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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.

Vegan Baked Oysters

By , July 8, 2017

Vegan Baked Oysters

‘The voice if the sea, speaks to my soul’…

I serve this in the summer, instead of real Oysters as Mr B isn’t so fond of the real things having been spoiled by spending so much of his childhood eating seafood in his parent home town in Italy

I do in fact love oysters, but am happy to save my feasting for when I am by the sea

It is a nice meaty substitute with the faux breadcrumbs providing a nice contrast in texture

I like to serve this with a dry white wine, a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, works well and Kim Crawford is my favorite for choice

This is adapted from Fork and Beans.com, which has a whole faux seafood series

Ingredients

  • 1 shallot, minced
  • 1 large garlic clove, minced
  • 1 tbsp. coconut oil
  • 1 cup mushrooms, chopped
  • 1 tbsp. white wine (optional)
  • 1 lemon wedge
  • 2 tbsp. fresh parsley
  • 2 tbsp. almond meal, or gluten free panko if you have a nut allergy
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Method

  • Preheat your oven to 350f/250c
  • On a medium heat, sauté the shallots and garlic with the coconut oil
  • Add the mushrooms, white wine, stir until the liquid absorbs
  • Squeeze in the lemon juice, sprinkle the parsley and stir in the almond meal until well combined
  • Season well with salt and pepper
  • If you are baking in the shells, place a heaping tablespoon of the filling into each shell, top with extra almond meal and bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes until the tops are slightly brown
  • If you are placing these in spoons for serving, place into an oven safe dish, sprinkle extra almond meal and bake for 10-12 minutes until slightly browned. Take out of oven and once slightly cooled, place in spoons and serve

Summer Corn with green chilli cream

By , July 1, 2017

Corn Poblano

I love, love, love corn, it is so versatile, it can be creamy, spicy, salty, sweet, grilled, steamed, baked, fried. Whatever way you choose to prepare it, it is always the beaming color of sunshine and reminds you of a beautiful summers day.

The mind is so powerful, that they say if you think positive thoughts, you are more open to opportunities that come your way. If you can close your eyes and imagine a beautiful summers day where you are overlooking the water as you feel the sun on your back and a breeze on your face, your body will feel the affects of the relaxing image and your heart rate will slow down, so powerful are the effects of the mind. I love cooking with summer vegetables and bright colours for this reason, bringing something beautiful and bright into my life, whether it is through food, friends, travel or meditation.

‘You have power over your mind, not outside events. Realise this and you will find strength’.

This recipe is adapted from Verge, one of my favorite vegetarian cookbooks. I love it for the beauty and Mr. B for the heat of the pablano contrasting with the slight sweetness gained from the charred corn.

Ingredients

  • 4 corn cobs
  • ½ cup finely chopped seeded poblano peppers
  • ½ cup finely chopped scallions/spring onions
  • 1 tbsp. coconut oil, melted
  • 1 tsp. sea salt
  • 1 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
  • 2 tbsp. vegan mayonnaise
  • 1 tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro/coriander

Method

  • Preheat the oven to 350f
  • Shuck the corn kernels off the cobs, using a sharp knife (be careful doing this), place the cobs in a bowl and mix with the poblanos, onions, oil, salt and pepper
  • Transfer the mixture to a lined baking tray and bake until the mixture starts to char (10-25 minutes)
  • Return the mixture to the bowl, fold in the vegan mayonnaise and cilantro

Black eye beans and almost round chapatti

By , June 24, 2017

Black eye beans

‘I have been and still am a seeker, but have ceased to question stars and books, and  have begun to listen to the teaching my blood whispers to me.’

This is one of those classic dishes that granny made for us growing up and was one of my favourites. It seemed so simple on the plate, but as ever it is a delicate dance of complex flavours and deep layers of spice. The dish is clearly steeped in generations of passed down wisdom with its multitude of beneficial ingredients including with turmeric, garlic and ginger.

‘You left us beautiful memories and your love is still my guide, in everything i do, I still feel you by my side.’

