fresh thyme and rosemary, toss till all the potatoes are coated and pop in the oven for around 30 minutes
  • Prepare the courgettes by roughly chopping then adding to a griddle pan or a bbq and grill until you get those delicious lines, option to season with salt
  • Take a peek at the potatoes, turning on the baking tray and bake for a final 15 minutes or until crispy
  • Prepare the dressing by mixing the ingredients together, it helps if the stalks are removed from the dill
  • Spread the yogurt onto a plate, add the roasted crispy potatoes and grilled courgettes, then drizzle over that delicious dressing toasted pine nuts and enjoy
Dinner Lunch & Light Bites Recipe

Courgette Lemon Orzo

Posted on July 17, 2023
Courgette Lemon Orzo

What’s in this easy Courgette and Lemon Orzo?

This easy 5 main ingredient Courgette and Lemon Orzo is a perfect week night meal. It really does take 15 minutes to make, by the time the orzo has cooked. Use up those seasonal courgettes, slice up some garlic, cook the orzo and add a few herbs, a squeeze of lemon and olive oil and voila.

What ingredients do I need?

Courgettes – Perfect to use up when in season, the courgettes offer a delicious crunch to the recipe. No soggy courgettes here.

Orzo- A delicious pasta, don’t overcook, you want a little bite to it. 

Pine nuts- This is such a key ingredient, substitute for sunflower seeds. The nutty flavour compliments the acid from the lemon and the fat from the olive oil. 

Lemon- This is a key ingredient when mixing with the extra virgin olive oil, giving a sharp flavour. You can even grate in some lemon zest for an extra kick.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil- The better quality the extra virgin olive oil, the better the flavour. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy, by using an extra virgin olive oil will be the best fit for the dressing.

Fresh herbs- You don’t have to use dill, but the combination of dill and basil marry together perfectly.

Courgette and Lemon Orzo

Cooking Tips:

Don’t overcook the orzo- You want to save a little pasta water to add into the stock to give it a beautiful starchy texture. The key with orzo is to cook it till al dente, no one wants soggy pasta.

Use fresh ingredients- The fresh herbs, lemon juice and courgettes all marry together when they’re fresh ingredients. 

Season to perfection- The difference between good pasta and great pasta is seasoning. Season the pot of water to cook the orzo, season the dressing and then season before eating to make sure the flavours pop.

Like this recipe, why not try:

15 Minute Tomato Orzo

Lemon Orzo Chickpea Soup

Orzo Leek and Dill Soup

Courgette Lemon Orzo

Courgette Lemon Orzo

This easy 5 main ingredient Courgette and Lemon Orzo is a perfect week night meal. It really does take 15 minutes to make, by the time the orzo has cooked. Use up those seasonal courgettes, slice up some garlic, cook the orzo and add a few herbs, a squeeze of lemon and olive oil and voila.
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Prep Time 3 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Servings 2 people

Ingredients
  

  • 200 g orzo pasta
  • 2 courgettes thinly sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic finely chopped (optional)
  • 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil the better quality the oil, the better the taste
  • 1/2 lemon squeezed
  • 10 g fresh herbs, mix of dill and basil
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 4 tbsp pine nuts sub for sunflower seeds
  • pinch chilli flakes

Instructions
 

  • Start by getting a pot of seasoned water onto boil, when simmering add in the dried orzo, leave to cook for around 10-12 minutes
  • Meanwhile thinly slice the courgette and fry in a drizzle of olive oil on a low heat, after 3-4 minutes add the thinly sliced garlic and lightly fry
  • In a small bowl mix together the olive oil, a handful of chopped fresh herbs, freshly squeezed lemon juice and season with salt and pepper, stir together
  • Save a mug full of pasta water from the orzo to add back to the pasta, drain the rest of the pasta water then pour the cooked orzo to the pan with the courgettes and lemon, stir through
  • Pour in the olive and lemon mix, stir through, add in the remaining fresh herbs, taste test adding a little more seasoning if needed
  • Lightly toast the pine nuts and add to the pasta and enjoy

Notes

If the pasta looks a little dry, add in the saved pasta water to loosen the orzo, you want the texture to be glossy but not soggy. Pasta water is a perfect ingredient to add back to the pasta once cooked to help loosen it.

courgette lemon orzo

Lunch & Light Bites Recipe Sides & Savoury Snacks

Green Chickpea Curry

Posted on July 3, 2023
green chickpea curry vegan recipe

Green Chickpea Curry

This green curry is perfect for a sharing platter or as a side dish with a packet of poppadoms. This vegan friendly recipe is bright green colour from the spinach, so creamy and delicious. You can make this with frozen or fresh spinach, so it works all year round. 

