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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.

Socca Pizza (Gluten free,vegetarian)

By , February 12, 2017

socca-pizza

This week in Boston was one of those weird weather weeks that everyone has been expecting all year but is surprised when it comes. The snow fell so quickly and heavily that you couldn’t see in front of your face, all forms of transport ground to a halt and you felt like you were trapped in a snow globe (could make for a good Disney film).

These are the weeks when I get home and dinner is like a cooking competition based on the ingredients you have left in the fridge and cupboard. Gluten free pancakes are perfect for a day like this, as they provide such an amazing culinary canvas to which you can add whatever you colours and tastes you have in stock that day.

Last week I blogged a Vietnamese version and this week I am featuring an Israeli version called Socca. You get to become a worldly cook with Tasha. Kitchen, right from the warmth of your home!

Socca is made of chickpea flour and so tastes a little like hummus. It’s a great base and travels well so you can make mini ones with any leftover batter and use them in substitute to bread. I used leftover rounds and made Mr B a hummus sandwich for lunch the next day, literal chickpea heaven!

Use whatever topping you like making it whilst the batter is hydrating to save time. In doing this, this recipe will take you less than 30 minutes, including setting the table and having a cup of tea!

Ingredients

For the pancake

  • ¼ cup chickpea flour
  • ¼ cup of water or dairy free milk
  • 2 eggs
  • ½ tsp. turmeric
  • ½ tsp. coriander
  • ½ tsp. cumin
  • Salt and pepper to season
  • 1/1 tsp. coconut oil

Optional:

  • Switch the coriander, turmeric and cumin for any other spice combination you may prefer, like oregano and basil or just salt and pepper if you prefer

For the topping

  • Pea shoots (or any other green leafed vegetable)
  • Enoki mushrooms (or any other mushroom)
  • 1 tbsp. vegan cream cheese (optional)
  • 1 tsp. roasted pine nuts and sunflower seeds

Method

  • Start by whisking together the chickpea flour and milk and let it sit for 15 minutes or more to hydrate
  • Use this downtime to cook the vegetables and mushrooms in a little coconut oil
  • Beat the eggs into the batter and season with the spices
  • Warm up a frying pan to a medium-high heat and add a little coconut oil
  • Pour in the batter (all of it) and let it spread to the sides
  • Cook for several minutes until it is nearly set
  • Flip it over and cook on the other side for a few minutes (if you are not comfortable with flipping it, then place it under the grill for 30 seconds or until firm)
  • When the pancake is evenly bronzed, plate, spread on the vegan cream cheese and dress with the vegetables
  • Add the pine nuts and sunflower seeds for texture and serve

This recipe was inspired by a recipe in Healthy-ish the new Bon Appetite magazine

Banh Xeo

By , February 4, 2017

Processed with MOLDIV

I love making gluten free savoury pancakes as they are easy to whip together quickly in the evening and you can fill them with whatever you want, so they are a good way to use leftovers (my granny taught me well) as well as allowing you to change the dish every time you make it or to the taste of the person eating it.

This is a Vietnamese dish and normally consists of pork and prawns. I prefer this vegetarian version as it is nice and light and the freshness of the vegetables and herbs are mind-blowing.

This recipe is taken from Ottolenghi’s Plenty, my vegetarian food bible.

Ingredients

For the pancake

  • 200g rice flour
  • 1 small free-range egg
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. ground turmeric
  • 400ml canned coconut milk
  • ½-1 tbsp. coconut oil

 

For the sauce

  • 40ml lime juice
  • 1½ tbsp. toasted sesame oil
  • 1 tbsp. brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp. rice wine vinegar
  • 1 tbsp. tamari
  • 2 tsp. grated fresh root ginger
  • 1 fresh red chilli, finely chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed
  • ½ tsp. salt

 

For the filling

  • 1 large carrot, peeled
  • 4 radishes, chopped
  • 4 spring onions/scallions
  • 1 fresh green chilli, deseeded (optional)
  • 80g mangetout
  • 15g coriander
  • 15g Thai basil/basil
  • 15g mint
  • 100g bean sprouts
  • 100g Enoki mushrooms

 