Ingredients

  • 1 cup dried black eye beans, soaked for 1-2 hours
  • 2 tbsp. coconut oil
  • 1 large onion
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1-inch ginger, grated
  • 6 garlic cloves, minced
  • ½ tsp. cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp. turmeric
  • 1 tsp. cayenne (adjust to spice preference)
  • 1 tsp. garam masala
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • ½ tsp. black pepper
  • 2 tomatoes, chopped
  • 3 cups water

Method

  • Soak the black-eyed beans in water for 1-2 hours. Drain
  • Add the oil and cumin to a heavy set pot
  • Once the cumin seeds start to splutter, add the onion and bay leaf
  • After 7-8 minutes or when the onions begin to turn golden add the garlic, ginger and spices. Stir briefly and then add the tomatoes. Cook for 5 minutes until the tomatoes have broken down
  • Add the drained black eyed beans to the pot, alongside 3 cups of water
  • Mix well and simmer, until the beans are soft. 45-60 mins

Processed with MOLDIV

Ingredients

  • 450g/1lb chapatti flour/wholemeal flour
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 250ml cold water

Method

  • Set aside 200g of the flour and reserve for shaping the chapatti’s
  • Place the remaining flour and salt in a deep bowl. Fill another bowl with the cold water
  • Add the water to the bowl of flour, a little at a time, kneading as you go, until you have a soft elastic dough. The longer you knead the dough the softer the chapatti’s will be
  • Sprinkle a little of the reserved flour onto a flat surface or board. Divide the dough into 8 and shape each piece into a ball. Flatten the balls slightly, and then place one onto the floured board. Roll it out into a flat disc approximately 6 inches in diameter, flouring the board when necessary to make sure the chapatti doesn’t stick
  • Heat a shallow frying pan, lay the chapatti on the pan and cook for 20 seconds until the surface is bubbling, turn over and cook for another 10 seconds, as soon as brown spots appear on the underside the chapatti is done
  • Stack them up as they are cooked placing a sheet of kitchen towel in-between them if leaving them plain or adding butter/ghee if not

Family

Green Peas, Pink Grapefruit and White Almonds

By , June 17, 2017

Processed with MOLDIV

You are a work of art, not everyone will understand you…that’s okay…but those that do, will be in awe as they fall in love with you…

This is a beautiful summer dish, inspired by Alain Passard, my favourite Parisian chef. His cookbook, ‘The Art of Cooking with Vegetables’, is more like a book of art with no photo’s, just abstract pictures of what the dish could be. It is up to you to fulfil its potential.

I love this dish as it is light, fresh and delicate. A beautiful dish to serve at the table and it really lets the ingredients speak for themselves with the pop of the garden peas nicely complemented with the tart and textured grapefruit.

Ingredients

  • 350g fresh garden peas, shelled
  • 1 pink grapefruit
  • 16-20 blanched almonds
  • 40g salted butter
  • 2 tbsp. virgin olive oil
  • 2 springs fresh thyme
  • Sea salt

Method

  • Peel the grapefruit, removing as much of the pith and core as possible
  • With a sharp knife free the grapefruit segments by cutting long the sections of membrane and letting the segments and juices fall away onto the plate
  • Cut the segments into bite size pieces and set them aside
  • In a pan, melt the butter and add the olive oil and gently heat
  • Stir in the fresh thyme and garden peas
  • Cover with c.1.1/2 inches of water, stirring until cooked, c. 10 minutes
  • Once the peas are cooked, drain the water, discard the thyme and divide between the bowls
  • Arrange the grapefruit segments on top and scatter the almonds over the top

Summer corn custard with blackberries, sage and roasted hazelnuts

By , June 10, 2017

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‘And so with the sunshine and the great bursts of leaves growing on the trees, just as things grow in fast movies, I had that familiar conviction that life was beginning over again with the summer’

—F. Scott Fitzgerald

This is an elegant vegan dessert bursting with summer flavours and combining the texture of silky corn custard, juicy tart blackberries and toasty crunchy hazelnuts

I am not one with a sweet tooth, like Mr. B. so this desert really suites me as it has a little salt in the custard base, making for a salty sweet combination that dances a tango on your tongue

The recipe is from Vedge, the exciting vegan cookbook out of Philadelphia using innovative techniques and flavour combinations to elevate the humble vegetable to its rightful place

