My wish for you is to Live Better, Strive Harder, Be Bolder, Dream Bigger, Climb Higher and Seek Greater.
My vision is to help people create food that is delicious, easy to make and high in nutrition, so that food once more becomes a vehicle to fuel your body, mind and soul.
‘Let us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom’
This is a vegan version of an Asian coconut jam, typically had for breakfast in Singapore and Malaysia. It is normally made with eggs, sugar and pandan leaves, served on toast slathered in salted butter and accompanied with a rich tea.
Here I have made it using sweet potatoes to replicate the custard texture, some of the sweetness and to add a healthful twist.
Pandan leaves are used to add a subtle fragrance. They are typical of southeast Asia and used much like vanilla. The flavour is described as grassy with hints of rose, almond and vanilla and it complements the coconut well. If you don’t want to use it, you can sub in vanilla.
Mr B noted that it could be easily be used as a filling to a pie. Do you think he was hinting…?!
Ingredients
500g sweet potatoes
1 cup coconut milk
2 pandan leaves, knotted, or ½ tsp. vanilla
¼ cup coconut sugar
Method
Pre-heat your oven to 350F.
Use a fork to prick the sweet potatoes, brush with a little oil and bake till cooked through, c. 45 minutes
Let the potatoes cool, scoop out the inside and place in a blender
Add the coconut milk and blend till smooth
Tip into a small pan, add the pandan leaves or vanilla and sugar
Cook for 20 minutes until the mixture has slightly thickened and darkened in color
With thanksgiving round the corner, I thought it would be good to give you a class dish.
This pecan pie is sweet, indulgent and delicious. The pecans are baked twice and so makes your home smell warm and inviting for hours.
I like to make my own pie crust and tend to do it in bulk and freeze the dough. Like most baking it is process driven and rather therapeutic so a great quarantine activity. You can of course use a store bought vegan pie crust or dough, if you don’t have the time or baking gene.
This is a recipe taken straight from my culinary degree and so should be attributed to ICE Culinary School. It is such a pleasure to be able to learn these new dishes and techniques and a serendipity that the pie lesson was the week before thanksgiving.
Mr B had to endure eating slices of pecan, pumpkin and cranberry pie this week. You must be feeling very sorry for him right now. Especially since it was the week after cookie week!
Yield: One 9-inch tart
Tart
4 cups Pecans
3⁄4 cup Rice syrup
1⁄2 cup Maple syrup
1 tbsp. Arrowroot flour
1 tsp. Vanilla extract
Glaze
2 tsp. Maple Syrup
– Preheat oven to 275° F – Roast pecans for about 40 minutes. Remove from pan and allow to completely cool. – Raise oven temperature to 350° F. – Roll out half the dough and transfer to tart pan. Chill 15 minutes. Trim edges, allowing 1-inch overhang. Chill rolled dough for another 15 minutes. – Roll out other half of dough and transfer to sheet pan. Cover and chill until ready to use. – In bowl of food processor, grind pecans to coarse flour. Add syrups, arrowroot, and vanilla. Mix to combine. – Pour filling into tart shell. Place top dough over filling, trim and seal edges. Cut a few steam vents or cut in strips and lattice like in the above picture. – Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until crust is firm. Brush top with glaze 10 minutes before removing from oven. – Cool and set before serving (about 30 minutes).
If making the pie dough:
For the dough:
Yield: Two 9-inch pie doughs
Dry Ingredients
1+1/3 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1+1/3 cup unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
2 tbsp. Maple crystals
1⁄2 tsp. baking powder
1⁄2 tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. sea salt
Wet Ingredients
1/2 cup coconut oil, partially solid (refrigerate if necessary)
2 tablespoon vanilla extract
4 tablespoons maple syrup
4-10 tablespoons ice cold water
– In medium bowl, sift together dry ingredients. Use whisk to fully combine ingredients. – Add oil to bowl (dot around the flour, not all in one place). Using a pastry cutter or clean hands; blend oil into flour. Dough should have coarse, sand-like consistency. – Add vanilla and maple syrup to dough with wooden spoon. Mix to combine. – Slowly add water to dough one tablespoon at a time. Dough should just hold together and be moist (but not wet). – Place dough in plastic wrap, twisting so it holds together. Flatten to a disc shape and refrigerate 10-15 minutes.
