Cheddar Apple Walnut Salad
Creamy cheese, crisp and sweet apples, toasty walnuts and a tangy dressing. This Cheddar Apple Walnut Salad is a simple and tasty crowd-pleaser!
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Pumpkin Chia Coconut Parfait
This Pumpkin Chia Coconut Parfait is a delicious solution to busy mornings! Mornings. They’re not what they used to be. Actually, they are. Mornings have always been rushed for me, pre-children I would stay in bed until the last second and guzzle black coffee from …
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Butternut Squash Lentil Curry
This butternut squash lentil curry is the perfect antidote to a chilly evening!
Hi Friends!
Long time no see! Fortunately I come armed with a plethora of excuses as to why this bloggity blog has been so quiet.
So back in May we found out that our family of three would become a family of four in the new year! Very exciting news, but it definitely threw a spanner in the works where my palate was concerned. It’s create healthy recipes when all you want to eat is buttered toast and salt and vinegar crisps, you know?!
This, along with first (and second!) trimester exhaustion, a boisterous toddler, an extended holiday in the UK, and spending more hours in the pilates studio, have left precious little time for this labor of love.
However, the new autumnal season has reinvigorated me, and I’m here to share a simple curry dish that we been enjoying weekly since the squashes and pumpkins began adorning the supermarket shelves. Roasted squash pairs beautifully with warming indian spices, lentils provide some heft and texture, and I love to serve it with a little brown rice, but whatever grain or bread will work here. So comforting, nourishing, and best of all… easy-peasy!
Enjoy!
Butternut Squash Lentil Curry
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Author: Emma
Recipe type: /
Serves: 4
Ingredients
- ½ medium butternut squash peeled and cubed (about 2-3 cups of squash)
- 3 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ thumb sized piece of ginger, minced
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp coriander
- ½ tsp turmeric
- 1½ tsp curry powder
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper (or more or less to taste- we usually omit this if my son is going to be eating)
- 1 cup red lentils
- 1 tin coconut milk
- 2-3 cups low sodium vegetable stock
- salt and pepper to taste
- ⅓ cup fresh coriander
- juice of ½ a lime
Method
- Preheat oven to 400F/200C
- Place the cubed squash into a roasting tin in one single layer, toss with two tablespoons of olive oil, and place in the oven to roast for about 25 minutes until tender and starting to caramelize at the edges. You can do this step ahead of time if you're feeling organized!
- Tip the roasted squash into a blender or food processor with a couple of tablespoons of vegetable stock. Puree until smooth, and set aside.
- Heat a large pot over medium heat, add remaining olive oil, and chopped onions. Saute for 3-4 minutes until softened. Add garlic and ginger and cook for another minute
- Add cumin, coriander, turmeric, cayenne pepper, and curry powder to the pot, and give everything a good stir. Let the spices toast for a scant minute before adding the lentils coconut milk and 2 cups of the stock.
- Bring pot to a gentle boil, and then reduce to simmer for about 20 minutes until the lentils are cooked through, adding the remaining vegetable stock if you need to.
- When the lentils are cooked through, turn the heat down to low, and stir in the butternut puree, fresh coriander and lime juice. Stir until thoroughly combined and warmed through, and add salt and pepper to taste.
Notes
I often try to save time by making the curry as the squash is roasting, I can usually knock a good 20 minutes off overall cook time this way.
If you’re in a pinch for time, or just want to use one less dish(!), substitute canned pumpkin puree for the butternut squash puree.
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Banoffee Overnight Oats
These banoffee overnight oats are inspired by the retro british dessert, and will save you time and stress in the morning! To be honest, It took me a while to warm up to the idea of overnight oats, It always felt more satisfying to tuck …
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Lemon Pistachio Granola
This lemon pistachio granola is bright, summery, and packed with zingy citrus flavour! Friends, before we get to this bright, summery lemon pistachio granola, may I tell you about my weekend?! So, since James was about 5 months old, I made the decision to stay …
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Vegan Kale Ceasar Wrap with Tempeh Bacon
This vegan kale ceasar wrap with tempeh bacon makes a quick and satisfying meal!
Well, HI! Apologies, I didn’t intend to go off the radar for the past couple of weeks, it just kinda happened. I found myself with a major case of the burn-outs and thought it best for myself, and the blog, if I took a week or two to refocus.
SO, here I am refocused, and ready to share a recent triumph, a mega-tasty, super-satisfying, vegan kale ceasar wrap, with tempeh bacon… oh yes!!
Here’s the skinny: kale and romaine tossed with a tahini-based creamy caesar dressing, thin slices of tempeh, marinated and cooked to salty-sweet-smoky perfection. The contrast between flavours and textures in this wrap is what really gets me. There’s so much going on, but it just works!
Enjoy!
