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Recipe

Lunch & Light Bites Recipe Sides & Savoury Snacks

Leek & Sweet Potato Cakes

sweet potato and leek patties

Ingredients

2 leeks 

2 sweet potatoes 

3 cloves garlic 

1 red onion 

½ tsp sage 

2 tbsp olive oil 

¼ tsp salt 

½ cup gram flour (chickpea flour)

¼ cup cooking oil (I used vegetable)

 

Method

Finely dice the red onion and leek then gently fry in a tsp of olive oil

Meanwhile dine the sweet potato into approx 3cm cubes then pop in the microwave for 4-5 minutes to soften 

After the red onion and leek has softened, micne the garlic cloves then add to the pan 

Pop all of the ingredients into a food processor, followed by the sage, gram flour, salt and blitz

Depending on the size of your sweet potatoes, the mix should be firm enough for you to mould into the patty/cakes, if it is completely sticking to your hand, add more flour ¼ cup at a time until you can easily mould the mix

Add the oil to a deep frying pan until piping hot, then add the sweet potato cakes and fry on each side for around 3-4 minutes until golden, then flip and cook for the same amount of time

You can choose to bake the sweet potato patties for 22 minutes at 180ºC turning them after half the time

 

Serving Suggestion Per Person

1 fluffy pitta

2 tbsp sriracha 

¼ cucumber sliced or peeled

¼ avocado 

1 tsp sesame seeds

Spoonful of dairy free yogurt 

sweet potato and leek patties
sweet potato and leek patties
Recipe Sides & Savoury Snacks

Slow Roasted Sweet Potato Wedges – With Homemade Pesto

sweet potato wedges

Ingredients

2 large sweet potatoes (organic preferably then you can leave the skin on)

1tbsp olive oil

1/2 tsp chilli flakes

1 tsp smoked paprika

1/2 tsp sea salt flakes

 

For the Pesto

1/4 cup pine nuts

2 tbsp olive oil

1 cup fresh basil

1 clove garlic

1/2 lemon squeezed

2 tsbp nutritional yeast

pinch salt

 

 

 

Method

Preheat the oven to 160ºC

Slice the two potatoes down the centre (lengthways) and then slice into wedges around 3cm thick

Add them to a deep baking tray then coat in the olive oil, smoked paprika, chilli and salt *the deeper baking tray helps them hold moisture

Bake in the oven for 25 minutes, then take out, stir the potatoes then place back in the oven for a further 25 minutes

*tip, add a dash more olive oil if the edges are starting to burn and lightly cover with a sheet of tin foil*

 

For the Pesto

Simply blitz the ingredients together in a food processor and serve alongside the cooked wedges

Enjoy!

 

 

 

sweet potato wedges
dessert Recipe

Easiest Vegan Banana Bread Recipes – 4 Ways

banana bread 4 ways

Banana bread has become an absolute staple in our home. Each week I find myself buying twice as many bananas so I'll have an excuse to bake. 

It's great to have some at the ready for any unexpected guests or to take in a pack up to work. I've popped together 4 ways to enjoy my banana bread, with a few changes to each recipe to hopefully cater for each of your cupboards. 

-the classic

-Gluten free option

-no added sugar option

-the holy grail of heavenly banana bread

 

peanut butter and chocolate banana bread

No. 1 The Classic

Dry ingredients

1 ½ cup plain flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

¼ cup sugar

100g / ½ cup chocolate chips

Pinch salt

Wet ingredients

3 overripe bananas (+1 more for topping)

4 tbsp / 80ml coconut oil

3 tbsp runny peanut butter (pip n nut or aldi smooth)

*save a handful of chocolate chips and a tsp of peanut butter for the topping*

 

 

Method

Pour the flour, baking powder, salt and chocolate chips into a large bowl and mix together

Mash the bananas in a bowl then add the melted coconut oil and peanut butter and mix together

Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix until combined

Pour the banana mix into a greased loaf tin then sprinkle the remaining chocolate chips on top

Drizzle the last tsp of peanut butter and 1 chopped overripe banana on top and pop in the oven

Bake at 180ºC for 25 minutes

Take out of the oven and loosely in tin foil then bake for a further 30-35 minutes

 

gluten free banana bread

No. 2 Gluten Free Walnut & Chocolate 

Dry ingredients

1/2 cup GF plain flour

1 cup almond flour

2 tsp GF baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp ginger

¼ cup demerara sugar

50g / ½ cup chocolate chips

80g / 3/4 cup walnuts

Pinch salt

Wet ingredients

3 overripe bananas (+1 more for topping)

