Amy – Wrapped in Newspaper

All posts by Amy

Nettle & Wild Garlic Quiche

May 2, 2016

by Amy

Leave a comment

The weather might be all over the place but the budding leaves and green shoots aren’t fooled, Spring is most definitely here. I get pretty excited when everything starts bursting into life during Spring. The first leaves of Spring always seems extra green and vivid especially after the long grey months of winter.

Nettle and wild garlic are an amazing Spring green combination. Last year I paired them together in these savoury Buckwheat Crepes which are just so delicious! This year I was inspired by a vegan flan I had whilst on holiday and decided to recreate something similar at home. I opted for creamy cashews and a wholewheat spelt flour topped with crunchy toasted seeds.

Nettles have to be one of the easiest wild foods to forage, they can be found pretty much everywhere and are easily recognised by most of us. Wild garlic is a little trickier to find but is also common. I always get wild garlic in my veg bag during Spring and you would probably find it at your local farmers market if you can’t find any near where you live.

Nettle & Wild Garlic Quiche

Nettle tips: Harvest the nettles when young and pick only the top few leaves. Wash throughly in a bowl of cold water and don’t forget to use rubber gloves when handling!

For the pastry:
175 g Wholemeal Spelt Flour
75 g Coconut Oil + Extra for Greasing
2-3 tbsp Cold Water
Pinch of Salt

For the filling:
350g Cashews
3 tbsp Nutritional Yeast
Juice of 1/2 Lemon
250g Nettles
Small bunch of Wild Garlic
1 Small Onion
1 tsp Caraway Seeds
1 tsp Fennel Seeds
3 tbsp Toasted Pumpkin Seeds
3 tbsp Toasted Sunflower Seeds
3 tbsp Toasted Sesame Seeds

Soak the cashews in water (preferably filtered) overnight.
Pre-heat the oven to 180C and grease a flan dish with coconut oil. Measure the spelt flour and salt into a large mixing bowl. If your coconut oil is melted at room temperature, place it in the fridge for half an hour first. Add the coconut oil and use you finger tips to rub together the flour and coconut oil until you get a breadcrumb consistency.
Add in a tablespoon of water at a time and use you hand to bring together the mixture until it forms into a ball.
Roll out on a floured surface and line the flan dish with the pastry. Press the pastry down, trim off the edges and prick a few holes in the pastry with a fork. If you have them, cover the pastry with baking paper and hold down with ceramic baking beans.
Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes, remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
Whilst the pastry is cooking fry the onion on a little coconut oil for 10 minutes until it starts to caramelise. Add the caraway and fennel seeds, fry for a few more minutes then add in the nettles and stir until they begin to wilt down. Roughly chop the wild garlic and add to the frying pan, stirring until both the nettles and wild garlic have wilted. Then remove form the heat and set aside to cool.
Drain and rinse the cashews and add to a food processor with the nutritional yeast and lemon juice. Blitz for a few minutes until you get a smooth and creamy consistency.
Stir the cashew mixture together with the nettle and wild garlic and over the pastry and spread out evenly. Top with the toasted seeds and gently press them down into the cashew mix.
Place in the fridge to set for 2 hours. Serve chilled with salad.

Enjoy! Amy x

Citrus Carrot Loaf

March 24, 2016

by Amy

Leave a comment

It’s so nearly almost kind of Spring that it’s just mean! Tuesday was insanely warm and sunny, it was the kind of early Spring day that makes you remember how awesome warm weather and sunshine is! Remember those days of leaving the house without a coat and wearing sunglasses!

So whilst we await the full bloom and warmth of Spring, here’s a yummy, sunny citrus carrot loaf to keep us going. Good old carrots are always in season and you really can’t beat a good carrot cake! There’s plenty of delicious citrus fruits to be found at the markets from sunny Spain and when combined with carrot cake, add a delicious zesty note. Be sure to hunt out organic oranges and lemons otherwise you’ll be zesting in nasty wax likely to be made from shellac, yuk!