Method

  • Start with the pancake ingredients. Place the rice flour, egg, salt and turmeric in a large bowl. Slowly ass the coconut milk, whisking well to get rid of any lumps. You want the consistency of single cream, so add water of more coconut milk if needed. Set aside to rest.
  • To make the sauce, just whisk together all the ingredients, adjusting the amount of chilli to your liking.
  • Finally prepare the vegetables, shred the carrot, slice the spring onions/scallions at an angle and cut the green chilli and mange tout into long thin strips. Pick the herb leaves. Set all the prepared vegetables and herbs aside with the mushrooms and bean sprouts.
  • Heat a large non-stick pan to a medium heat; add a small amount of coconut oil.
  • Pour one quarter of the batter and swirl around to coat the bottom of the pan. Once the underside is golden brown, turn over the pancake and cook the other side. Remove from the pan and keep warm while you make the other three pancakes.
  • To serve, place pancake on a plate and pile vegetables and herbs over one half of it. Drizzle the vegetables with some sauce and fold the other half of the pancake over them. Spoon some more sauce on top and serve, with any remaining sauce on the side.

Raw Apple Pie (Gluten free, Dairy Free, Vegan)

By , January 29, 2017

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‘Life is short, eat dessert first’ – I love this quote, as it reminds us to forget the routine and focus on living. This dish takes the quote literally as it is so healthy and nutritious, you can eat it for breakfast or serve it for dessert. Imagine your kids delight, when they sit down to breakfast and get apple pie! It has protein from the nuts and vitamin C from the apple and wins hands down in a nutritional competition versus most cereals.

This recipe just takes a little time with our trusted blender and the great thing about it is that each layer of the mixture tastes great on its own and can also be eaten as an energy snack, so 4 recipes in one.

You can also change the apples for pears and the walnuts for pecans and cashews for macadamias, so just see what you have to hand.

This is from peace and parsnips by Lee Watson, a vegan cooks dream with over 200 plant-based recipes.

I was going to switch back to posting a few savory recipes before posting this one, but having handed out a few portions for tastings, to my friends and neighbors, there was a plea to post this one. I take that as a thumbs up to this recipe and hope that you enjoy it as much as they did.

Ingredients

For the crust

  • 5 cups (200g) cashew nuts
  • 5 cups (200g) walnuts
  • 1/3 cup (50g) dates
  • ½ tsp. sea salt

For the filling

  • 5 ounces (150g) dried apples, roughly chopped
  • 2 cups (480ml) apple juice
  • 13 ounces (375g) apples
  • 1 tsp. lemon juice
  • 8 dates, soaked until soft
  • ½ tsp. nutmeg (optional)
  • ½ tp. Cinnamon
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1 tbsp. maple syrup
  • ½ tsp. sea salt

For the topping

  • 1 cup (90g) walnuts, finely chopped
  • 4 dates, finely chopped
  • ½ tsp. vanilla extract
  • ½ tsp. cinnamon

Method

  • Soak the dried apples in the apple juice for an hour
  • To make the crust, blender all the crust ingredients until a crumble is formed. Gently press down into a baking tin, press down with a spoon and pop into the fridge for an hour
  • To make the filling, drain the dried apples, core and chop the fresh apples (approx. 1 cmx1cm) and toss them in the lemon juice to stop them going brown
  • Put half the fresh apples in the blender with the dates, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla extract, maple syrup and salt and blend till well combined. Add the rest of the fresh and dried apple to the mixture and spoon onto the pie crust
  • To make the topping, mix together the walnuts, dates and vanilla in a bowl and spread over the top to form a crust. Sprinkle on the cinnamon.
  • Cover and place in the fridge to chill. When ready to serve, carefully sliceProcessed with MOLDIV

Banana Sweet Potato Chia Mousse

By , January 21, 2017

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Working a 12 hour day, trying to keep fit and making all three meals from scratch every day can sometimes feel a little challenging and it is tempting to let the healthy meal part slip and get on the phone to your fastest take-away.

That is why weekend prep and meals that you can prep in advance are so vital to a healthy lifestyle. This is one of those wonderful recipes that is simple to make, takes little time and can be eaten for breakfast, on the go or as a light meal.

The chia seeds release high energy and endurance and the word ‘Chia’ in fact translates in Mayan to ‘strength’. The sweet potato provides vitamin C (one sweet potato supplies 70% of your daily vitamin C) and the banana adds to your potassium intake.

Mr. B likes to add granola and I like to add berries for a nice contrast of textures. On its own or with additions, this is a great recipe to have in your weekly repertiore.