3 tbsp runny peanut butter 

*save a handful of chocolate chips and a tsp of peanut butter for the topping*

 

 

Method

Pour the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl and stir together *leave a few chocolate chips and nuts for the topping*

In a shallow bowl, mash the bananas together to form a paste, then add the peanut butter and mix 

Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix until combined

Pour the banana mix into a greased loaf tin then sprinkle the remaining chocolate chips and nuts on top

Bake at 160ºC for 35 minutes *stick a knife in the centre and make sure it comes out clean, if not add a further 5-10 minutes 

*tip, to stop the chocolate chips or nuts burning on top, loosely place tin foil over the top for the final 10 minutes of baking

 

biscoff banana bread

No. 3. The ultimate indulgent banana bread

Dry ingredients

1 cup plain flour

1\2 cup almond flour / oat flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp mixed spice

1/2 tsp dried ginger 

¼ cup demerara sugar

50g / ½ cup chocolate chips

4 lotus biscuits

Pinch salt

Wet ingredients

3 overripe bananas (+1 more for topping)

3 tbsp biscoff spread

*save a handful of chocolate chips and a tsp of peanut butter for the topping*

 

 

Method

Pour the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl and stir together *leave a few chocolate chips and the biscuits for the topping*

In a shallow bowl, mash the bananas together to form a paste, then mix together with the biscoff spread

Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix until combined

Pour the banana mix into a greased loaf tin then sprinkle the remaining chocolate chips and lotus biscuits on top

Bake at 160ºC for 35 minutes *stick a knife in the centre and make sure it comes out clean, if not add a further 5-10 minutes 

*tip, to stop the top from burning, loosely place tin foil over the top after 25 minutes of baking 

 

No. 4 Banana Bread Muffins (No Added Sugar)

Dry ingredients

1 cup plain flour

1\2 cup almond flour / oat flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla essence

½ cup low sugar chocolate chips

Pinch salt

*save a handful of chocolate chips and a tsp of peanut butter for the topping*

Wet ingredients

3 overripe bananas (+1 more for topping)

 

 

 

Method

preheat the oven to 180°C

mash the bananas in a bowl and add the vanilla essence

in a large bowl, add all of the dry ingredients and mix together

combine the wet and dry, then pour into a greased non-stock muffin tray

bake on the middle shelf of your oven for 20 minutes until you can pop a knife in and it comes out dry

enjoy with a delicious cup of coffee

 

Dinner Recipe

Crispy Tofu & Mushroom Ramen

miso soup ramen vegan crispy tofu

 Shimeji Mushroom and Tofu Ramen Recipe

This ramen recipe is a variation of ramen for those who don’t have access to some of the key ingredients depending on where you’re based. You can add pickled ginger, and nori to make the dashi (stock) taste a little more authentic, however if you only have access to the certain ingredients hopefully this recipe will work wonders.

Breakdown of Ingredients

Mushrooms- These give a beautiful earthy taste and a slightly meaty texture

Miso- Miso is a fermented soya bean paste. It has a wonderful umami flavour which is a key ingredient within this dish. You can buy the brown paste either in jars or in single serve sachets.

Ramen (noodles) – To make this more traditional use ramen noodles which are slightly thinner in texture than an udon noodle. However it will work just as well with udon or even swap out for a gluten free option such as soba or rice.

Ginger- Adding a beautiful fragrant flavour with a slight kick, using fresh ginger is really important when making a ramen stock.

Chilli – Again, in a more traditional ramen you would find a red chilli paste, however if you don’t have this in your cupboards just using a finely diced red chilli will bring the heat.

Optional extras– You can add nori seaweed to the stock to give a salty and slightly ‘fishy’ flavour to the soup.

shimeji mushroom vegan ramen

Cooking Tips

Slicing the garlic- By slicing the garlic instead of mincing gives a slightly stronger taste. If you don’t want to eat the slightly larger pieces of garlic, you can slice into large pieces and simply take them out before serving

Strain the Miso –  If you want the silkiest smoothest ramen, simply use a fine sieve to strain the miso soup through to make sure there are no little bites of chilli, garlic or spring onion from the stock.

Ginger- By finely chopped half the ginger into the stock at the first stage, then grating the other half (which will be added with the stock) helps give a really strong flavour of the ingredient.