Citrus Carrot Loaf

1 tbsp ground flax seed + 3 tbsp water
125g ground almonds
100g spelt flour
50g oats
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cloves
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
40g coconut sugar
2 medium carrots, grated (approx. 110g)
60ml coconut oil, melted
Zest of 1 organic orange
Zest of 1/2 an unwaxed organic lemon

Pre-heat the oven to 180C and grease a loaf tin with coconut oil.
Whisk the ground flax and water together in a cup and set aside.
Place all the dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl and stir together.
Place the grated carrot in a separate small bowl, add the melted coconut oil and the flax mixture which should have formed a gelatinous consistency. Mix together and add into the dry ingredients, stirring together until just combined.
Pour into the loaf tin and top with a few thin slices of lemon and orange.
Bake for 40-50 minutes until a skewer or knife inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.

Enjoy! Amy x

Beetroot & Black Bean Burgers

March 2, 2016

by Amy

comment 1

We love eating by the seasons and seeing how the passing of the year brings a whole different array of food to our tables. Living in the heart of a city I particularly love the connection my local veg box gives me to the changing seasons, weather and produce. There’s nothing like a wet, muddy carrot to spark the connection between the weather we’re having to the food that’s growing, or maybe that’s just me… vegetable romantic?

At this time of year, when the winter veg starts running out and the new season crops haven’t quite kicked in, it can seem like there isn’t that much exciting produce around. For sure there are plenty of greens to be had but when it’s still decidedly wintery outside, it can be hard to get excited about salad and I actually LOVE salad. But I don’t see this as the down-side to eating by the seasons. I see it as the fun, challenging side. How can I make the most delicious, satisfying, yummy meal out of a cabbage…. uh hello Winter Veg Stir-fry!

In fact I’ve actually had people say to me, oh yeah it seemed good getting a local veg box at first but then we just ended up getting loads of beetroot and just didn’t really know what to do with it. Well it just so happens that we bloody love beetroot (is that some kind of beetroot joke there, blood… who knows) and we don’t want beetroot putting anyone off eating seasonally!

We really do love it, just check out these recipes…

Chocolate Beetroot Cake
Roasted Beetroot & Raw Green Salad
Roasted Beetroot Rissotto
Celeriac & Marinated Beetroot Salad
Vegetable Crisps

So I wanted to share a really exciting, super delicious, hearty recipe to inspire those who might think eating seasonally is boring and restrictive and show that it is exciting and most importantly delicious!

Beetroot & Black Bean Burgers
Makes 8 burgers

3 large beetroot (approx. 650g)
1 cup uncooked black beans
150g oats
1 tsp sweet paprika
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dill

Serving options:
bread rolls
salad leaves
alfafa sprouts
fried onions
fried chestnut mushrooms

Soak the black beans overnight in double their volume of water. (I often don’t plan ahead to do organised stuff like this so just cook them for double the amount of time).
Rinse and drain the beans and place them with fresh water in a saucepan. Cook on a medium heat, covered for 1 hour until tender and soft.
Once your beans have started cooking, pre-heat the oven to 180C before peeling and chopping the beetroot. Place in a baking tray, drizzle with a little oil, sprinkle with the dill and season with salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly and cover with foil, roast for 45 minutes then set aside to cool slightly.
When the beans are cooked drain them and run under cold water to cool. Add them to a food processor with the beetroot, oats and spices. Pulse for a couple of minutes, scraping down the sides regularly until you have a fairly smooth consistency.
Shape into burgers and place on a lightly oiled baking tray. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes which help gives them a firmer consistency. You can skip this step if you don’t mind them a little squishy, or are really hungry.
Bake in the oven for 25 minutes at 180C, flipping hallway through. Serve in bun with toppings of your choice and a large side salad. Or skip the gluten and serve with sweet potato wedges.

Amy x

Oat Flour, Apple Pancakes

February 18, 2016

by Amy

Leave a comment

Somehow January seems to have drifted into mid-February and it’s only just now, sitting down to write, that I’ve realised. Like the onset of that really fine rain that you don’t notice until you’ve been walking for twenty minutes and suddenly realise you’re soaked through.

Pancake day has come and gone, along with Valentine’s Day. I feel like I’ve barely had time to even think about making pancakes or how a day of forced romance and red roses makes me queazy.

The year has just jumped into full swing as if those quiet Christmas evenings sat around the tree never happened. I’m back at work, busy as ever, back commuting up to Manchester one day a week. Trying to keep on top of making packed lunches, daily stretches and exercises, mindfulness practice and getting to bed on time. Oh and I’ve missed out one thing, watching series two of Forbrydelsen aka The Killing. I’m managing (just about) although it always seems to be bedtime that slips. So now I blame myself for having a sore throat and a sniffily nose, after all there were only so many weeks elderberry tincture and echinacea tea could hold off a cold. Turns out its five.

