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Recipe Blog

LET FOOD BE THY MEDICINE AND MEDICINE BE THY FOOD

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.

Maple Glazed Pumpkin Donuts (Vegan)

By , November 14, 2020

‘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. 

Banana and Chocolate Swirl (Vegan)

By , November 7, 2020

‘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

Cardamom Cookie (GF, Vegan)

By , October 31, 2020

‘Where are you from?

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 

‘Just egg’ frittata

By , October 24, 2020

‘A good breakfast is a start of a good day’

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

Golden Milk Panna Cotta and Chai Spiced Granola (Vegan, GF)

By , October 19, 2020

‘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.
  • Pour into cups or molds.
  • Cool until firm

Ingredients
For the granola

  • 3 cups nuts, roughly chopped (almonds, pecans, hazelnuts)
  • 2 cups gluten free rolled oats
  • 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • ½ tsp. ground cardamom
  • ½ tsp. nutmeg
  • ½ tsp. ground ginger
  • ¼ tsp. ground garam masala
  • 1/8 tsp. finely ground black pepper
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • ½ cup pure maple syrup

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper
  2. Add all ingredients to a large bowl. Fold until well mixed.
  3. Pour onto the prepared baking sheet, making sure the layer is evenly spread,
  4. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. I mixed the granola a couple of times to make sure it was evenly cooking
  5. Cool completely. Serve or store.

Stuffed Poblano Chiles with tempeh, vegetables and quinoa

By , October 11, 2020


‘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. 

Millet Cakes (Vegan, Gluten Free)

By , October 3, 2020

‘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)

Zesty Za’atar

By , September 26, 2020

‘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 
Za’atar – YouTube Video

Baked Apples (Vegan, GF)

By , September 20, 2020

This is a great dish that Mr. B and I like to eat for breakfast, although they were originally introduced to me as a dessert.

We bake them with the skin on, which acts like a jacket to keep the moisture in, in addition to giving you your much-needed fiber. Eating them with the skin on makes this a low GI dish, without it, it is high GI. So, taking a cue from mother nature here, makes sense!

I filled them with sesame seeds, nuts and raisins, bound with a little maple syrup and finished with a sprinkle of salt. You can change the filling to what you’d like it to be.

They take 5 mins prep and 20 in the oven, making this a no fuss dish.

Recipe:

  • 3 sweet apples
  • 2 tbsp. Sesame seeds
  • 2 tbsp. Chopped walnuts
  • 2 tbsp. Raisins
  • 2 tbsp. Maple syrup
  • 1/8 tsp. Salt
  • 1/2 cup apple juice

Method:

  • Score the apples (make a line round the middle with your knife)
  • From the top use a knife to hollow them out keeping the bottom intact. You want them to act as a cup for your filling.
  • Mix all the other ingredients in a bowl and scoop in to fill.
  • Add then to a baking tray with the apple juice at the bottom, just enough to cover the bottom of the tray.
  • Pop in a pre-heated 350F oven for 20 mins or until they are soft
  • Since they expand, once cooled you can quarter then, and the filling will stay intact.
  • Eat on their own or serve with vegan vanilla ice cream

Vine Stuffed Tomatoes (Vegan, Gluten Free)

By , September 13, 2020

This is a beautiful dish, bringing out all the flavors of your summer tomatoes. 

It is a traditional Roman dish. In Italy it is simply called, Pomodori al riso. 

A similar version is made in Greece using peppers instead of tomatoes. 

The trick is to allow the tomatoes to cook slowly so that the rice within them cooks in the juices, whilst the outside starts to caramelize and give a little umami. You can nestle whatever veggies you want next to them; potatoes are traditional and are Mr. B’s favorite as he gets to have double carbs!

Recipe:

  • 8 large tomatoes
  • 1 cup rice, soaked 
  • 1/4 cup parsley, minced 
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 cups potato, chopped into 2-inch pieces
  • Salt, pepper
  • Olive oil 

Method:

  • Wash the tomatoes, slice off the top, hollow out the tomato carefully using a melon baller or paring knife, leaving a 1/2 inch on the inside. This becomes your tomato cup. 
  • Reserve the insides and blend for next part. Sprinkle the inside of the tomatoes with salt and leave upside down on a chopping board. 
  • Drain the rice and mix in the parsley, garlic, the blended insides of the tomatoes. Add 4 tbsp. Olive oil and 1 tbsp. Salt and pepper. 
  • Clean the inside of the tomatoes (the salt will have brought some of the moisture out), fill them with the rice mixture, till they get 3/4 full. Spoon some of the extra liquid on top. 
  • Place in a baking dish, using the chopped potatoes to nestle in around them and keep them upright.
  • Bake in an oven preheated to 375F for 30 minutes covered and 30 minutes uncovered. You want to see the tops go a little caramelized, so if you have the patience then cook a little longer. 
  • Let sit before serving to let the juices settle.