This is adapted from my new vegan chef crush, Chef Daphne Cheng’s website. (www.daphnecheng.com)

Ingredients

  • 2 sweet potato’s,
  • 2 bananas
  • 1 can coconut milk- unsweetened
  • 2 tbsp. chia seeds to taste
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • A pinch of salt (1/4 tsp.)
  • 1 tsp. coconut oil

Optional

  • Agave to sweeten
  • For breakfast serve with granola and fresh fruit
  • For dessert serve with caramel popcorn and fresh fruit

Method

  • Heat oven to 350f/180c. Toss sweet potato in coconut oil and place on baking sheet in oven. Roast for 25 minutes or until tender. Remove from heat, let cool and peel.
  • In a blender, mix sweet potato, bananas, coconut milk, vanilla, salt and blend until smooth.
  • Pour into a large mixing bowl. Slowly add chia seeds while whisking, using less if you prefer smoothness, more if you prefer more substance. Chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
  • Ready to eat for breakfast or desert!

Creamy, indulgent, dairy free brown rice risotto with crunchy garlic pea-shoots

By , January 15, 2017

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Having returned from the Christmas break, to sub-zero temperatures and snow, I was looking for a recipe that would bring us a little comfort as we snuggled up on the sofa.

Dairy-free risotto is actually quite easy as a lot of the creaminess comes from the starch that comes out of the rice whilst cooking. An additional bonus is that this recipe doesn’t call for the hours of stirring a traditional risotto does, so you can have a glass of wine whilst it is cooking…or read a book!

I liked this dish without the added creaminess from the vegan cream cheese, as I like the earthy taste from the mushrooms to stay dominant, but Mr B, likes his typical creamy restaurant style risotto, so I added this in for him.

I hope this brings you some warmth and comfort on a cold January day.

Happy New Year, from Tasha.Kitchen

Ingredients

For the risotto;

  • 3 tbsp. olive oil, divided
  • 1 small shallot, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 4 cups organic vegetable broth, divided
  • 1½ cups short-grain brown rice
  • 2 cups sliced mushrooms
  • ½ cup dry white wine, optional
  • 2 teaspoons tamari (optional)
  • 2 tbsp. Vegan cream cheese (optional)
  • Salt and pepper for seasoning

For the pea-shoots;

  • 1 tbsp. olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1 box/4 handfuls of pea-shoots

Method

  • Heat 1 tbsp. olive oil in a deep pot over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, for ten minutes, then add the minced garlic. Cook for another 2 to 4 minutes, until the onions are well browned.
  • Add the wine if using and the rice, mix till coated and then add the broth
  • Turn heat down to a simmer and cook the rice (c. 45mins)
  • During the last 10 minutes of cooking time, prepare the mushrooms. Warm 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet until shimmering. Add the cleaned, sliced mushrooms to the pot with a dash of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are darker in color, fragrant and have soaked up most of their own juices, about 13 minutes.
  • Add to the rice and let cook together, including the juices from the mushrooms
  • Season with salt and pepper
  • I stop here as this is rich enough for me, but Mr. B likes a creamy risotto, so at this point I added the vegan cream cheese and stirred until it was thoroughly mixed in
  • For the pea-shoots, add the oil to a pan and brig it to a high heat, add the garlic and stir for 20 seconds, until fragrant
  • Add the pea-shoots and keeping tossing in the oil till they have wilted a little, c.2minutes
  • Take off the heat, season with a little salt and top the risotto with the pea-shoots for some added vitamins and a little crunch

Quinoa Vegan Burger

By , January 8, 2017

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Having decided to eat less meat, I have been looking for a good alternative to a burger. When I say ‘good alternative’, I mean, something you can get your teeth into that has good flavor and texture.

To this end, to start off with, I convinced Mr. B and my foodie friend to try one of New York’s best rated vegan burgers, Superiority Burger. This was rated as one of New York’s top burgers, full stop, so as you can imagine we had high expectations. A little like English sparkling wine winning against champagne in blind tastings, whilst you’re secretly a little smug about it, you don’t really believe it.

Superiority Burger, which was similar to your traditional bean burger, at least within the opinion of our population of three didn’t quite live up to the hype or the 20-minute queue. I therefore felt obligated to investigate good alternatives and after a number of attempts, this is our favorite recipe. The mushrooms bring an earthy note and meaty depth, the Quinoa the protein and the sweet potato binds the patty nicely and means you don’t need egg.

