Category Archives: Main Meal

Onion and Sweet Potato Soup Recipe

Gluten-Free, Main Meal, Recipes, Soups, Spanish, Vegan, , , , , , ,

This delicious onion and sweet potato soup recipe is perfect to warm you up on a cold winter’s day. Onion soup is a popular recipe in France and Spain. It is surprising that the simplest recipes can be the most tasty! I made this on Christmas day as a starter for me and my brother and we loved it! It will keep you going until your vegan Christmas dinner is ready!

Onion and Sweet Potato SoupOnion and Sweet Potato SoupOnion and Sweet Potato Soup

Serves 2

Ingredients

2 tbsp Olive Oil

3 Onions

1 Clove Garlic

1 Litre Water

2 Medium Sweet Potatoes

1 Carrot

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 tsp thyme

1 tsp oregano

Instructions

Firstly add the olive oil into a large pan on a low heat.

Now slice the onions and add to the pan. Fry for a few minutes until cooked. Now add in the chopped garlic. Season with the salt, pepper, thyme and oregano. Stir in well. Leave to cook for a minute then remove from the heat. Pour in the water.

Now add in the 1cm sliced sweet potato and carrot. Put a lid on the pan.

Next bring to the boil. Cook for 30 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat and leave to cool for 5 minutes. Finally add the soup into blender. Blend for 30 seconds until the soup is mostly smooth.

Pour the soup into bowl and serve immediately with a slice of toasted bread.

Vegan Spicy Tofu Chicken

Gluten-Free, Main Meal, Recipes, Vegan, , , , , , , ,

This vegan spicy tofu chicken recipe is inspired by a trip to Loving Hut Southgate where I was served tasty vegan chicken pieces in rice noodles with stir fried vegetables. Vegan spicy tofu chicken is easy to make and is delicious in a vegan chicken and lettuce wrap or with a meal for dinner.

P1030336r P1030329r

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 block tofu

3tbsp gluten free flour

1tbsp ground flaxseed or gram flour

1tbsp dijon mustard

2tsp cumin

1tsp coriander

1/2tsp sea salt

1/2tsp black pepper

100ml water

1tbsp coconut oil

Instructions

Firstly drain the tofu and place it on a piece of kitchen roll. Place something heavy such as a chopping board on top of the tofu and press down.

Now prepare the batter. Add the flour, ground flaxseed, mustard, cumin, coriander, salt and pepper into a bowl. Mix it together, then create a well in the middle. Slowly add the water and mix in as you go, until the mixture forms a smooth batter.

Break up the pressed tofu into bite sized pieces and add into the batter. Cover the tofu in batter.

Add the oil into a large frying pan on a medium heat. Add in the tofu pieces and fry for 10-15 minutes until the tofu sides are golden brown. Turn over the tofu pieces half way through.

Serve warm and eat immediately.

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Vegan Christmas Dinner

Desserts, Gluten-Free, Main Meal, Recipes, Vegan, , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Christmas season is upon us, so I thought I would share my vegan christmas dinner recipe which I made last year. It’s so delicious I’m going to make it again this year! This tasty vegan christmas dinner consists of Quinoa Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms & Roasted Root Vegetables with my Raw Chocolate Brownie and Banana & Cashew Ice Cream for dessert!

Vegan Christmas Dinner Vegan Christmas Dinner Vegan Christmas Dinner P1010135

Serves 2

Ingredients

2 Carrots

2 Sweet potatoes

8 Brussels sprouts

1 Red onion

2 Garlic cloves

2tbsp Rapeseed oil

4 Portobello mushrooms

100g Quinoa

50g Walnuts

1tbsp Thyme

1/2tsp Himalayan pink crystal salt

1/2tsp Black pepper

Instructions

Preheat the fan oven to 200C.

Wash the vegetables. Cut the ends off of the carrots and sweet potatoes and slice them lengthways, arranging them in layers in a baking dish. Cut the Brussels sprouts in half and add to the baking dish with the sliced red onion. Place in the peeled garlic cloves cut into quarters. Drizzle over the rapeseed oil.

Place the baking dish in the hot oven for 30 minutes.

While the vegetables are cooking, prepare the stuffed portobello mushrooms. Firstly weigh out the quinoa and and place in a pan of hot water. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 12 minutes. When the quinoa has absorbed most of the water, add in the chopped walnuts. Season with the thyme, salt and black pepper and mix in well.

Cut the stems out of the portobello mushrooms. Now spoon the quinoa mixture into the portobello mushrooms.