On the upside it gave me the chance to use a newly learned phrase from my Thursday visits up north. I explained to my Yorkshire boyfriend that “I’m full of cold” whilst feeling pleased but snotty. It got me out of the Saturday morning food shop and I stayed at home in the warm reading my new favourite book, Quiet.

Truth be told, I did actually manage to whip up some pancakes on the appropriate day. However my lack of preparation and empty cupboards meant I had to make do without my favourite vegan pancake flour, buckwheat. Instead I made Oat Flour Griddle Cakes from Thug Kitchen. They make for a hefty, satisfying American pancake, not a crepe-type lemon and sugar number. So I thought I’d share my adapted recipe on the off chance your cupboard is also lacking in stoneground buckwheat flour : )

They’re the perfect answer to pancakes when the day springs itself upon you and all you have in the cupboard are oats.

Oat Flour, Apple Pancakes

125g Porridge oats
2 tbsp Ground flax seeds + 6 tbsp water
40g Porridge oats
1 1/2 tsp Baking powder
1 tbsp Coconut Sugar
1 tsp Ground cinnamon
1/4 cup Unsweetened apple sauce (or 2 small apples)
1 cup Non-dairy milk
Coconut oil for frying

For topping:
Maple syrup
Apple sauce
Ground cinnamon

If making the apple sauce from scratch, peel and finely dice 2 small apples and place in a small saucepan with 3-4 tbsp water. Cook on a medium heat for around 15 minutes and stir regularly, adding a little extra water if necessary until the apple has broken down and you have a good consistency.
Whisk the ground flax seed and water together with a fork in a small bowl and set aside.
Grind 125g oats in a food processor for a few minutes until you have a fine flour.
Mix together the ground oats and remaining dry ingredients in a large bowl.
Put a large frying pan on to a high heat so you’re ready to start frying straight away.
Make a well in the dry ingredients and add in the flax mixture, milk and 1/4 cup of apple sauce, leaving the remaining for topping. Mix together until just combined.
Add 1 tsp coconut oil to the pan, then spoon in just under 1/2 cup of the batter. You should be able to fit 3 pancakes the pan at a time. Fry for a few minutes until they start to brown and then flip using a spatula and fry for another couple of minutes until brown.
Keep warm under a grill whilst you fry the remaining pancakes.
Serve straight away with maple syrup, apple sauce and a sprinkle of ground cinnamon.

Kohlrabi, Kale & Black Rice Salad

January 31, 2016

by Amy

Leave a comment

January is a funny old month. We’re trying to break old habits and exercise more, eat better, sleep longer… But it’s a cold, dark month and maybe sleeping more is really the best suited resolution for January!!!

Last week I wrote not about a new year’s resolution as such but about setting a positive intension for the year which included to nourish myself. Cue healthy salad recipe… ha! But I don’t just mean with food, obviously that’s part of it. But also to nourish my mind and body, maybe by spending less time on social media and more time meditating. More time strengthening and practising yoga. More time traveling and experiencing new things. Those kind of nourishing things.

We’re one month into the new year and it’s been going fairly well so far. I’ve been receiving treatment for an ongoing bad back and a niggling knee injury that brought any of last years cycling ambitions to a complete end. I’m doing daily strengthening exercise to rebalance and realign my posture which has been the cause of both injuries. I’ve practised mindfulness daily and I’m still struggling with the social media bit…. but I’m not going to be too hard on myself : )

Food-wise I’ve been eating pretty well for the last year or so. I’ve cut down heavily on refined sugar, wheat, alcohol and any processed foods. I eat a balanced diet, jam-packed with local, seasonal vegetables! What’s more I really feel the difference. The feeling after eating a fresh, flavour-packed, filling meal to a processed meal or snack laden with sugar of wheat is unbelievable. Light and energised or heavy and sluggish, this is what has helped me easily sustain a healthy balanced diet.