What’s in this Bright Green Chickpea Curry?

Chickpeas- No surprise there, but drained tinned chickpeas are the star of the show. You can add the aquafaba (the liquid left in the tinned chickpeas) to make the sauce even thicker, but if you have a sensitive stomach maybe avoid this step. 

Spinach- The vibrant green comes from the spinach. You can use fresh or frozen in this recipe as its blended together with the lemongrass and coconut milk.

Coconut milk- The tinned full fat coconut milk is the one you want. The higher the fat content, the creamier the curry.

Lemongrass- The lemongrass gives this a gorgeous floral flavour that balances out with the ginger and garlic. Top tip is to add some brown sugar to the recipe as it helps balance a bit of sweetness.

green chickpea curry recipe

Cooking Tips:

Let the ginger and garlic cook before adding the rest- No one wants raw garlic in their curry so let these lightly fry off before adding the other ingredients.

Toast the seeds first- It helps to release the aromatics, so be sure to add the coriander and fenugreek seeds before adding the creamy coconut milk.

Season to perfection- There are a lot of flavours in this dish, but nothing makes the recipe come together as good as salt. Be sure to season as you go and taste test. It’s the difference between something being ‘okay’ to ‘absolutely delicious’.

If you like this recipe why not try my:

Curried Peanut Butter Chickpeas

Spinach and Chickpea Yellow Curry

Ultimate Peanut Butter Curry

green chickpea curry vegan recipe

Green Chickpea Curry

This green curry is perfect for a sharing platter or as a side dish with a packet of poppadoms. This vegan friendly recipe is bright green colour from the spinach, so creamy and delicious. You can make this with frozen or fresh spinach, so it works all year round. 
5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 24 minutes
Servings 4 people

Ingredients
  

  • 1 tbsp chopped fresh ginger
  • 2 shallots finely chopped
  • 3 cloves garlice finely chopped
  • 1 tsp coriander seeds
  • 1 tsp fenugreek seeds
  • 400 g tinned chickpeas
  • 1 stalk lemongrass
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 100 g fresh spinach sub for frozen spinach
  • 250 ml coconut cream (tinned)
  • 1 lime squeezed
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar

Top with

  • 3 tbsp toasted sunflower seeds
  • 1 fresh chilli
  • fresh coriander
  • pack of poppadoms to dip

Instructions
 

  • Start by finely chopping the shallots, then add to a large pan with a drizzle of oil, whilst it lightly fries, finely chop the ginger and garlic and add to the pot
  • After a few minutes add the coriander and fenugreek seeds to toast, then add in the drained chickpeas
  • Meanwhile add the lemongrass, spinach, ground cumin, sugar, 1/2 lime juice, and coconut milk to a blender and blend until smooth
  • Salt the food to taste, adding another squeeze of lime juice, then after 15 minutes add any further seasoning needed then top with toasted sunflower seeds, chopped chilli and fresh coriander

vegan green chickpea curry recipe

Breakfast Dinner Lunch & Light Bites Recipe

Blistered Tomatoes on Herby Yogurt

Posted on May 16, 2023
blistered tomatoes on herby yogurt dip vegan

Delicious Blistered Tomatoes on Herby Yogurt

These blistered tomatoes on a herby yogurt dip works perfectly as a sharing plate. It’s herby, zingy, vibrant and delicious as well as being a vegan friendly lunch. This is the kind of recipe where you can pop it in the middle of the table with crunchy bread or crisps and everyone dips away. This recipe is perfect for a BBQ or summer feast. 

What ingredients do you need?

Tomatoes- Vine tomatoes work perfectly for this, but see what’s in season and grown locally to get the best flavour out of your tomatoes. Bonus points if they’re home grown. To blister them, fry on a high heat with good olive oil, alternatively you can bake them at 200ºC for around 15 minutes.

Yogurt- The vegan yogurt scene has come on leaps and bounds. This recipe uses a greek style vegan yogurt so it has a thick and creamy texture that works with the garlic and herbs.