Mr. B loved this version and ate his in gluten free buns with some mustard and lettuce. I in turn, used the lettuce as my bun. Both versions were tasty and filling.

Ingredients

  • 1sweet potato
  • 1 cup of mushrooms (chopped)
  • 1 small shallot, finely chopped
  • ¼ tsp. smoked paprika
  • 1 cup cooked quinoa (from about ½ uncooked)
  • ¾ cup almond meal
  • 4 Gluten free burger buns
  • Coconut oil
  • Salt and pepper for seasoning

Method

  • Preheat the oven to 180c/350f
  • Prick sweet potato all over with a fork; rub with 1 Tbsp. oil, then season with salt and pepper. Roast until tender, 30–45 minutes. Let cool. Remove and discard skin; mash flesh with a fork. Set aside.
  • Wash mushrooms and chop mushrooms and shallot.
  • Heat 1 Tbsp. coconut oil on low heat, cook shallot and paprika, stirring often, until shallot is soft, about 2 minutes. Add mushroom and cook, for around 2 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl; mix in quinoa and season with salt and pepper. Let cool.
  • Add almond meal and half of the mashed sweet potato to quinoa mixture and mix well. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper if needed. If mixture is too loose, add more sweet potato to bind.
  • Divide mixture into 4 portions and form into patties, pressing firmly together with your hands.
  • Line a baking tray with parchment paper and spray coconut oil on the sheet or brush sheet if using liquid form
  • Cook burgers, since all the ingredients are cooked, we are only really looking for the ingredients to bind at this stage to form a solid patty. This should take less than 5 minutes each side.
  • Build burgers with patties, gluten free buns and toppings of your choice.

 

Green ‘fried’ tomatoes

By , January 4, 2017

green-fried-tomato

I have had this recipe percolating in the back of my mind since my visit to New Orleans. I went to a restaurant called Upperline in the Garden District, away from the hustle and bustle of the city and had the most wonderful meal. The owner’s aim with Upperline is to restore the original meaning of a restaurant. Restaurants she notes used to exist to soothe and bolster the weary soul with comfort and indulgence. I like that sentiment and this dish fits neatly within it.

The original dish was green fried tomato with shrimp remoulade. I adapted it to bake the tomatoes and made a spicy remoulade without the shrimp to make it vegan.

This dish can be adapted to a breakfast by adding an egg on top or some vegan scrambled eggs.

I hope you enjoy and that this brings a little warmth to your soul.

Ingredients

  • 2 green tomatoes (firm)
  • 1 cup rice flour or gluten free alternative
  • 1 cup gluten free seasoned breadcrumbs
  • 2 eggs (whisked) and seasoned with salt and pepper
  • 1 cup vegan mayonnaise
  • 2 tbsp. Sriracha
  • 1 Jalapeno, thinly sliced

Method

  • Preheat the oven to 180c/350f
  • Line a baking tray with parchment paper and spray coconut oil on the sheet
  • Set up your dipping station, by placing three bowls in a row and the rice flour in one, egg in one and breadcrumbs in the third.
  • Slice the green tomatoes to 5cm thick each
  • Dip first into the rice flour, second into the egg, thirdly into the breadcrumbs, lay on the baking tray and repeat for each of the subsequent tomato slices
  • Bake in the oven for 5 minutes each side
  • Whilst the tomatoes are baking, mix the mayonnaise and Sriracha
  • Once cooked place each tomato on a plate with a little of the spicy remoulade and a slice of Jalapeño

Quinoa Christmas Crackers

By , December 31, 2016

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I saw this on the plant based pixie blog and just couldn’t resist making my own version. Such a fun idea for Christmas and although a little fiddly, totally worth it for the awe and wonder from your guests when they see their plate.

I decided to adapt this recipe to make it an all round lighter dish, as I was serving 12 dishes for Christmas (as a play on the 12 days). The original recipe has a puy lentil filling and also sounds delicious but I used a quinoa filling. I also made a cashew nut mushroom sauce to go underneath to ensure a variety of tastes and textures on the plate.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup quinoa (cooked with organic vegetable broth)
  • 1 clove of garlic (minced)
  • 1 thumb (5cm x 5cm) ginger, grated
  • 1 bunch spring onions (thinly sliced, white parts only)
  • 1 tbsp. coconut oil
  • Salt and pepper to season
  • 10 filo sheets (usually 1 pack – leaves one for practice in case something goes wrong)
  • A little more coconut oil or olive oil for brushing pastry