The great thing about having transitioned to a healthy, nourishing diet is that I don’t feel guilty about having the odd, not-so-nourishing meal or snack. I know that for 80-90% of the week my body is thanking me for eating well with energy and concentration levels to suit. So if time gets the best of my healthy, advanced food preparation or I’m in a situation where being vegan means my only option is chips, its ok and I don’t have to feel bad, I can just move on knowing the next thing I eat will probably be much more nourishing.

We got there in the end… cue healthy salad recipe, for the 80-90% of the week when you want something fresh, flavour-packed and filling to leave you feeling light and energised. This salad will definitely not disappoint!

Kohlrabi was one of those strange vegetables I have never encountered until I signed up for a weekly, local and organic veg bag. I was like, kohl-you-what-now!? So I did the usual thing I do with unknown vegetables, roast them and hope for the best… and it was ok. It wasn’t until I discovered this recipe using raw kohlrabi from Love and Lemons that I realised kohlrabi is totally amazing!

I have made many a meal inspired by the spicy kohlrabi noodles from Love and Lemons, depending on what other vegetables are to hand. I wanted to share this version (my new favourite) before the kohlrabi season comes to an end. They should be back by around mid-late summer, so not too long to wait if you do miss this season.

Kohlrabi, Kale & Black Rice Salad
Serves 2-3

100g Black rice
1/2 Large kohlrabi
Large handful of cavolo nero or kale
1 Carrot
Handful of tender stem broccoli
2 tbsp rice vinegar
1tbsp rapeseed oil
Red chilli to taste
Handful of fresh coriander
2 tsp sesame seeds

For the kohlrabi marinade:
2 tbsp soy sauce or tamari
2 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tsp rice mirin
Juice of 1 lime
A few slices of red chilli, to taste
1 clove of garlic, crushed
1cm piece of ginger, grated

Mix all the ingredients for the marinade together in a large mixing bowl. Peel and finely slice the kohlrabi into thin match sticks and add it to the marinade, and mix thoroughly. Place in the fridge whilst you prepare the rest of the dish.
Place the rice in a saucepan and pour over roughly double the amount of boiling water. Bring to the boil and simmer for around 40 minutes until tender. (Check the rice now and then to make sure it doesn’t boil dry, adding a little water when necessary.)
Wash the cavolo nero or kale and slice down wither side of the tough stem and discard. Roughly chop the remaining leaves and place in a large mixing bowl. Add the rice vinegar and rapeseed oil and massage into the leaves until they start to soften then set aside.
Wash the broccoli and steam over the rice or over a pan of boiling water for 10-15 minutes until just tender. Rinse immediately under cold water to stop it cooking any further.
Wash and peel the carrot then, peel into ribbons.
Once the rice is cooked, rinse through cold water to cool.
Remove the kohlrabi from the fridge and add the kale, carrot, chopped coriander and rice, and mix together. Spoon into a large serving bowl. Arrange the broccoli pieces on top, pour over the remaining marinade, sprinkle with sesame seeds and sliced chilli and serve.

Amy x

Black Bean Chocolate Orange Mousse

January 20, 2016

by Amy

comments 4

Today I want to share a delicious, nourishing dessert with you. I also want to share a little more of myself. We began blogging here over two years ago to share our story of how rescuing four little hens turned us from omnivores to vegans in a matter on months. As time has gone on, we’ve focused more and more on the food than ourselves. I guess we’re a little bit shy. But with a new year upon us we thought it would be nice to share more of ourselves with you; our struggles and challenges, our ambitions and dreams. So here it goes…

My new year has gotten off to a pretty good start and I know it’s down to setting a positive intension for the new year; to look after, nourish and heal myself.

Often, after the fun and time-off over Christmas, my new year starts with a sense of dread. Three more months of cold, dark, bleak days. Another year has passed by and I’m still thinking where am I going, what am I achieving. But not this year. This year, I’m excited for the year ahead. For the adventures I will take, the food each season will bring, the people I will meet, the friends I will visit, the recipes I will create, the sunrises I will see. I have a sense of anticipation about all of the things to come.

I’m thinking it myself… what has sparked this sense of optimism within my cynical, pessimistic self? The answer, self-care. It started when I was diagnosed with mild depression (although it didn’t and has never felt very mild to me) which was also around two years ago. It was then I realised I couldn’t take myself for granted. It was when I took a permaculture course last summer that someone first taught me that before we can do anything we must look after ourselves. It was when I was ill in the autumn that a film told me happiness was in my own hands. It was at the beginning of this winter that a podcast prodded me to take meditation and mindfulness more seriously. And it has been small self-care rituals I have practised everyday of this new year that has revived my outlook on life.