– Remove dough from refrigerator; rest it until workable and can be rolled without cracking. Split into 2 pieces and roll out separately. – Lay dough on top of parchment. Place second piece of parchment paper on top of dough and roll out.
– Flip the dough and parchment a few times as you are rolling to make sure it isn’t getting stuck to the parchment or getting wrinkles from the parchment.
– Roll the dough until dough is 1/8-inch thick (approx. the size in-between the prongs of a fork)
– Place 9-inch pie plate over center of rolled out dough. Using sharp knife, cut a circle 1-inch wider than the pie pan.
– Take a rolling pin and lay the pie dough out on top of it, use it to move over the pie pan and lay in. Shave off the edges of the dough. Place back in the fridge for 10 minutes.
– Once dough is cold again, prick the bottom with a fork to create air pockets. This will stop the dough from bubbling up. Bake it in the oven for 10 minutes till it is starting to brown, this is called par-baking.
– Take the pie base out of the oven, add the filling in and add the second pie dough to the top, making holes in the top or form it into strips and create a lattice affect, like in the picture.
– Bake for another 10-15 minutes, or until golden brown. When you think it is nearly ready, glaze with the maple syrup and bake for another 2 minutes, to give extra shine.
‘As you ramble on through life, whatever be your goal, keep your eye on the donut and not on the hole’
With fall in the air, pumpkins are abundant. They are perfect for the autumn as they are grounding and nutritive. They contain high levels of beta carotene, vitamin C, E and tryptophan. Tryptophan helps with serotonin production making pumpkins literally a good mood food.
I have outlined the recipe for spiced pumpkin puree, which can be used in pumpkin pie, oatmeal or just eaten by the spoonful. Here we are adding it to donuts, giving you a warm pumpkin spiced donut complemented with a sweet maple glaze.
Mr. B has been asking me to make donuts for years, so this was a gift for him, to be able to ‘wake up and smell the donuts’.
Ingredients (Yield:6)
Donut
¾ cup. Whole-wheat flour
1 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
½ cup almond milk (room temperature)
1/3 cup spiced pumpkin puree
4 tbsp. cane sugar
1 tsp. active yeast
2 tbsp. coconut oil
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. garam masala (optional)
Maple Glaze
½ cup. powdered sugar
5 tbsp. maple syrup
Pumpkin puree
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground ginger
½ tsp. ground cloves
½ tsp. ground nutmeg
2 tbsp. maple syrup
1 medium pumpkin
Method
Preheat the oven to 400F
Cut the pumpkin down the middle and scoop out the seeds and guts
Sprinkle a little salt on the inside of the pumpkin. Lay face down on parchment paper on a baking tray and bake for 45 minutes or until the skin is soft enough to put a knife straight through
Once baked, let cool and scoop out the flesh. Blend with the maple syrup, spices and adjust to your taste
For the donut. In a bowl, mix the pumpkin puree, sugar, milk, coconut oil, vanilla extract and garam masala. Mix in the yeast and set aside.
In a separate bowl mix the dry ingredients. Sieve in the flour, the baking powder, salt and mix to combine.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet one cup at a time and mix till well combined.
Set the mixture aside for 15 minutes.
Preheat an oven to 350F and brush a donut pan with coconut oil
Once the batter is ready, spoon it into a piping bag or a zip-lock bag, squeezing to one end and cutting the end off
Squeeze the batter into the pan. Let it sit for another 10 minutes.
Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until you can put a toothpick in, and it comes out clean. The donuts should have risen. Let cool for at least 5 minutes.
As the donuts cool, whisk together the maple syrup and powdered sugar to form a glaze.
