Guacamole with Avocado, Coriander, Moringa & Chilli

29666672_UnknownAs promised, here is the recipe I mentioned in my post Avocado: The Little Miracle Worker I eat guacamole often, with different herbs and spices but had never had it with moringa powder.

I use moringa powder regularly, mostly in smoothies, but recently received an order of Aduna Mango and Cashew Bars accompanied by a recipe for guacamole which included moringa powder. I gave it a go and loved it. It takes no time at all. This is slightly adapted, I used chilli powder instead of fresh chilli – bit of a wimp as far as chillies are concerned, I’m afraid! – and lemon juice instead of lime.

Moringa Powder is currently considered a ‘superfood’: it has more protein than hemp protein powder, is rich in calcium, iron and potassium and contains many more vitamins and minerals. It is also organic and gluten-free. I use the Aduna brand because they support small businesses in Africa, often run by women.

This guacamole tastes good and does you good: containing protein, healthy fats, vitamin C & E, minerals, B vitamins, lycopene, antioxidants and dietary fibre. It provides slow-releasing energy and is very filling.

Ingredients

(Organic where possible, all measurements approximate).

1 Ripe Avocado

1 Large Spring Onion, chopped

Chopped Tomato

Small handful of Coriander, chopped

Good squeeze of Lemon Juice (or Lime)

1/4 Tsp Moringa Powder

Chilli or Chilli Powder to taste

Black Pepper & Pink Himalayan Salt to taste

*

Mash the avocado roughly with a fork

Mix in all the other ingredients

Taste and adjust seasoning.

Serve with salad, crudités, in a wrap, on bread or crackers.

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Copyright: Chris McGowan

Frozen Mango & Passionfruit Smoothie – yum!

29401088_UnknownI love mango, all smooth, exotic and tangy with a delicate aroma, and I adore passionfruit. It doesn’t look up to much, all wrinkly, dark and swarthy, and when you slice it open, what do you get? No juicy flesh, just a spoonful of less-than-appetising crunchy seeds covered in what looks like yellow frogspawn! But the smell and the flavour are gorgeous, and they are so good for you, so putting them together in a breakfast smoothie was a no-brainer, why hadn’t I thought of it before? This particular week we’d found a pack of four in the supermarket greatly reduced as they were close to their use-by date, so I used two of them in this smoothie.

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It was a sunny morning and looked like it was going to be a hot day, I wanted something fruity and refreshing for breakfast, but that would fill me up as well.

This smoothie ticks all the boxes (that one’s for my husband who hates buzzwords and phrases!), plus it’s lovely and creamy and smells wonderful too.  It has lots of nutrients: vitamin A, magnesium, calcium, protein, healthy fats (omega oils), vitamin C, B vitamins, vitamin E, dietary fibre and lots lots more. The baobab powder has a lightly citrusy taste and adds more vitamins and minerals – it has 6x more Vitamin C than an orange. It promotes a strong immune system, healthy skin and a healthy gut. The Aduna brand supports small African businesses harvesting and exporting baobab, many of them run by women.

Ingredients

Vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, can be nutfree if you use seed, rice or soya milk but it will taste a little different.

Organic where possible.

All amounts are very approximate.

2 Tbsps Oats

1 Small Mango, chopped and frozen

2 Passionfruit, scooped out, but save half of one for serving

1 Tbsp freshly-ground Golden Linseeds

Glass of chilled Homemade Almond Milk*, more or less depending on how thick you want it

1 Tbsp freshly Ground Almonds

1 Tsp Baobab Powder **

 Blend everything except one half of a passionfruit, pour into a glass and top with remaining passionfruit seeds.

Serve and enjoy 😊

*Nut & Seed Milks & Smoothie Recipes

**Aduna

Copyright: Chris McGowan

Vegan Gluten-Free Burger (and Sausage) Recipes for National Burger Day!

Here are some burger recipes posted previously, in case you’d like to join in or want a healthier burger or a meat alternative this holiday weekend – always supposing the weather will co-operate, but given its track record on Bank Holidays, we won’t hold our breath! Whatever you’re doing and whoever you’re with, I hope you have a lovely time.

Ps Apologies for no trendy, gravity-defying burger towers with skewers stuck in them, I refuse – how *do* people eat them like that, and in public, too! We found it impossible to eat with any kind of decorum when we went for my Vegan Birthday Burgers!