It’s not ground breaking, it’s not a miracle, it’s just little things, everyday. Gratitude, meditation, visualisation, exercise, mindfulness. Not all at once, not all everyday but at least one everyday. And then there’s slightly bigger things, things this year I hope to do, hope to be. To be brave, to be happy, to travel, to accept myself. These are just kinda out there, floating around in my consciousness. I hope that through my little things I’ll be able to tackle those bigger things. But all of these things are grounded in my intension for the year; to look after, nourish and heal myself. And obviously nourishing myself includes eating delicious, indulgent but always mildly healthy dessert. Oh and I’ve done it, we’re back to food. Wohoo!

The new year has finally brought some cold winter weather to us (see, no sense of dread for cold days!). But not before some daffodils have bloomed and some trees have blossomed. The plants are confused and it could well mean a bad season ahead for our fruits.

For now, there are still plenty of apples knocking about at markets but we’ve shared a fair few apple recipes since autumn so I won’t share another one today. I eyed up some Spanish blood oranges at Borough Market this week and knew exactly what to make with them the moment I saw them… chocolate mousse!

Veronica made this heavenly mocha and black bean mousse cake from Green Kitchen Stories over Christmas. So I was inspired to ditch my tried and tested vegan mousse bases (cashews or avocados) and try out black beans. And it was a totally awesome decision! This mousse is mega rich and super delicious. No trace of a bean-y taste left, just a smooth and creamy texture and a filing, protein packed treat. It does have a fair amount of syrup in it to make it totally indulgent but you could easily leave a few tablespoons out and still have yourself a yummy treat!

Black Bean Chocolate Orange Mousse
Serves 5-6

1 tin black beans, drained and rinsed
50g pitted dates (soaked if using dried dates)
2 tbsp coconut oil, melted
8 tbsp brown rice or maple syrup
5 tbsp raw cacao powder
4 tbsp plant milk
zest of 1 organic orange
1 tsp raw cacao nibs (optional)

Put the black beans and dates in a food processor and blend on high for a minute.
Add the coconut oil, brown rice syrup, cacao powder and milk, and blend again for another minute.
Finally stir in the orange zest.
Spoon the mixture into 5-6 espresso cups, sprinkle with cacao nibs and a little extra orange zest.
Chill in the fridge until ready to serve.

So here’s to a truly, happy, new year.

Amy x

Sage & Chestnut Patties with Parsnip Bacon

December 30, 2015

by Amy

comments 3

Sage-&-Chestnut-Patties-with-Parnsip-Bacon

We’ve been having a pretty relaxing few days, even cooking two Christmas dinners we’ve managed to stay calm (apart from when Mum poured cashew cheese over the Christmas pudding instead of cashew cream!). Whilst we’ve been enjoying lots of delicious festive food like these cheese and crackers, these brussels and this Christmas cake, we haven’t really been over indulging.

Veronica is still struggling with her Candida and is trying to stay as sugar-free as she can manage over the festive period. She’s also started her marathon training. I on the other hand have been out of action with a bad knee for weeks and have only just started being able to do yoga again. I’m itching to get back on my bike and am gutted not to be able to go out running with Veronica whilst I’m back home. So I’ve been trying not to over indulge so I don’t make myself feel anymore sluggish than I already do.

So how to indulge without over indulging? For me that means making delicious food that I wouldn’t normally go to the trouble of making or trying out new and exciting recipes. This recipe is exactly that. You’ve probably seen coconut bacon floating round pintrest and blogs over the past year. I’ve been dreaming about topping my Christmas dinner with parsnip crisps in the way we used to put streaky bacon on the turkey before we were vegan. So when I saw this coconut bacon over on Top with Cinnamon with the extra addition of miso paste, I knew what had to be done… parsnip bacon! And what to top with parsnip bacon, sage and chestnut patties.

These patties make the perfect festive inspired meal without leaving you in a festive food coma. Served with the crispy parsnip bacon they remind me of deconstructed pigs in blankets, sans cruelty of course! The cauliflower mash is creamy and delicious without the heaviness of potatoes. Serve with some steamed greens and some chutney or gravy and you’ve got yourself one delicious dinner!