After the 30 minutes, remove the baking dish from the oven and carefully place the 4 stuffed portobello mushrooms on top of the roasted vegetables. Return to the oven for 15 minutes.

Serve 2 quinoa stuffed portobello mushrooms and half the roasted vegetables per person.

For dessert, make my Raw Chocolate Brownie and Banana & Cashew Ice Cream

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Vegan Spaghetti Bolognese

Gluten-Free, Italian, Main Meal, Recipes, Vegan, , , , , , ,

If you are vegetarian or vegan you may miss this Italian inspired favourite, spaghetti bolognese. Now you can enjoy this delicious, protein rich, vegan spaghetti bolognese which is made without meat!

Vegan Spaghetti Bolognese

Serves 2

Ingredients

1tsp                            Olive oil

1                                 Red Onion

2                                 Garlic Cloves

150g                           White Button Mushrooms

¼ tsp                          Pink Crystal Salt

¼ tsp                          Black Pepper

½ tbsp                        Dried Oregano

1 500g can                 Passata

1tbsp                          Tomato Puree

1 small                        Carrot

1 400g can                 Red Kidney Beans

200ml                          Filtered Water

150g (75g/serving)     Gluten free spaghetti pasta

Instructions

Put the olive oil into a large pan. Add the chopped onion and sliced mushrooms and stir. When the onion starts to brown, add in the chopped garlic. Next season with the oregano, salt and pepper and stir to mix in.

Now pour in the passata and add the tomato puree. Next add in the finely chopped carrot and red kidney beans. Bring to the boil. Simmer on a low heat for 20 minutes stirring regularly. Add in the extra water.

While the sauce is cooking, add the spaghetti pasta to a large pan of boiling, slightly salted water. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, then drain.

Serve the sauce in the middle of the spaghetti while still warm. Enjoy!

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Pumpkin Curry

Main Meal, Recipes, Vegan, , , , , ,

If you are wondering what to do with your pumpkin now Halloween is over, look no further! Dice it up to make a delicious pumpkin curry! This is my first attempt at carving a pumpkin face! He looks more friendly that scary! Looked pretty cool glowing in the dark with a tea light inside on Halloween!

Pumpkin

Pumpkin Curry

Serves 2

Ingredients

1tsp                Coconut Oil

1/2                  Red Onion

1                     Garlic Clove

1cm cube        Fresh Ginger Root

80g                  Mushrooms

1tsp                 Ground Cumin

1tsp                 Ground Coriander

½ tsp               Ground Turmeric

1/4tsp              Sea Salt

1/4tsp              Black Pepper

1                      Carrot

1/2                   Medium Pumpkin

1/4 block          Coconut Cream dissolved in 200ml Hot Water

300ml               Passata

300ml               Filtered Water

65g                  Red Lentils

75g                  Basmati Rice (per portion)

Instructions

Melt the coconut oil in a large saucepan on a medium heat. Chop up the red onion, mushrooms and root ginger and add to the pan. Fry until the onions start to look translucent. Now add in the chopped garlic. Season with the spices and stir to mix.

Very finely chop the carrot and add to the pan. Dice the pumpkin into cubes and add to the pan.

Now melt the coconut cream in hot water and add the resulting coconut milk to the pan. Pour in the passata and add in the extra water. Add the lentils. Now bring to the boil. Simmer for 20-30 minutes.

Next pour around 300ml of water into a small pan. Bring to the boil and add the basmati rice. Simmer for 10 minutes.

Scoop half the curry sauce onto a plate and serve warm with the rice. Enjoy!

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Vegan Lasagne

Gluten-Free, Italian, Main Meal, Recipes, Vegan, , , , , , , , , ,

This vegan lasagne reminds me of when I used to eat microwave ready meal lasagne as a student before I became ill. However this lasagne is much more delicious and more healthy for being gluten and dairy free! I used my vegan mozzarella recipe and tripled the amount to create the cheese sauce for the vegan lasagne. You can leave out the tofu mince if you want the lasagne to be soy free.

Vegan Lasagne Vegan Lasagne

Serves 4

Ingredients

Tomato Sauce

1tsp        olive oil

1/2          onion

3 cloves  garlic

1 can      passata

1             carrot

250g       mushrooms

2tsp        dried basil

1/4tsp     sea salt

1/4tsp     black pepper

Vegan Cheese Sauce

90g         cashew nuts

3tbsp      tapioca starch

600ml     almond milk

1tsp        pink himalayan crystal salt

1/2          lemon squeezed

2tsp        nutritional yeast (optional)

Tofu Mince

1 block    tofu

Other Ingredients

1tbsp      olive oil

12           gluten-free lasagne sheets

1L           water

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 200C or 180C for a fan oven.