Ingredients

  • 2 ears of corn
  • 1/5 cups vegan cream (mayonnaise/aquafabba can be used)
  • 1 cup coconut milk
  • 3 tbsp. agave nectar or raw honey
  • 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • ½ tsp. agar
  • 1 tbsp. cornstarch
  • 2 cups blackberries
  • 2 sage leaves, cut into chiffonade (thin strips)
  • 1 tsp. lemon juice
  • ½ cup shelled, skinned hazelnuts, chopped

Method

  • Shave the kernels off the cobs into a medium saucepan
  • Add the vegan cream, coconut milk, agave, vanilla, salt and the agar. Heat over a medium heat, stirring occasionally until it comes to a boil, about 10 minutes. Keep the mixture at a rolling boil for c. 5 minutes to allow the agar to fully dissolve, stirring occasionally.
  • Carefully transfer the mixture to a blender, add the cornstarch and blend for 30 seconds
  • Strain the contents through a sieve into a clean saucepan, bring just to a boil and immediately remove from the heat
  • Ladle the custard into six ramekins, or glasses if you don’t have any
  • Allow the custards to cool at room temperature for 30 minutes before transferring to the refrigerator. Let them chill for at least 2 hours before serving
  • Toss the blackberries in a small bowl with the sage, lemon juice and remaining 1 tbsp. agave, cover and refrigerate until ready to use
  • Place the hazelnuts in a small sauté pan, sprinkle with the remaining ½ tsp. salt and dry roast over a medium heat until golden brown (the smell is amazing). Allow the nuts to cool
  • When the custards are ready to serve, toss the hazelnuts with the blackberries, then spoon some on top of the custard.
  • Serve immediately

Quinoa Granola Bar (Vegan, Gluten Free)

By , June 4, 2017

Granola Bar

‘Each day is a gift, don’t send it back unopened’

I like to eat every two hours or so, little and often is my motto, so it’s important to have healthy easy snacks with me at work and when I travel. I like this recipe as it can be used as a snack or a homemade granola and is another recipe to add to my love affair with quinoa collection, as Mr. B calls it. It is relatively easy and can be adapted to whatever you have in the cupboard. This recipe is an adaptation of a recipe from the ambitious kitchen, a beautiful healthy food blog from an inspiring author who used healthy food and blogging to overcome her eating disorder.

A slight detour…

As I was writing the first sentence of this blog, ‘I like to eat every two hours’ I was struck with gratitude for being able to say that.

Some people don’t have the luxury of eating once a day, not only in developing countries due to poverty levels and famine but also in our own back yard.

Two organisations that are dedicated to this cause are Mary’s Meals, which supplies food at school in developing countries, to help lift children out of the cycle of poverty, www.marysmealsusa.org and the Woman’s Lunch Place in Boston, www.womenslunchplace.org, which aims to supply at least one good meal per day as well as helping to restore dignity and hope to vulnerable woman. I support these two charities and would urge you to read about they work they do. They certainly help me to be more mindful when I sit down for a meal.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup gluten free oats
  • ½ cup uncooked Quinoa
  • ½ cup pumpkin seeds
  • ½ cup almond butter
  • Pinch of salt
  • ¼ cup honey
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1 tbsp. coconut oil
  • 1 tbsp. chia seeds
  • ¼ cup vegan dark chocolate (can use non-vegan chocolate if preferred)

Method

  • Preheat oven to 350F
  • Add oats, Quinoa and pumpkin seeds to a large baking sheet, spreading evenly
  • Toast for 10 minutes
  • Once toasted pour into a glass bowl and add the chia seeds
  • Whilst baking, melt the almond butter in a shallow pan on a low heat, add the coconut oil, salt, honey and vanilla
  • Once melted, take off heat and allow to cool slightly
  • Add to the mixture and combine
  • Line a baking tray with parchment paper and pour the mixture in, spreading out
  • Melt the chocolate and drizzle over the top
  • Place mixture into the freezer for 10-20 minutes or until hardened
  • Remove from the freezer and cut into 8 bars, use any that has crumbled as granola

Beetroot Chocolate Pot (Vegetarian/Gluten Free/Nut Free)

By , May 27, 2017

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I am always trying out new and interesting dessert recipes to satisfy Mr. B’s sweet tooth and when I found this recipe in Verge, one of my favorite veggie cook books, it seemed the perfect balance between healthy yet indulgent