Sage & Chestnut Patties with Parsnip Bacon and Cauliflower Mash

Serves 4

For the patties:
420g Whole chestnuts
150g Puy lentils
2 tbsp Dried sage
1 tbsp Flax seeds + 3 tbsp water
1 tbsp Vegan bouillon + 100ml water
Pinch of cumin
Polenta for coating

Pre-heat the oven to 170C, cut a cross in the shell of each chestnut and roast them for 30 minutes.
Rinse the lentils, bring them to a boil in a saucepan of water and simmer for 20 mins until tender then drain.
Grind the flax seeds and mix them together with the water and set aside to thicken.
Once the chestnuts are roasted, take them out of the oven and leave them to cool before shelling them.
Put the chestnuts into a blender and blitz until roughly chopped. Add the cooked lentils, flax mixture and remaking ingredients and blitz together. Season with salt and pepper and shape into 8 patties.
Sprinkle a plate with polenta and coat the patties. Leave them on the plate and chill them in the fridge for at leaf 30 minute before cooking.
Fry in a little coconut oil in a large frying pan on a medium-high heat for 10 minutes on each side until browned and hot through.

For the parsnip bacon:
Recipe adapted from Izy Hossack.

1 tbsp Miso paste
2 tbsp Rice syrup
1 tsp Smoked paprika
1 tsp Sweet paprika
1 tbsp Soy sauce
1 tbsp Coconut oil (melted)
2-3 Parsnips

Measure all the ingredients into a large bowl and mix together well, set aside.
Wash and peel the parsnips and trim the ends.
Then peel the parsnip into thin strips using a peeler.
Add the parsnips to the bowl and mix together to ensure they are all well coated.
Lay the parsnip strips out onto a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper and bake at 170C for 20mins, checking and turning every 5 minutes to ensure they don’t burn.
Remove from the oven and they should crisp slightly more as they cool.

For the cauliflower mash:
1 Cauliflower (approx. 650g)
50ml Non-dairy milk
2 tbsp Olive oil
1 tsp Nutritional yeast

Boil the cauliflower for approx. 12 minutes on a medium heat until tender but not overcooked, remove from the heat and drain.
Place back in the saucepan with the remaining ingredients and season with salt and pepper. Using a stick blender, blitz the cauliflower until you get a silky, smooth mash. Serve immediately.

Enjoy the remaining festivities and we’ll see you in the new year!

Amy x

Chestnut Stuffed Squash

December 11, 2015

by Amy

Leave a comment

It’s easy to get overwhelmed thinking of all the things you need to do in the lead up to Christmas. Making gifts, buying gifts, wrapping gifts. Attending numerous Christmas parties, planning festive recipes, making, buying and wrapping even more gifts. So two weeks back, before Christmas-mode got into full swing, I escaped city life for a few days in the New Forest.

Cue hats, gloves, scarves and walking boots. Jumping over streams, walking on fallen trees. Long lunches. Dark afternoons spent in cosy pubs lit by candles and heated by open fires. Yep you get it, the perfect winter break. Perfect that is, if you aren’t vegan.

I finally got it. This is why my boyfriend, and no doubt countless others don’t want to make the commitment to veganism. It’s not because they don’t agree with the environmental and ethical view points. It’s not because they don’t enjoy delicious and satisfying vegan food. It’s because it’s unbelievably frustrating going out for food and paying good money for completely uninspiring and sometimes frankly, tasteless food.

Don’t get me wrong, I’ve had great experiences eating out, even in places that aren’t particularly vegetarian friendly, let alone vegan friendly. It’s just that that weekend I had a string of awful meals, one after another, after another. One of the main problems was that the vegetarian options on offer were cheese based and because they were pre-made could not be adapted and made vegan. The problem with the vegetarian options that could be adapted was that they completely lacked the thought and attention that the meat and fish options had clearly been given. And I suspected that the chefs making them would never eat those dishes themselves.

Ok rant over. But my point being, that if I wasn’t as passionately committed to my vegan lifestyle choice as I am, I wouldn’t want to pay to eat a half arsed, tasteless meal whilst everyone around me is tucking into a carefully prepared, deliciously balanced, flavour-packed meals.