 

miso soup ramen vegan crispy tofu


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miso soup ramen vegan crispy tofu

Shimeji Mushroom and Crispy Tofu Ramen

Using shimeji mushrooms and crispy tofu this is a slight twist on a tofu ramen dish. I've shown how to get a crispy tofu however you can use silken tofu blocks to keep this dish much more authentic.
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes

Ingredients
  

For the miso soup

  • 3 spring onions
  • 3 cm fresh ginger
  • 1 red chilli
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 2 tbsp tamari
  • 150 g of Shimeji mushrooms
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 sachet brown rice miso paste I used ClearSpring brown miso paste
  • 1.5 l of veg stock made with boiled water and a stock cube

Tofu / Garnishings

  • 140 g firm or silken tofu cubed firm tofu will create the crispy finish whereas silken will be much softer and a more traditional take on the recipe
  • 150 g udon noodles
  • ½ finely sliced red chilli
  • 1 tbsp sesame seeds

Instructions
 

  • Prepare the vegetables first, finely chopping the spring onions, chilli and garlic then drain the tofu and slice into 1cm thick squares
  • Add the chopped chilli spring onions, shimeji mushrooms and ginger to a wok / deep pan and fry in a splash of tamari for a few minutes followed by the garlic for an extra minute
  • Add the stock, miso paste, bay leaves and tamari to the pot and allow to simmer for around 5 minutes
  • Taste test the stock, then add the udon noodles and allow to simmer in the stock for the final 6-7 minutes
  • In a separate pan, add a splash of tamari on high heat then add the squared tofu, using a spatula press down over the tofu allowing to crisp on each side
  • Serve the miso soup into bowls diving the udon noodles then top with the crispy tofu, sliced chilli and chilli flakes
Keyword crispy tofu, mushroom ramen, ramen, tofu recipe

If you like this recipe why not try my crispy peanut tofu ramen dish here.

chilli peanut tofu ramen vegan

dessert Recipe

Biscoff, Pecan & Walnut Banana Bread

biscoff banana bread

TIP: If you're not needing this to be a gluten free loaf simply swap the oats and gluten free flour for 1 1.5 cups of plain flour, you can also use regular baking powder instead of gluten free.!

Ingredients:

Dry 

1 cup gluten free ground oats (sub for ground almonds)

1/2 cup gluten free flour

2 tsp GF baking powder

1/4 cup demerara sugar (optional)

2 tsp mixed spice

1 tsp ginger

1 cup mix of walnuts and pecans (save a few for the topping)

large pinch sea salt

Wet

4 overripe bananas*

2 tbsp biscoff spread or peanut butter

*don't worry if you have 3, it'll just make more of a bread texture than a gooey cake

Topping

3/4 lotus biscuits

a sprinkle of nuts

 

 

 

 

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180ºC

In a shallow bowl, mash the bananas with the back of a fork until smooth, then add the biscoff spread and mix together

In a large mixing bowl, add all of the dry ingredients apart from the nuts, and bring together

Scoop the wet ingredients into the dry and using a spoon bring the mixture together, pouring in the nuts as you go (save a few for the topping)

For the topping, add the lotus biscuits and nuts to the top then lightly push into the surface

Bake at 180ºC for 30 minutes

Loosely cover the topping with tin foil to stop the biscuits burning, then bake for a further 7-10 minutes (you should be able to stick a knife in the centre and it'll come out clean)

Take out of the oven and pop onto a cooling tray, then slice up and enjoy with a thick spread of peanut butter or biscoff spread

 

lotus vegan banana bread
biscoff banana bread
Dressings and Sauces Lunch & Light Bites Recipe

Walnut Pesto Pasta

walnut pesto pasta

Ingredients 

Walnut Pesto

1 cup fresh basil leaves

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 clove garlic

2 tbsp nutritional yeast

3/4 cup walnuts

1/2 lemon squeezed 

Large pinch sea salt 

 

2 serving portions fusili pasta

6 vine tomatoes whole 

2 tbsp pine nuts

Method

Add 2 portions of pasta (I used fusili) to a pot of simmering water, with a large pinch of salt, and allow to gently boil for around 8-10 minutes depending on cooking instructions

In a small frying pan, add a tsp of olive oil and gently fry the whole tomatoes with a pinch of salt and pepper, then after around 5 minutes add the pine nuts and gently toast

Whilst the pasta boils, add all of the pesto ingredients to a food processor* and blitz until creamy * If you don't have a food processor you can use a pestle and mortar

Once the pasta is cooked, drain the water and add the pesto and the pasta back to the pot, mix together and serve into two bowls