Method

  • Preheat the oven to 180c/350f
  • Heat the coconut oil and add spring onions, ginger and garlic, fry for 30 seconds and then add the quinoa.
  • Mix thoroughly for a few minutes, season and leave to cool
  • Take one of the pastry sheets, fold it in half so it forms a square, and place some of the filling in the middle but closer to the bottom rather than the top. Leave a gap of a few cm on the left and right.
  • Brush the top and bottom edges with a little olive oil.
  • Roll it up from bottom to top then tie the ends with string like. Be careful not to pull too hard (they are not shoe laces) as you may break the filo pastry
  • See below pictures for process steps
  • Use olive oil to seal the edge
  • Place on a lined baking tray and repeat for each of the subsequent Christmas crackers
  • Brush with olive oil/egg wash all over
  • Bake in the oven for 10 minutes on each sideProcessed with MOLDIV

Sweetcorn Fritters, Bacon and Avocado Brunch

By , December 18, 2016

avacado-corn-fritters-bacon-brunch

Salty, sweet and spicy; an umami treat to wake you up on a Sunday morning.

This is one of Mr. B’s favorite brunches as he loves avocado, bacon and corn, so this dish brings all his favorite foods together. I love this dish due to the combination of sweet and salt in addition to its combination of healthy and indulgent! You can make this into a vegetarian dish by substituting the bacon for vegan bacon, which is just as good. I don’t eat a lot of bacon, but when I do, I prefer the real thing.

Ingredients

  • 100g rice flour
  • 1tsp gluten free baking powder
  • ½ tsp. salt and pepper
  • 1tsp smoked paprika
  • 2 free-range eggs
  • 75ml almond milk
  • 12oz sweet corn
  • 1 tbsp. coconut oil
  • 1 avocado (diced)
  • 8 cherry tomatoes (quartered)
  • 2 tbsp. coriander (cilantro)
  • Juice of 1 small lime
  • 4 pieces streaky bacon
  • 1 tbsp. Maple syrup
  • 1 tbsp. sweet chili sauce

Method

  • Mix the flour, baking powder, paprika, salt and pepper in a bowl. Add in the eggs, milk and sweet corn and mix to a smooth batter
  • Combine the avocado, tomatoes, coriander and lime and place to the side
  • Place the bacon in an oven at 350c for 10 minutes until crispy, then place on the side
  • Add the tbsp. of oil to a frying pan and when hot turn the heat down to low
  • Add a quarter of the mixture to the frying pan and when it starts bubbling on one side flip it over and cook for another minute, put on a plate and place in the oven with the bacon
  • Repeat with the rest of the mixture, should make 4 or so pancakes
  • Mix the maple syrup and sweet chilli to make an umami sauce
  • To serve, place a pancake on the plate, add the two pieces of bacon, then the pancake.
  • Top with the sauce and add the avocado mixture

Sunset Soup (Red and Golden Beets)

By , December 8, 2016

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This recipe is gluten, diary and nut free. It is adapted from my new chef crush, Chef Daphne Cheng’s website, having tasted her amazing vegan food on a recent visit to LadyBird in NYC. (www.daphnecheng.com)

The beauty of this dish to start, is that the dish is beautiful. It reminds me of a deep sunset on a contemplative day.

It is also 98% beetroot and thus super healthy and full of antioxidants (see other health benefits below). You can spice this dish up a little by adding a little red pepper (I will do this for Mr. B and his asbestos stomach) or you can bathe in its simplicity.

Ingredients

  • 2 red beets
  • 2 golden beets
  • 1 tbsp. olive oil
  • 4 cups water
  • 1 tbsp. lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp. apple vinegar
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • ½ tsp. pepper
  • 1 tbsp. coconut oil

Method

  • Heat oven to 350f/180c. Rub the beets with coconut oil and roast until tender, about 1 hour. Make sure to wrap them in foil separately or use two different baking trays to make sure the red doesn’t bleed into the yellow
  • Remove from heat, let cool, peel and chop (still keeping separate)
  • In a medium pot, add water, lemon juice, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Pour half into another medium pot. Add one color of beet to each pot.
  • Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Let cool slightly then puree each color in a blender until smooth. Adjust seasoning to taste.
  • To Serve:Spoon the red beet soup into a bowl, then spoon the golden beet soup over. Take a knife or chopstick and swirl around.
  • As breathtaking and as vibrant as the sunset!

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