So maybe the restaurant sector still has a way to go to offer and tempt people (ie. my boyfriend) to choose to pay for a vegan meal. And whilst it can seem like a massive commitment to alter your diet and have to start explaining to waiters or your friends that no you don’t eat fish or cheese or honey, it is easier to start at home.

Buying fresh, whole ingredients and making yourself delicious flavour packed vegan meals is so easy. And at this festive time of year when we’re being bombarded with pictures of giant joints of roast meat, there are super tasty alternatives that capture the spirit and flavours of the season without harming animals, contributing to climate change and whilst benefitting your health.

This chestnut stuffed squash is exactly that.

Chestnut Stuffed Squash

Serves 4

2 small squash (eg. acorn, red kuri, harlequin)
200g cooked chestnuts
75g puy lentils
Rapeseed oil
1 red onion
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp dried sage

Preheat the oven to 180C.
Cut both the squash in half, scoop out the seeds and place on a baking tray. Drizzle over a little oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile prepare the chestnut filling. Rinse the lentils in a sieve then bring them to a boil in a saucepan before reducing the heat and simmering for approximately 20 minutes. They should be soft but still have a little bite to them.
Whilst the lentils are cooking chop the onion and fry in a little oil on a medium heat in a frying pan until they start to caramelise.
Roughly chop the cooked chestnuts into small chances. Add the dried herbs and garlic to the onions and stir through before adding the cooked lentils and chopped chestnuts. Cook for 5 minutes.
Take the squash out the oven and spoon the chestnut filling equally between the squash halves. Cover with foil and the squash back in the oven for 20 minutes.
Remove from the oven. Serve with a side of steamed greens or as the centre piece of your festive feast.

Warm Brussels Sprout & Pomegranate Salad

November 27, 2015

by Amy

comments 2

Two things, brussels sprouts and pomegranates. First the sprouts. Yes, that’s right, sprout season is here which means of course, it’s f-ing Christmas! Which I’m actually really excited about and am totally ready to embrace, even though it’s only November… but I need something, anything to get me through these cold dark, days!! Secondly, pomegranates. Yep, not so seasonal. Well not to aforementioned cold, dark Britain. But it’s like having a clementine in your Christmas stocking, sometimes you just need something exotic to brighten up your lump of coal…

(Actually there is a third thing… I did not know they are called brussels sprouts. I thought it was brussel sprouts and now I’m totally freaking out…)

Anyway, no, I’m not saying that brussels sprouts are like coal. I love them! Just not how my Mum used to cook them, sorry Mum! November, for me, is a tough month. It’s dark, like all the time. If I don’t go out at lunch time I’ll pretty much never see the light of day. The beautiful colours of Autumn have all been blown off the trees and everything has turned kinda grey-brown. And unless some snow comes our way, things are gonna be grey-brown for a long time!

So I need a little sparkle in my salad. A little festive cheer to get me through the day. And what better than a pomegranate! If you check the label you should be able to find some in the shops from the not-so-far-away Egypt or Turkey… I know, but it’s better than Peru or China!

And yes, now that Veronica and I have taken over Christmas dinner duties, we no longer serve our brussels boiled. (Again, sorry Mum! She’s literally going to kill me, or at the very least give me an evil stare which is possibly worse.) Frying them or roasting them is the way to go. Plus, now we both get seasonal veg boxes every week, sprouts are no longer just a thing for Christmas day. Oh no, the sprout season in the UK can run from September to February. That’s a whole lotta sprouts!

This simple recipe works great as a side for a roast, or yes Christmas dinner. Or cook up a little quinoa and stir it through to make it a delicious meal all on its own. (British grown quinoa of course!)

Warm Brussels Sprouts & Pomegranate Salad

350g Brussels Sprouts
1 Onion or 1/2 a Leek
1 Small Garlic Clove
Half a Pomegranate
3 tbsp Chopped Walnuts
1/2 tbsp Rapeseed Oil

For the dressing

1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp maple syrup
Pinch of all spice
Pinch of cinnamon

Trim the base of the brussels and peel off the outer layers, wash and half them.
Heat a frying pan to a high heat and toast the walnuts for a few minutes, remove from the pan and set aside in a bowl.
Add the brussels to the pan, turn down the heat slightly and add a few tablespoons of water to the pan to slightly steam them. Meanwhile slice the onion or leek. Once the water has boiled, add the onions and turn up the heat again. Keep stirring whilst you fry on a high heat until the onions and brussels begin to brown.
Add the garlic and stir through for a minute. Transfer the brussels into a serving bowl along with the toasted walnuts and leave to cool slightly.
In a small bowl or cup mix together the ingredients for the dressing and pour over the brussels.
Cut the pomegranate in half across the middle. Hold half the pomegranate cut side down over a large bowl. Bash the skin like crazy with a spoon until all the seeds fall out into the bowl.
Sprinkle the pomegranate seeds over the brussels and serve warm.