This is a rich and impressively heady desert and easy to make given the few ingredients and little process. The recipe serves, 2-4 people, but I would suggest it for 4-6 at least, due to the decadence

The beetroot can not be seen as the deep purple is swallowed by the chocolate (see picture below for the proof it is in the pudding…), so if you want your guests to know that there is beetroot, then you may want to sprinkle some crushed beet chips on top

Ingredients

  • 2 cups bittersweet chocolate chips, use dairy free chips for the vegan option
  • 1 cup coconut milk
  • 1 tsp. cornstarch
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • ½ cup red beetroot juice

Method

  • Place the chocolate chips in a medium bowl
  • Heat the coconut milk in a saucepan over a medium heat. Stir in the cornstarch and salt, whisking to ensure that it is fully dissolved. The cornstarch will start to thicken the coconut milk after a few minutes, as soon as this happens, stir in the beet juice and then strain through a sieve over the chocolate chips
  • Whisk the chocolate mixture thoroughly until all of the chips are melted. Portion the mixture into serving dishes and chill for at least 1 hour to set

FullSizeRender-39

Whole Roasted Spiced Cauliflower

By , May 20, 2017

Spiced Cauliflower

I was looking for something to serve as a vegan main course and found this beautiful dish from the English book, Hemsley and Hemsley, the art of healthy living.

It’s a whole cauliflower so when you serve it, you need to cut it like a steak. Your guests will be impressed, but more so when they taste the sumptuous spice mix that gives this dish layers of depth and takes you back to the last time you walked through a souk in the middle east, or more likely these days, the spice aisle in wholefoods.

If you’d like a cooling dish to compliment this, make a little yogurt and cucumber mix to go with it. Simplicity at its best.

I served this with a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, which is a Mr. B favourite, but also holds up nicely to this dish, given it’s own complexity of juicy acidity and fruity sweetness.

Ingredients

  • 1 large cauliflower
  • 2 tbsp. pistachios
  • 2 tbsp. coconut oil
  • 1 tsp. cumin
  • 1 tsp. smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp. sumac
  • 1 tsp. thyme and a few twigs to serve
  • 2 garlic cloves, grated
  • virgin olive oil to finish
  • Juice of ½ lemon
  • Sea salt and pepper to serve

Method

  • Preheat oven to 180c/250f
  • Toast the pistachios in a dry pan for a minute, then crush them with a rolling pin or chop
  • In the same pan, gently melt 1 tbsp. coconut oil
  • Sit the cauliflower on the baking tray, pour over the melted oil, sprinkle on the sea salt and roast in the oven for 30-40 minutes
  • Melt the remaining tablespoon of coconut oil and stir in the spices, herbs and garlic
  • Remove the cauliflower from the oven and pour over the flavoured oil
  • Roast the cauliflower for a further 10 minutes
  • Serve whole, drizzled with virgin olive oil, squeeze over the lemon, then scatter with parsley some extra salt and the pistachios

Quinoa Risotto, Arancini with a herbaceous dipping oil

By , May 13, 2017

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This recipe was adapted from Hemsley and Hemsley’s, the art of eating well and gives you a great main and canapé. It’s one that I won’t mention to Mr. B’s mum since she is Italian and would not approve of me calling something a risotto not made of rice.

The ‘risotto’ is made from Quinoa, a great protein dense substitute to rich with the added bonus that it cooks quicker also, so no standing about the stove stirring. The leftover risotto also gives you this neat little canapé, which is baked and therefore a healthier version of the authentic Italian Arancini, which is deep-fried and very addictive.

The recipe can be adapted to your taste. The broth can be vegetable or bone broth, the cheese can be taken out and replaced with vegan cream cheese, or bacon can be added, just make sure it is crispy!