Dip the top of the donut into the glaze and leave on a rack to let set.
‘A little bit of sweetness can drown out a whole lot of bitterness’
Is there anything better than the combination of the banana and chocolate?
It’s a classic on the BBQ, makes a wonderful milkshake and a sumptuous banana bread.
This banana bread is vegan. The banana and milk supply the moisture, the flour acts as a binder and the raw cacao adds antioxidants and a chocolate flavor. This is a base recipe, where I wanted to show off the swirl more than anything. Feel free to add a few nuts or chocolate chips if you like.
Mr B was certainly very happy to be the taster for this one, as he could smell it before it arrived. Since it takes 10 minutes to prep and 45 in the oven, it certainly brings with it some anticipation.
Ingredients
3 bananas (very ripe)
¾ cup organic cane sugar
2 tbsp. coconut oil (extra for lining the baking tin)
½ cup dairy free milk
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1.5 cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
3 tbsp raw cacao powder
6 tbsp. boiling water (split into 2)
Method
Pre-heat your oven to 350F and grease a baking tin with coconut oil
Add the bananas to a bowl and mash till a smooth puree is formed
Add the sugar, oil, milk and vanilla and whisk till smooth
Add the flour, baking soda, salt and cacao powder and mix together till there are no lumps
In a separate bowl add the cacao powder to 3 tbsp. boiling water and whisk till smooth
Add one cup of the batter to the chocolate mixture and whisk
Add the remaining 3 tbsp. boiling water to the plain batter and whisk
Take your baking tin and add ½ cup of each batter at a time
Once all the batter is in the tin, use a spatula and swirl it through in circles
Bake for 45 minutes or until a you can put a toothpick through, and it comes out clean
I am from cloves, black pepper and cardamom. Those that built you an empire’
This is a light and fragrant cookie with cooling properties, due to the rose and cardamom and vanilla. Using almonds as the base will also keep you satiated. You can make the almond meal by finely grinding almonds yourself, or to save time you can buy it.
The recipe comes together easily and including baking time can be done in under 20 minutes. The raw dough is so tasty, that it is tempting to just stop there.
Cardamom is one of my favourite spices. It is an antioxidant, a natural tranquiliser, an antimicrobial and known to flush toxins from the system.
Rose water is a powerful antiseptic, contains antioxidants and in some studies has been found to have antidepressant and antianxiety properties.
Vanilla is seen as a digestive, an aphrodisiac and when added to food, reduces the amount of sugar needed for sweetening.
Ingredients
1.5 cups almond meal (store-bought or home-made)
½ tsp cardamom
¾ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
3 tbsp melted coconut oil
2 tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp rose water
1 tsp vanilla extract
Method
Pre-heat your oven to 375F and line a baking tray with parchment
Add the first four dry ingredients together and whisk to combine
Add in the rest of the ingredients and stir with a spoon till the mixture comes together. You should be able to pinch the mixture and it hold together in your fingers
Role the mixture into small balls, the size of a quarter/50pence piece
Flatten slightly and place on baking tray
Bake in an oven for 8-10 minutes at 375F until starting to brown and a little firm
Let cool. As they cool, they will firm up a little more
This is a great vegan substitute for eggs. I was inspired to make this, after using the ‘just egg’ product that can be found in your local supermarket. It is made using an ancient Indian method of grinding whole mung beans. I love the product, but wanted to make it cheaper. This recipe is one tenth of the price and I think it is just as good.
This is a great breakfast, with around 50 grams of protein, coming just from the mung lentils. If you use chickpea flour, there is also additional protein to be had. It is versatile as you can vary the toppings. It is easy to batch as it freezes well. It also takes no time at all, with my favourite blend and bake method. That is what I call a good breakfast.
The use of black salt, or kala namak adds an ‘eggy’ smell and taste, so much so that Mr B told me that the smell of me making eggs was what woke him up. The smell comes from the sulphur contained in this mineral salt. The salt is pinkish-grey, reflective of the mineral content, including iron.