Herbs- This is such a key ingredient to get all of the flavour so don’t leave this step out. Fresh dill and chives give a fragrant and delicious flavour with the yogurt dip. 

Sunflower seeds- This is fast becoming one of my favourite ways to garnish a recipe. They are really cheap to buy, offer loads of flavour and usually compliment most recipes with a slight crunch. 

Blistered tomatoes with yogurt dip vegan recipe

Cooking tips:

Grate the garlic into the yogurt- no one wants to bite into a chunk of garlic, so either grate or mince the garlic. I used one of those flat bowls with a serrated edge that you can buy on holiday destinations like Greece or Italy.

Save some herbs to garnish- This helps the dish not only look beautiful but gets as much flavour out of those herbs as possible.

Toast the seeds- Toasting seeds releases a nutty and rounded flavour. If you add the seeds un toasted it won’t offer the same flavour. I promise this step is worth it. 

If you like this recipe why not try:

Smashed Potatoes with Avocado Dip 

Whipped Tofu Feta Dip with Roasted Tomatoes

Curried Butter Beans

Blistered tomatoes with yogurt dip vegan recipe

Blistered Tomatoes on Herby Yogurt

These blistered tomatoes on a herby yogurt dip is a perfect sharing plate or lunch. Herby, zingy, vibrant and delicious and vegan friendly.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 7 minutes
Servings 4 people

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 150 g vegan greek yogurt
  • 15 g fresh chives
  • 15 g fresh dill
  • 250 g vine tomatoes
  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 tbsp sunflower seeds
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • Start by mincing a clove of garlic, then add to a frying pan with a drizzle of olive oil, then add the tomatoes, fry on a medium - high heat to blister the bottoms
  • Prepare the yogurt by mincing 1/2 clove garlic then mixing with the yogurt, mix in a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, the chopped chives and dill (save some of the herbs to garnish at the end) season with salt and pepper and mix together
  • Once the tomatoes have blistered add in the sunflower seeds to toast for the final few minutes then add to the yogurt dip
  • Option to drizzle over harissa, then assemble the ingredients, top with the sunflower seeds and remaining fresh chopped herbs and enjoy by dipping with crunchy bread
Dinner Lunch & Light Bites Recipe

Curried Peanut Butter Chickpeas

Posted on May 15, 2023
curried peanut butter chickpeas

Creamy Curried Peanut Butter Chickpeas

These curried peanut butter chickpeas are perfect for placing in the middle of the table with a big pack of poppadoms, naan bread or dosa. This recipe is vegan friendly and naturally gluten free. This recipe can be served with steamed rice or as shown, in the middle of a table with everyone mopping it up with crunchy poppadom crisps.

What’s in this recipe?

Chickpeas- This legume is a great ingredient to add to recipes. Its creamy inside and works well with the crunchy poppadoms paired with the recipe.

Peanut Butter-  This ingredient adds a nutty and rich flavour as well as thickening the sauce. If you haven’t added peanut butter to your curry yet, give it a go.

Garam Masala- A perfect blend of spices, if you don’t have this spice blend, swap for curry powder. This recipe is meant to be really interchangeable and suit whatever you have in your cupboards.

Coconut cream- Preferable to tinned coconut milk as you can add water to make it either thicker or thinner texture. You can of course use tinned coconut milk, but make sure it has a high fat content.

curried peanut butter chickpeas

Recipe Tips:

Serve with: Best served with crispy poppadoms to contrast the creamy curried chickpeas. You can of course swap this for rice, naan or dosas, but we think the crunch works best.

Swap garam masala for curry powder- If you don’t have garam masala, don’t worry, simply swap for curry powder.

Coconut milk or cream? Cream is just the thick fatty part you get at the top of tinned coconut milk. If you can’t find this in the supermarket, simply use a high fat coconut milk from a tin.