To prepare the tomato sauce, heat the olive oil in a pan over a medium heat. Fry the chopped onion and mushroom until the mushrooms begin to brown. Then add the chopped garlic, salt and pepper and cook for a few minutes. Next add the chopped carrot. Now pour in the passata and stir in the dried basil. Simmer on a low heat while you prepare the other ingredients.

To make the vegan cheese sauce, add all the ingredients into a blender and blend for 30 seconds. Now pour the mixture into a large pan on a medium heat. The mixture will start to thicken and lumps will appear. Stir continuously. Once the sauce has thickened, turn off the heat.

Now make the tofu mince. First drain the tofu block. Then place it into a bowl and mash it up with a fork.

Grease the base of a casserole dish with olive oil.

Next bring a wide pan of water to the boil. Drop 3 lasagne sheets into the water and spread them out. Boil the sheets for 5 minutes each ensuring all the edges have softened. Place the first 3 lasagne sheets onto the base of the casserole dish, layering the sheets over one and other to fill in the gaps. Repeat with the remaining lasagne sheets.

Now spoon over a third of the tomato sauce and smooth over using the back of a spoon. Now add a quarter of the vegan cheese sauce on top and smooth over with a spoon. Finally add a third of the tofu mince on top.

Layer 3 more of the boiled lasagne sheets on top. Add another layer of tomato sauce, vegan cheese sauce and vegan mince..

Again layer 3 more of the boiled lasagne sheets on top. Add the final layer of tomato sauce. Add another quarter of the vegan cheese sauce. And add the final layer of vegan mince.

Now layer the final 4 lasagne sheets on top. Pour on the remaining vegan cheese sauce and spread out with a spoon.

Finally place the dish in the oven and bake for 20 minutes.

Remove from the oven and slice into 4 portions. Indulge!

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10 Warming Autumn Recipes

Articles, Gluten-Free, Main Meal, Recipes, Vegan, , , , , , , , ,

As the days get colder, it is comforting to have hot, spicy meals to warm us up. Here are 10 warming Autumn recipes to do just that! My favourite meal at the moment is the delicious sweet potato and tomato casserole.

  1. Sweet Potato & Tomato Casserolephpp95HWFAM (2)
  2. Red Lentil DhalphpcllQEIAM
  3. Thai Green CurryphpBOt8LaAM (1)
  4. Golden Root Vegetable Curryphpf3tStsAM
  5. Red Lentil & Kidney Bean CurryphpTil1mTAM
  6. Green Pea & Mung Bean SoupphpfGP311AM
  7. Carrot & Coriander Soupphpt7pw7HAM
  8. KitchariphpbvhVJrAM (1)
  9. Quinoa & Mushroom Risottophp3ePQwBAM
  10. Spicy Sweet Potato Wedgesphp4W3HbiAM

Gluten Free Vegan Pizza Recipe

Gluten-Free, Italian, Main Meal, Recipes, Vegan, , , , , , , ,

As a vegan, one thing I miss is pizza! I made this tasty gluten free vegan pizza recipe using cashew nuts to make the vegan mozzarella and meaty mushrooms instead of ham. If you don’t want to make the pizza bases you can buy ready made gluten free pizza bases in the shops.

P1030297r

P1030308r

Makes 2 small pizzas

Pizza Base Ingredients

300g gluten free white bread flour

1/2tsp sea salt

1tsp quick yeast

1tbsp sugar

1tbsp ground flaxseed or gram flour + 3tbsp warm water

2tbsp olive oil

1tsp vinegar

200ml warm water

Topping Ingredients

1tbsp olive oil

1/2 red onion

1/2 red or green pepper

3 mushrooms

5 black olives

1 garlic clove

1tsp oregano

1tsp basil

1/4tsp sea salt

1/4tsp black pepper

8tbsp tomato passata

Vegan Mozzarella Ingredients

30g cashew nuts

200ml almond milk

1tbsp tapioca starch

1/4tsp salt

1tsp lemon juice

1tsp nutritional yeast (optional)

Instructions

Soak the cashew nuts in water over night.

Preheat the fan oven to 200C.

Firstly to make the pizza dough, put the flour, salt, yeast and sugar into the food processor and mix. Place the flaxseed, water, vinegar and olive oil into a bowl and mix. Add the liquid into the food processor with the motor running until the dough forms a ball.