In Ayurvedic cooking this salt is used as a digestive. It is alkalizing and helps reduce excess acid in the stomach. It helps with excess air/gas and so is especially good for those of a Vata constitution.
Mung lentils are high in protein, fibre and low in calories. They strengthen the gut lining and help the body to detox. They also help to neutralise acid in the gastrointestinal tract especially in stomach.
Ingredients
¾ cup split yellow mung bean (soaked overnight)
1 cup of unsweetened coconut milk
¼ cup flour (rice/chickpea)
1 tsp. baking powder
2 tbsp. olive oil
½ tsp. garlic powder
½ tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. turmeric powder
1.5 tsp. black salt
Method
Soak lentils overnight. In the morning, rinse and drain. Place in a blender.
Add all other ingredients to the blender and blend till smooth
You want the consistency to be smooth and like a light batter, if it is too thick add a little more coconut milk, too thin add a little more flour
Top with any topping you like. Tomatoes, onions, vegan cheese works well
Bake in an oven for 10-15 minutes at 350F until center is firm
‘Spice a dish with love and it pleases every palate’ – Plautus
As the autumn starts to make it’s self known, we start to look for warmth and grounding in many places. In our cupboards with heavy knits and blankets. In our kitchen with heavier and warmer foods. In our spice rack with heating and stimulating ingredients.
This recipe brings together two of my favorite recipes, beneficial for the autumn season. Golden milk, or turmeric latte used here in a panna cotta. And spiced oatmeal which I have turned into granola.
If you use the granola on it’s own, be sure to add warm milk rather than grabbing it out of the jar by the handful, like Mr B.
Ingredients For the panna cotta
3 Tbsp agar flakes
2.5 cups almond milk
½ tsp. cardamom powder
1 Tbsp. turmeric powder
½ tsp. ginger powder
¾ cup maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp. sea salt
Method
Combine agar flakes and milk in medium saucepan and simmer over medium heat until agar flakes have dissolved.
Add cardamom, turmeric, ginger, maple syrup, vanilla bean, and salt.
Simmer an additional 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
‘The capacity to learn is a gift; the ability to learn is a skill; the willingness to learn is a choice’
This is another recipe that I made at culinary school. I bring it to you because it was the tastiest dish of the day. It also happens to be incredibly well balanced from a nutritional perspective, packed with veggies and protein.
Tempeh has 30g protein per cup. Quinoa has 8 grams per cooked cup and is a complete protein. I also added Tofu cream cheese (see previous recipe) as a cooling topping. Tofu gives you 20g protein per cup. Tempeh is also a pre and probiotic, as are the veggies.
Mr B loves the stuffed poblano’s and I tend to just eat the filling. You can substitute the veggies out for anything you have in the fridge, making it the perfect sustainability dish, using up all the odds and ends to make the filling.
From an Ayurvedic perspective Tempeh is grounding, making it a great ingredient to add in during the Autumn months.
If you’d like to know more about how to adjust your diet for the Autumn, please join me over zoom, on 18th October, when I will be co-hosting an Autumn Retreat. I’ll be doing a live demo and talking you through how to eat to enhance your immunity and digestion (see below and feel free to contact me for further details).