Add the tomatoes and toasted pine nuts on top and garnish with fresh basil

Enjoy

 

walnut pesto pasta
walnut pesto pasta
Recipe

Simple Week Night Soup Recipe

Ingredients

Dried Spices:
2 tsp smoked paprika 
1 tsp chipotle flakes 
1 tsp chilli flakes 
1:2 tsp cinnamon 
1 bay leaf 
1 tsp sage 
Large pinch salt
___
2 cloves garlic minced 
1 white onion diced 
Red pepper diced 
Yellow pepper diced 
___
1 tin tomatoes, 400g
Fill the tin with water x 2
450g cooked pulses & beans 
1 tin coconut milk 

chunky soup recipe

Method

-Using a deep pot add 1tbsp olive oil to a pan and gently fry the chopped onion for around 5 minutes, followed by the chopped peppers for a further 3, then add the minced garlic and allow to cook

-Add the tinned tomatoes, filling the empty tin with water (twice) and add to the pot  followed by all the dried spices and salt and allow to simmer for around 15 minutes

-Add the cooked beans and pulses* (I used a frozen bag of chickpeas and beans which only require 5 minutes of cooking) 

-In the final few minutes, add the tin of coconut milk and heat through, giving the soup a taste test, adding a little more  seasoning if needed 

-Serve up with freshly chopped tomatoes on top, a drizzle of olive oil and a final sprinkling of salt on each bowl

 

*If not already cooked, add the beans and pulses in with the tinned tomatoes and allow to simmer for around 30-40 minutes until cooked through 

Recipe

3 Easy Pesto Recipes

3 easy pesto recipes

Making my own pesto was always something I thought of a task, especially when I could buy a range of options in jars cutting cost and time... however I have since come to realise this is all incorrect!

Nothing beats the taste or smell of fresh pesto whipped up in your kitchen. In terms of time and cost, it takes minutes to prepare and can be far cheaper when making in batches. 

I've popped together some of my absolute favourite and no-fuss recipes for you to try at home. Whether you're dipping your carrots, coating your veggies or twirling it in your tagliatelle, you need to give these a go. 

Method of cooking:

All these pestos can be eaten raw, slow roasted or added to your pasta dish in the last 5 minutes. It all depends how you like it.

avocado pesto recipe

Avocado & Pine Nut Pesto 

Ingredients:

1 Avocado (I used a gem avocado)
2 cloves garlic
1 cup basil
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4, cup olive oil
Pinch of olive oil

 

spinach pesto vegan recipe

Creamy Spinach Pesto

Ingredients:

1 cup baby spinach 

1 cup fresh basil 

1 clove garlic

1/4 cup cashew nuts (soaked or raw)

1/2 lemon squeezed 

1/4 cup olive oil

large pinch salt

1 tbsp nutritional yeast (optional)

 

easy pine nut pesto recipe

Classic Pine Nut

Ingredients:

1/4 cup pine nuts

1 cup fresh basil 

1/4 cup good quality olive oil

1/2 squeezed fresh lemon 

1 large clove smoked garlic

Large pinch salt

2 tbsp nutritional yeast 

 

 


As always, I love seeing your recreations on social media, so please be sure to tag me in any photos to take of your food! 

Maybe you have a favourite pesto recipe, or a top tip to share... let me know in the comments! 

 

 

 

dessert Dressings and Sauces Recipe

Hazelnut Caramel

hazelnut butter caramel

Ingredients:

280g hazelnuts 
1 tbsp coconut nectar (can replace with maple syrup)
large pinch sea salt 
 

Method:

Roast the hazelnuts for 5 minutes at 160ºC
Pop the hazelnuts into a food processor and blend for 3 minutes intervals, making sure the mix hasn't gathered up the sides
Blend until creamy (this may take up to 10 minutes depending on your processor)
Add the coconut nectar and sea salt, blitz for further few seconds then pout into a jar to enjoy
hazelnut butter caramel recipe
Dressings and Sauces Recipe

Classic Pine Nut Pesto

easy pine nut pesto recipe

Ingredients

1/4 cup pine nuts

1 cup fresh basil 

1/4 cup good quality olive oil

1/2 squeezed fresh lemon 

1 large clove garlic (I used smoked) 

Large pinch salt

 

Method

Simply pop all the ingredients into a food processor and blitz until smooth. I like my pesto quite creamy so blend until a little runny. 

*Tip, if you like a thick pesto use 1/2 cup of pine nuts instead of 1/4 cup*

easy pine nut pesto recipe