So get out your frying pan out and tell November to do one, we want Christmas!

Amy x

On The Go Apple Recipes

November 13, 2015

by Amy

Leave a comment

Last Saturday we had an amazing day at the first ever Vegan Futures event. The one day lifestyle festival was packed full of inspiring talks and workshops. We were kindly asked by one of the organisers, Damien, to share our vegan journey and share some recipes in a food workshop.

It was amazing getting the chance to share our story, why we went vegan and what has changed for us since that decision. We also spoke about the reactions we had from those around us and how that led us to set up the blog as a way to share our story and recipes with friends and family.

But the best part was getting to meet and talk to people about their experiences. Lots of people identified with our struggles with digestive issues and acne, and wanted to know more about going sugar, gluten and alcohol free.

So we made a little pledge straight away to share more sugar and gluten-free recipes here on the blog to help you (and us) keep focused on whole and healthy, vegan food that makes us feel good from the inside out!

On the day we shared two really quick autumnal, apple recipes perfect for busy people wanting integrate healthy vegan food into their diet. Whilst they both contain natural sugars from fruit, they are certainly a step in the right direction away from pre-made, shop bought, sugar-laden alternatives.

Apple Overnight Oats

I make this recipe a few times a week, normally when I know I’m going to be pushed for time in the morning (which, yes is just most days!). Soaked overnight, the oats and apple become so delicious and creamy that you will actually want this for breakfast everyday, rush or no rush!

Serves 2

100g Porridge oats
1 tbsp Chia seeds
1/2 tsp Ground cinnamon
1 Apple, grated
250ml non-dairy milk such as almond or oat

Mix all the dry ingredients together in a bowl and set aside.
Peel and grate the apple and add to the dry mixture.
Pour over the milk and mix thoroughly. Add a little more milk or water until you have a nice wet consistency that isn’t too runny.
Leave covered in the fridge overnight or separate into two jars or containers that you can grab as you run out the door in the morning.

Apple Energy Bites

These are great to make at the weekend and store in the fridge for the week ahead. If I know I’m heading to a long meeting or somewhere I’m unlikely to come across and healthy vegan snacks, I always take my own! It makes everything it a whole lot easier to turn down a Danish pastry when you have a delicious treat with you in your bag!

Makes 10

75g Dried apple
75g Dried dates
40g Hazelnuts
2 tsp Ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp Ground cloves
1/4 tsp Ground nutmeg

Roast the hazelnuts in a dry frying pan on a high heat until the skins start to blacken and crack. Put into a clean tea towel or some kitchen roll and rub the skins off. Set aside to cool.
In a food processor roughly blitz the hazelnuts into smallish chunks and set aside.
Put the remaining ingredients into the food processor and blend until it comes together into a ball.
Add in the hazelnuts and blitz until combined.
Taking 1 tbsp of mixture at a time, roll between the palm of your hands to form a ball.
Store in the fridge for up to week.

Both these recipes are quick and simple to make in advance when you know you are going to be short on time. The easiest time to lapse from a well intentioned vegan or sugar-free diet is when you’re in a rush and convenience wins.

But with recipes like these to hand and being just a little bit prepared you won’t be tempted to sway from your choice to go vegan and/ or refined sugar-free.

It really was awesome to be a part of Vegan Futures and share these recipes and our journey. It was such an inspiring day, hearing not only stories of people’s journeys to veganism but journeys to health and happiness through adopting a more compassionate lifestyle. The Vegan Futures team did an amazing job organising the day and we hope to be part of it again next year.

Amy x

Watermelon and Lime Ice Lollies [vegan]

Mallorcan Tumbet

Raspberry Cheesecake [vegan and gluten free]

Vegan Strawberry Mousse