Vegan Kale Ceasar Wrap with Tempeh Bacon
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Author: Emma
Serves: 4
Ingredients
- For the Tempeh Bacon:
- ¼ cup low sodium tamari or soy sauce
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp maple syrup
- ½ tsp cumin
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp liquid smoke (optional)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- pinch cayenne pepper
- 18oz/500g package tempeh, thinly sliced into about 20 slices
- For the caesar dressing:
- ¼ cup tahini
- 4 tbsp water
- juice of half a lemon
- 1 tsp dijon
- 1 tsp vegan worcester sauce
- ½ tsp honey
- 2 tsp capers
- ½ tsp sea salt
- For the wraps:
- large handful kale leaves, destemmed and cut into small pieces
- large handful of chopped romaine lettuce
- 4 large whole grain wraps or flatbreads
Method
- Make Tempeh Bacon: Whisk together tamari, vinegar, syrup, cumin, paprika, liquid smoke, olive oil, and cayenne pepper in a measuring jug. Place the tempeh slices in a shallow dish, and pour the marinade over the top. Cover, and pop in the fridge for anywhere between 30 minutes to overnight. When you are ready to cook the tempeh, preheat oven to 300F/150C, and place the tempeh on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cook for 10 minutes, flip over, and cook for 5 minutes more until cooked through and crispy. Set aside to cool
- Make Caesar Dressing: Place ingredients in a blender or food processor, and blend until smooth. Add a little more water if the dressing seems to thick. Set Aside
- Assemble the wraps:Place the salad leaves in a large bowl, and pour the dressing over the top, toss to coat evenly. Place about ¼ of the greens in the the center of the wrap, and place 5 slices of tempeh bacon on top of the greens, tightly roll up, like a burrito, to make your wrap. Repeat with the remaining ingredients
Notes
Tempeh Bacon Recipe Adapted from Vegetarian Times.
Caesar Dressing Adapted from Oh She Glows.
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Spinach Almond Butter Smoothie
Another green smoothie… promise it’s worth it! Does the internet need another green smoothie? Probably not. But then again, yes. Because THIS is the green smoothie of your dreams. Just a small handful of ingredients (half of which are listed in the title), a quick …
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Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
This whole wheat chocolate chip banana bread is 100% whole grain, and 100% delicious! Anyone else overbuy bananas just so you can make Banana Bread? Until recently, this tactic worked like a charm for me, but lately, James has thrown me off my banana game. …
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Socca Topped With Greens
Easy and delicious socca topped with greens makes a quick, elegant and versatile meal!
Friends, for years I didn’t make Socca because I assumed it was either too complicated, or too fancypants. I urge you not to make the same mistake, because its DEAD SIMPLE and super yummy. A couple of months ago I was trying to figure out how to use up a bag of chickpea flour, and I googled “Chickpea Flatbread”. Turns out chickpea flatbread IS Socca. The rest is history, I’ve been making it every week since.
Have you made socca before? Eaten it? Heard of it?! It ticks my three most important boxes:
Easy, check!
Healthy, check!
Delicious, check!
And my new fourth bonus box, will my kid it eat? Check!!!
There are hundreds of things you can do with socca, but by favourite so far is simply topping it with greens. It’s so light, and so elegant, and has become one of my go-to lunches or light dinners.
If you have a different go-to socca recipe, please let me know! I’m addicted to this stuff.
Enjoy!
Socca Topped With Greens
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Author: Emma
Serves: 2
Ingredients
- For the socca:
- 1 cup chickpea flour
- 1 cup water
- 1 tsp dried rosemary
- 1 tbsp olive oil (plus a little more for the pan)
- For the greens:
- 1 generous handful of rocket (arugula) or mixed greens- whatever you have to hand
- 8-10 mixed marinated olives, pitted and roughly chopped
- 2 tbsp sun dried tomatoes, chopped
- 1 tsp olive oil
- juice of half a small lemon
- generous pinch of sea salt
- a little freshly grated parmesan (optional)
Method
- You want to mix the socca batter at least half an hour before you want to eat it. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl, and chill in the fridge for at least half an hour
- While your batter is chilling, prepare your greens. Simply toss all the the ingredients in a bowl, and put in the fridge to chill until needed.
- Set your oven rack about 6 inches below your broiler, and turn on the broiler. Put a 10 inch skillet in the beneath the broiler to warm for a few minutes
- Carefully remove the skillet, and swirl a little olive oil in the bottom, enough to evenly coat, and then pour the socca batter into the skillet. Broil for about 3-5 minutes until the batter is cooked through and beginning to blister in places. Carefully remove and allow to cool for a few minutes before you top with your prepared greens
Notes
Socca recipe adapted from The Kitchn.
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Black Bean Breakfast Enchiladas
These vegetarian black bean breakfast enchiladas make a hearty, stick-to-your-ribs weekend breakfast! I hope you had a lovely weekend. What did you do? A little breakfast? A little biking? A little brewery action? We rarely go out for breakfast at the moment, our little nugget …