If you like this recipe, why not try:

Curried Butter Beans

Curried Leek and Lentil Soup

Easy Chickpea and Spinach Curry

curried peanut butter chickpeas

curried peanut butter chickpeas

Curried Peanut Butter Chickpeas

These curried peanut butter chickpeas are perfect for placing in the middle of the table with a big pack of poppadoms, naan bread or dosa. This recipe is vegan friendly and naturally gluten free.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Servings 4 people

Ingredients
  

  • 1 tsp coconut oil
  • thumb sized pice fresh ginger thinly sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
  • 2 tins chickpeas including the water from the tin (400g tins)
  • 200 g coconut cream mixed with around 500ml water
  • 2 tbsp peanut butter
  • 1 lime squeezed
  • 1 tsp salt and pepper season to taste

Dried spices

  • 1 tsp garam masala
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp coriander seeds

Instructions
 

  • Start by heating the coconut oil in a pan then add in the cumin and coriander seeds, followed by the ginger and garlic, after a few minutes add in the tins of chickpeas
  • Add in the dried spices and stir through with the chickpeas, after a few minutes of frying pour in the coconut cream and water, note you might need to add a little more water to loosen the cream
  • Scoop in the peanut butter, squeeze a full lime into the mix and season generously with salt and pepper, taste test, adding a little more seasoning if needed
  • Serve with a pack of poppadoms, naan or dosa to mop up the chickpeas. You can alternatively serve this with rice
Dinner Lunch & Light Bites Recipe

Roasted Tomato and Garlic Pasta

Posted on April 20, 2023
roasted tomato and garlic pasta recipe vegan

Roasted Tomato and Garlic Pasta 

Try this roasted tomato and garlic pasta for a perfect weeknight meal. Easy to make, with just a few ingredients to make this vegan friendly recipe. Toasting the seeds is essential to bring all the flavours together. Seasoning is essential to make this dish come to life, so be sure to taste test along the way.

What ingredients do I need?

Tomatoes- Using vine tomatoes for this recipe, be sure to get all the delicious juices on the baking tray as they carry all the flavour.

Garlic Bulb- You’ll only need a few cloves but roast the whole bulb, the you can use the other cloves for other recipes. Roasted Pepper & Garlic Pasta 

Fresh Basil- A key ingredient to get loads of flavour in is fresh basil. Chop it up fine and scatter just before serving.

Harissa paste- This is a key ingredient to get a spice, depth and heat to the recipe. Add a little more if you want a richer flavour.

roasted tomato and garlic pasta vegan recipe

Follow my recipes on Instagram and Pinterest

Why not try:

Roasted Pepper and Smoked Garlic Pasta

Roasted Garlic Tomato Soup

5 Ingredient Garlic Spaghetti

roasted tomato and garlic pasta vegan recipe

roasted tomato and garlic pasta recipe vegan

Roasted Tomato and Garlic Pasta

Try this roasted tomato and garlic pasta for a perfect weeknight meal. Easy to make, with just a few ingredients to make this vegan friendly recipe.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Servings 2 people

Ingredients
  

  • 400 g vine tomatoes
  • 1 bulb garlic
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 15 g fresh basil
  • 1 tbsp tomato puree mixed with 2 tbsp water
  • 1 heaped tbsp harissa paste
  • 1 tsp salt & pepper
  • 2 portions spaghetti

Top with:

  • 4 tbsp toasted sunflower and pumpkin seeds

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 180ºC (fan) and prep the tomatoes by playing them on a baking tray, drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper
  • Chop the very top off the garlic bulb, drizzle over olive oil, salt and pepper, wrap in tin foil and add to the baking tray with the tomatoes, pop in the oven for around 25 minutes
  • When the tomatoes have around 12 minutes left, add the spaghetti to boiling water with a generous pinch of salt and cook till al dente (around 8-10 mins)
  • Take the tomatoes and garlic from the oven, add them to a large pan with the tomato puree and harissa, remove two cloves from the garlic bulb and smash all of those ingredients together
  • Cook off those ingredients in the pan before adding a ladle of pasta water (around 150ml) followed by the cooked spaghetti then mix together
  • Add in the chopped fresh basil, garnish with salt and pepper and the toasted seeds and enjoy

Notes

  • Toasting the seeds is essential to bring all the flavours together! It adds a nutty flavour that compliments the tomato
  • Seasoning is essential to make this dish come to life, so be sure to taste test along the way
Lunch & Light Bites Recipe

Chickpea Tuna Sandwich

Posted on April 5, 2023
vegan chickpea tuna sandwich

Chickpea Tuna Sandwich 

This chickpea tuna sandwich filler is a vegan alternative. It’s creamy, delicious and full of flavour. By mashing the chickpeas with mayonnaise, capers and dill it gives a salty, fresh and tangy flavour. Get creative and make this in bulk for the week.

What goes into a chickpea tuna sub?