Yield- 8 stuffed poblanos (with 1⁄4 cup filling each)
Ingredients:
Chilies:
8 poblano chilies
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Tempeh:
1⁄2 cup apple juice
2 tablespoons tamari
2 teaspoons mustard
1 bay leaf
½ pack tempeh (4oz)
Filling:
Tempeh (as above)
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1⁄2 bunch scallions, minced (2-3 tablespoons)
1⁄2 medium carrot cut into small dice (1⁄2 cup)
1 teaspoon sea salt or to taste
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 large cloves garlic, minced (1 tablespoon)
1⁄2 cup cooked quinoa
Method: – Preheat oven to 350°F degrees. Rub poblanos with olive oil. Transfer chilies to a baking tray and roast until skins blister and pucker, approximately 15 to 20 minutes. – Remove chilies from oven and transfer to bowl. Cover bowl to steam poblanos for 10 minutes. – Remove poblanos from bowl. Slit one side of chilies vertically from stem to tip, making opening large enough for stuffing. Remove seeds. Set aside. – Cut tempeh in half horizontally. Transfer tempeh to small sauté pan with marinade ingredients. Simmer uncovered on low heat for 20 minutes. – Transfer tempeh from pan to paper towel-lined baking sheet to cool. Crumble with hands and set aside. – Heat 1 tablespoon of oil, add scallions and carrots to pan, lower heat and add salt, paprika, and cumin. Cook on a low heat until the vegetables begin to soften; add garlic and cook 1-2 minutes more. Transfer mixture from pan to medium bowl. – In same pan, add remaining 2 tablespoons of oil. When oil is hot, add crumbled tempeh. Cook on medium heat until tempeh is browned. Transfer tempeh to bowl with sweated vegetables. Add cooked grain; mix to combine. Season to taste and set aside. – Place about 1⁄4 cup filling in each poblano.
‘One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well’
– Virginia Wolf
This is a new grain and recipe to me. I learnt it in the health supportive program at the institute of culinary education. I hadn’t used Millet before, but this ancient grain has many health benefits and the highest calcium content of all the grains. It is high in minerals like copper, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and selenium as well as essential vitamins like folate, pantothenic acid, niacin, riboflavin and vitamins B6, C, E and K.
It is rich in antioxidants, helping to protect your body from oxidative stress. It is low GI and rich in fibre, and so helps control blood sugar levels.
One cup of millet contains around 200 calories, over 6 grams of protein, 2 grams of fibre and less than 2 grams of fat.
I use these as a lunch box bite or as Mr B put it, a vegan alternative to crab cakes.
They are good with a dipping sauce or three as they take well to strong flavors.
Ingredients
1 cup millet, washed and drained
2 cups stock or water
½ tsp. salt
½ cup sunflower seeds, toasted and ground in a blender
½ bunch scallions, minced
½ bunch parsley, minced
1 small carrot, grated
2-4 tbsp. tamari
Method
Preheat the oven to 350F
After you have washed and drained the millet, dry roast it in a pan to get rid of any excess moisture. It will start to smell like popcorn as it starts to toast. This will add a nutty taste to your millet cakes. If you are pinched for time, you can skip this step
Add the water and salt to the millet. Bring to a boil then down to a simmer
Simmer for 30-40 minutes or until all the water is absorbed
Transfer the millet to a bowl, add all the filling and mix together
The mixture should be sticky, from the starchiness of the millet
Mold into balls with your hands, using an ice-cream scoop for portioning. Make sure to flatten down a little
Line a baking tray with parchment paper and bake the cakes till golden brown, c. 30 minutes
You can paint with coconut oil for a deeper golden brown (optional)
‘Herbs deserve to be used much more liberally’ – Yotam Ottolenghi
I made this Za’atar in class recently and fell in love with the fresh herb mix all over again.
The mix of ingredients plays with your taste buds, with zest from the sumac, depth from the sesame seeds and herbaciousness from the thyme.
I served this on its own with pitta chips, as a topping to elevate hummus and on a cauliflower steak. Mr B is honestly happy to eat it on its own!
Thyme is great for the Autumn. It is a grounding herb in taste and aroma, which is beneficial as the weather becomes more erratic. It is also a lung tonic as it contains Thymol (the synthetic version of which is used in cough mixture) and has Carvacrol a powerful compound found to increase levels of Dopamine and Serotonin, the neurotransmitters that regulate motivation and mood.
See specific Ayurvedic properties included below.
Ingredients
¼ cup fresh thyme leaves (taken off stems)
2 tsp. Sumac
½ Sea salt
2 tbsp un-hulled sesame seeds
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Method
Add to a mortar and pestle and grind or blend in a small blender
Serve with pitta chips, on hummus as an herbal compliment to your main