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp. coconut oil
  • 2 medium onions
  • 3 celery sticks, diced
  • 4 garlic cloves, diced
  • 3 tsp. fresh thyme leaves
  • 250g white Quinoa (soaked overnight)
  • 1 tbsp. white wine or apple cider vinegar
  • 700ml vegetable stock (or bone broth)
  • 50g Peas (frozen or fresh)
  • 125g blue cheese (optional)
  • 1 tbsp. fresh parsley
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • 1 tbsp. lemon juice
  • Sea salt and pepper

Method

  • Heat the coconut oil in a pan over a medium heat and gently fry the onion and celery for c. 8 minutes, until softened
  • Add the drained Quinoa to the pan, stir and leave for a minute until the Quinoa is almost sticking to the pan
  • Add the white wine or cider vinegar, stir to deglaze the pan of all the sticky bits
  • Pour in most of the broth, turn up the heat to bring t the boil and then turn down to a simmer
  • After 8-10 minutes of cooking the Quinoa should be cooked and tender, add in the peas, they will cook in a few minutes
  • Switch off the heat, stir in the blue cheese, parsley, thyme, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste
  • Serve half which should be enough for 2 portions and keep the rest to make Arancini

Arancini

Ingredients

  • 40-60g chickpea flour
  • 2 portions of the risotto
  • Mint and parsley oil (see recipe)
  • Sea salt and black pepper

Method

  • Preheat the oven to 180c/250f
  • Mix the chickpea flour into the leftover risotto and combine well
  • Take 1 tbsp. of risotto and roll into balls, place on the baking tray
  • Bake for 20-30 minutes until golden. Serve with mint and parsley oil for dipping

Mint and Parsley Oil

Ingredients

  • 180ml extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 garlic clove, grated
  • Grated zest of 1 lemon
  • 30g fresh parsley, chopped
  • 10g fresh mint leaves, chopped
  • Sea salt and pepper

Method

  • Mix all the ingredients in a mortar and pestle and mull together
  • If you don’t have one, just make sure the herbs are chopped finely and mix together in a bowl
  • Ready to serve with the Arancini or use as a salsa verde

Edamame dumplings

By , May 6, 2017

Edamame Dumplings

Follow your passion on a voyage of discovery…

When you move to a new city, it can be both intimidating and exhilarating all at the same time.

Starting again is hard, finding new friends and building connections, getting to know the secrets of a city, where and what to eat. It’s like being a child again, exploring the world and seeing what brings you joy and what you should stay away from.

The interesting part of starting again, is understanding what you keep and what you choose to let go of. What motivates you, what drives you, what brings you joy. Simple good healthy food, continues to be my passion. If you are reading this and know the restaurant scene in the USA, then please feel free to recommend some places to try, and I will gladly try them and review them on this site!

I found this dish in a Japanese restaurant in Chelsea New York, as recommended by a friend from the UK, that I went to try out with a new foodie friend, Ms. M*. This particular dish brought us so much joy, that I decided to make my own version so we could eat them all the time. Ms. M was a patient taster and this is the version we deemed the best for its balance of simplicity and subtle umami undertone.

The restaurant dumplings use ricotta to add a smooth richness to the mixture and dilute the concentrated Edamame taste. I wanted mine to be vegan, so I substituted this with a little white miso, to create a similar affect. I kept the inside of the dumpling simple, as a part of the beauty of this dish is the burst of truffle from the drizzle of oil at the end.

This is a Tasha.Kitchen original, feel free to copy, creativity should be shared

*A little about Ms. M. She is a serial entrepreneur, among other things, running her own consultant firm (http://fayerconsulting.com) and charity (www.herhealtheq.org) dedicated to health equality for woman. She is a great travel and foodie partner in crime, a dedicated taster for Tasha.Kitchen, a genuinely amazing friend and an inspiration to us all.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Edamame, shelled, cooked, drained
  • 1 teaspoon white miso paste
  • Salt, to taste
  • 20 wonton wrappers
  • 1-2 cups pre-made veggie broth, for steaming
  • Truffle oil for drizzling

Method

  • In a food processor, pulse together the Edamame and Miso. Taste and adjust for salt.
  • Lay half of the wonton wrappers out on your work surface. Set the rest in a pile next to you, along with a small bowl of water for sealing the edges
  • Spoon a teaspoon of filling in each
  • Wipe a bit of water on all 4 edges. Fold the wrapper in half to form a triangle
  • Simmer broth in a medium skillet. Add enough broth so that it covers the bottom of the pan at least an inch deep.
  • Drop wontons in the pan in a single later.
  • Cover and steam for about 2 minutes or until the wontons are cooked through but still al dente
  • Divide steamed wontons among plates, drizzle with the truffle oil