Chickpeas- They’re such a versatile ingredient, naturally packing a protein for the vegans. When you mash the chickpeas and mix with the other ingredients the texture mocks that of tuna. 

Capers- To get a salty almost sea like flavour, add mashed capers with a little splash of the juice to this recipe.

Vegan Mayonnaise- This helps bind the chickpea tuna whilst adding a creamy texture to it.

Mustard- You want a little tang to the recipe, so adding wholegrain mustard will help.

Fresh dill- This herb adds to much flavour. Usually associated with fish, it helps add to all the flavours.

Option to add nori sheets- This is a readily available ingredient in most supermarkets but if you don’t have access to this ingredient don’t worry.

chickpea tuna vegan sandwich

If you like this recipe why not try:

2 Ingredient Chocolate Chickpea Bark

Grilled Tofu & Chimicurri Sandwich 

Vegan Banh Mi

Follow my recipes on Instagram and Pinterest

 
chickpea tuna vegan sandwich

Chickpea Tuna Sandwich

This chickpea tuna sandwich filler is a vegan alternative. It's creamy, delicious and full of flavour. By mashing the chickpeas with mayonnaise, capers and dill it gives a salty, fresh and tangy flavour. Get creative and make this in bulk for the week.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Servings 2 people

Ingredients
  

  • fresh baguette
  • 400 g tinned chickpeas
  • 3 tbsp vegan mayonnaise
  • 1/2 cucumber finely chopped
  • 1/2 pepper finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp fresh dill finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp capers finely chopped
  • 1 tsp cracked black pepper
  • 1 tsp chilli flakes
  • pinch salt
  • 1 tsp wholegrain mustard

Instructions
 

  • Start by draining the chickpeas, rinse and add to a large bowl
  • Chop the pepper, capers and cucumber, add to the bowl, mix in the rest of the ingredients and mash together to create the creamy chickpeas
  • Season with salt and pepper, then serve in a crunchy fresh baguette, option to serve with salad leaves

Notes

  • you can mash the chickpeas before or after adding all of the other ingredients
  • taste test to make sure it's seasoned to perfection
  • add more chilli flakes or fresh herbs to your preferred taste

vegan chickpea tuna recipe

Lunch & Light Bites Recipe

Curried Butter Beans

Posted on April 4, 2023
curried butter beans vegan recipe

Cheap and Easy Curried Butter Beans

Rich and creamy vegan curried butter beans recipe. Perfect for a week night meal or meal prepping for lunch. Easy and cheap ingredients to get a rich and delicious and flavourful meal. If you want to make this more of a main meal, add a few extra veggies to the mix and serve it with steamed rice instead. 

What does into these curried butter beans?

Butter beans- Keep the water from the tin or jar and add this to the recipe. It helps keep them really creamy and glossy when cooking.

Shallots, ginger and garlic- These ingredients are great at making a tasty base for the recipe. Packed with flavours and nutrients they are a great building block for a curry.

Coconut Milk- Always opt for the creamy tinned coconut milk rather than the type you would use for cereal or coffee. If you don’t have coconut milk you can swap for vegan cream, but be sure to add loads of lime juice and coconut oil to get a really rich flavour.

Tomato puree- This helps add a bit of depth and balance out the rich creamy coconut milk. Add a splash of water to loosen, only around 3 tbsp.

curried butter beans vegan recipe

Cooking Tips:

Fry off the base ingredients first- It might sound obvious but by adding the ginger, shallots and garlic first it makes sure there’s no raw bits in the curried beans.

Creamy beans- The water thats in the tin or jar of the cooked beans really helps add that glossy and almost starchy texture to the beans when cooking.

Season to perfection- It’s such a simple step by the most important. Good amount of seasoning is the difference between nice food and really tasty food.