Now take out the dough and leave it to rise in a covered bowl in a warm place for 30 minutes.

Next cut the dough in half and put one half aside. Place the dough on a sheet of baking paper. Roll the dough with a rolling pin to form a 2mm thick pizza base. Place onto a baking tray. Repeat with the other half of the dough.

Place the pizza base in the bottom of the preheated oven and bake for 10 minutes.

To make the topping, add the olive oil to a frying pan on a medium heat. Slice the onion, pepper and finely slice the mushrooms. Add to the pan along with the finely chopped garlic. Also season with the salt and pepper and stir in. Fry for 5 minutes until the mushrooms are browned, turning them over once.

To make the vegan mozzarella, add the soaked cashews, olive oil and water into a blender. Squeeze the juice of half the lemon into the mix. Blend on a low speed for 30 seconds.

Now spread the passata onto the pizzas using the back of a spoon. Sprinkle on the oregano and basil. Use a teaspoon to drop on splodges of the vegan mozzarella. Also add half the red onion, pepper and mushroom topping onto each pizza. Cut the olives in half and place on the pizza.

Now bake each pizza in the preheated oven for 15 minutes or until the pizza base is golden and crisp around the edges.

Finally cut into slices and serve warm.

[amd-zlrecipe-recipe:5]

Sweet Potato & Tomato Casserole

Main Meal, Recipes, Vegan, , , , , , ,

This chunky sweet potato and tomato casserole was inspired by a recipe I saw on Jamie Oliver’s Superfoods TV show. This recipe is a fabulous and delicious way to get vitamin A rich sweet potatoes into your diet.

I love the positive work that Jamie Oliver is doing to make people aware of the harm that sugar does to children and adults alike and is campaigning for a tax on sugary drinks. You can sign his petition here

Sweet Potato & Tomato Casserole

Sweet Potato & Tomato Casserole

Serves 2

Ingredients

3 tbsp Olive oil

1/2 Red onion

1 Garlic clove

3 Medium mushrooms

1 tbsp Tomato puree

1 can Plum tomatoes

1 Carrot

2 Medium sweet potatoes

50g Green beans

1 tsp Herbs de provence

1/2 tsp Sea salt

1/2 tsp Black pepper

65g Red lentils (optional)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 200C.

Drizzle the olive oil into a casserole dish. Chop the garlic clove in half and add to the dish with the chopped onion and sliced mushrooms. Put into the oven and fry for 10 minutes.

Now take the dish out and add in the finely chopped carrot. Chop the sweet potato into 1 inch thick, chunky slices and add to the dish. Cut the ends off of the green beans, cut up into small pieces and add to the dish.

Finally pour on the tomato puree, plum tomatoes and water and season with the sea salt, black pepper and herbs de provence. Place in the oven and roast for 45 minutes or until the sweet potatoes are soft.

Serve warm. Buen provecho!

[amd-zlrecipe-recipe:3]

Patatas Bravas Recipe

Main Meal, Recipes, Spanish, Vegan, , , , , , , ,

Hola! I decided to recreate the patatas bravas that I had for tapas in the Spanish restaurants! When making the patatas, I accidentally picked up the vinegar instead of the olive oil to cook them in! This worked out well as the patatas turned out very crispy and delicious cooked in a mixture of vinegar and olive oil!

Patatas Bravas

Patatas Bravas

Makes 1 portion

Patatas Ingredients

2            Large potatoes

1 tbsp    Vinegar

1 tbsp    Olive oil

1/2 tsp   Sea salt

1/2 tsp   Black pepper

Bravas Sauce Ingredients

1 tsp      Olive oil

1 clove  Garlic

1 can     Chopped tomatoes

1 tbsp   Tomato puree

1 tsp      Cayenne pepper

1 tsp      Paprika

1/2 tsp   Sea salt

1/2 tsp   Black pepper

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 200C.

Chop the potatoes into pyramids. Now place them on a baking tray and drizzle with vinegar and olive oil. Put the tray in the oven and bake for 45 minutes or until browned and crispy.

To make the bravas sauce, heat olive oil in a sauce pan over a low heat. Add the chopped garlic and fry for a minute or two. Then add the can of tomatoes, tomato puree, cayenne pepper, paprika, sea salt and black pepper. Simmer on a low heat while the potatoes cook.

Pile the patatas onto a plate and spoon some of the spicy bravas sauce over the patatas. Serve warm. Store the excess bravas sauce in a container in the fridge. Very tasty on chips!

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