If you like this recipe why not try:

Peanut Butter Curry

2 Ingredient Chocolate Chickpea Bark

Vegan Tomato Orzo

curried butter beans recipe lucy and lentils

Follow my recipes on Instagram and Pinterest

Curried Butter Beans

Rich and creamy vegan curried butter beans recipe. Perfect for a week night meal or meal prepping for lunch. Easy and cheap ingredients to get a rich and delicious and flavourful meal.
5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe
Prep Time 8 minutes
Cook Time 13 minutes
Servings 2 people

Ingredients
  

  • 1 tbsp coconut oil
  • 2 shallots finely chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic finely chopped
  • thumb sized pice fresh ginger finely chopped
  • 400 g tinned butter beans
  • 70 g spinach chopped
  • 250 ml coconut milk
  • 2 tbsp tomato puree
  • 1 tbsp curry powder

Top with

  • 1/2 lime squeezed
  • 1 tsp chilli flakes

Instructions
 

  • Start by finely chopping the shallots, then add to a large pan with the coconut oil and start to fry, chop the garlic and add to the pan, followed by the garlic
  • After 5 minutes add the tomato puree with a splash of water to loosen, add the curry powder and butter beans (including the water from the tin) and toss until coated
  • Pour in the coconut cream (you want the tinned stuff so it's thick and creamy) then season with salt and allow to bubble away for a few minutes to heat the beans
  • Pour in the chopped spinach, add the lime juice, chilli flakes and any extra seasoning it may need
  • Serve with rice, or on crunchy sourdough as photographed here

Notes

  • To keep the butter beans creamy, add the water from the tin or jar to the pan
  • You may need to loosen the curried butter beans with a little water, so keep an eye on the consistency
  • Don't forget to season, this is crucial!

 curried butter beans recipe lucy and lentils

vegan curried butter beans easy recipe

Lunch & Light Bites Recipe

Sticky Sweet Chilli Tofu

Posted on March 22, 2023
sticky sweet chilli tofu recipe vegan

Sticky Sweet Chilli Tofu Recipe

10 minutes is all you need to make this sticky sweet chilli tofu. Keeping the ingredients minimal but packed with flavour. This is perfect for week night meals where you need something fast, tasty and nutritious.

What goes into this recipe?

Firm Tofu- you want to use firm tofu for this recipe, it helps get a sticky texture whilst holding the form.

Sweet Chilli Sauce- Recently tried Wild Cornwall sweet chilli sauce which is fantastic. If you haven’t heard of Wild Cornwall, check out their work – a fantastic selection of produce that’s been either foraged or grown on local farms. 

Ginger-Fresh ginger makes such a difference to recipes. Powerful in flavour and so fragrant, you need to include this ingredient. 

Cornflour- This helps coat the tofu and get a crispy outer skin. 

Chives or Spring onions- The garnishing of the chives or spring onions is important. Don’t leave this step out as it adds loads of flavour and crunch to the garnish. 

sticky sweet chilli tofu

Tips for making this sticky tofu:

Toss in cornflour first – The best way to get crispy tofu, is to drain excess liquid, toss in cornflour, fry in sesame oil first before adding the sweet chilli sauce.

Finely chop the ginger and garlic- You want lots of the flavour but without it being overpowering, Keep the chopping to extra fine.

Add the sauce after frying- Make sure not to burn off that delicious sauce by adding to the tofu after it’s fried.

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If you like this recipe, why not try:

Buffalo Hot Sauce Tofu

Sticky Sriracha Tofu

Crispy Garlic Tofu

sticky sweet chilli tofu recipe vegan

Sticky Sweet Chilli Tofu

10 minutes is all you need to make this sticky sweet chilli tofu. Keeping the ingredients minimal but packed with flavour. This is perfect for week night meals where you need something fast, tasty and nutritious.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 9 minutes
Servings 2 people

Ingredients
  

  • 280 g firm tofu
  • 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
  • 1 thumb sized fresh ginger finely chopped
  • 1 head pak choi
  • 4 tbsp sweet chilli sauce I used Wild Cornwall brand
  • 1 tbsp cornflour
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • 1 tbsp sesame seeds
  • 2 portions steamed rice
  • 2 tbsp finely chopped chives or spring onions

Instructions
 

  • Put a pot of rice onto steam, I find washing the rice, add to a pot, cover with water until it sits around the pad of a finger over the level of rice, leave to boil for 6 minutes before taking off the heat and leaving the lid on for a further 6-7 minutes
  • Start by draining the tofu, take off the excess water with a towel then dice into bite sized cubes
  • Toss in the cornflour until coated, then fry on a high heat in the sesame oil for a few minutes, meanwhile finely chop the garlic, ginger then add to the pan with the tofu
  • Once it has turned crispy, add the chopped pak choi, pour in the sweet chilli sauce and continue to fry for a further 5 minutes
  • Pair with the cooked rice, toss with sesame seeds and garnish with the chives or spring onion