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Vegan Black Bean & Walnut Veggie Burger

Spicy Chickpea & Coriander Veggie Burgers (vegan & gluten-free)

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Nutty Bean & Beetroot Veggie Burgers with Quinoa & Redcurrants

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Vegan Tiger Nut & Peanut Chilli-Burger

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… you could also use these recipes and make them into burger shape rather than sausages, they’re really good – the ginger ones are my favourite!

Vegan ‘Cheesy’ Almond, Leek & Herb Sausages

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Vegan Leek, Carrot & Ginger Sausages

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Copyright: Chris McGowan

Vegan Dairy-Free Curried Cauliflower Soup with Sweetcorn

29398608_UnknownCauliflower is my favourite vegetable, but for some reason it doesn’t appear regularly on the family food order, so I find myself making a special request when I realise we haven’t had it for some time. Our local Waitrose isn’t too hot on organic foods and there’s no farmers’ market, so if we forget to include cauliflower in our weekly Ocado order, we have to wait another week.

Cauliflower is high in Vitamin C and a good source of protein, B Vitamins, Omega Oils, Vitamin K (for good bone health), Magnesium, Iron and many other minerals.

I am always thinking of new ways to eat this versatile veg and recently tried a curried cauliflower soup which turned out really well.

This recipe made enough for a large bowl for one as a main meal or two small bowls as a starter. It was ready in next to no time and is simple to make.

Not too spicy.

And the secret ingredient? Peanut butter! I love peanut butter and will use any excuse to include it.

Ingredients

(Organic where possible).

1 Heaped Tsp Coconut Oil

1 Small Onion, chopped

Approx. One third of a medium organic Cauliflower, washed and chopped, including any stalk

One and a Half Cups Sweetcorn, fresh or frozen – reserve the half cup until the end

1 Heaped Tsp Curry Powder

1/2 Vegetable Stock Cube

A Good Squeeze of Tomato Purée

Approx. 500mls Boiling Water

Heaped Tsp of Smooth Peanut Butter

Black Pepper & Pink Himalayan Salt

*

Melt the coconut oil until it is hot but not smoking.

Add the onion, stirfry for a few seconds, add the cauliflower and sweat for a few minutes with the lid on over a low heat.

Add the curry powder and stir well.

Add 1 Cup of the sweetcorn, dissolve the stock cube and tomato purée in the water and add to the pan.

Add a few twists of black pepper.

Replace the lid and simmer gently on a low heat until the veg is cooked.

When it is nearly cooked, lightly steam the remaining sweetcorn or cook gently in a little simmering water for a couple of minutes and strain. Set aside.

Blend the soup with a stick blender until most of it is quite smooth but leaving some unblended bits for bite, if liked.

Stir the peanut butter in well, adjust the seasoning, add the remaining cooked sweetcorn and serve.

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You might also like to try Fruity Vegetable Curry with Lemony Almond Cauliflower ‘Rice’ or ‘Couscous’

See also: Warming Sweet Potato & Ginger Soup

Zesty Orange Squash Soup – Yes, Really!

Cumin and Have Some Soup!

Vegan, Gluten-Free Carrot, Beetroot & Basil Soup

Sweet & Sour Vegetable Soup

Thick and Chunky Winter Soup with Green Lentils

Copyright: Chris McGowan

Post-Election Wake-Up Nectarine Smoothie/ Dessert

28863056_UnknownThis lovely smooth nectarine chia pudding was just what I needed the morning after the General Election when I felt exhausted and strung out after all the highs and lows of the long night before. I needed energy, but most of all something to give me a lift. Like the rest of the country, I didn’t know which end was up and needed the certainty and stability (sic*) of a reliably healthy, and refreshing breakfast to keep me going through the inevitable long drawn-out hours of bemused debate and analysis to come, while everyone figured out who was running the country (we’re still not sure!).

It can be served in a glass as a smoothie for breakfast or with slightly thicker consistency in a dish for dessert.

I’m not sure why I’m publishing it so long after the election, I think I thought there were rather too many smoothies stacked up together or it may be because the weather got so cold I thought soup was more appropriate!

Anyway, here it is:

If you use frozen fruit it will be thicker and chilled, lovely for a warm day or to perk you up in the morning, or just use more or less coconut water for the desired consistency.

We had some lovely juicy nectarines in our organic veg box recently and whilst I normally prefer to eat them as is (despite the juice inevitably dribbling down my top!), a couple were becoming over-ripe in the fruit bowl and were sliced up & frozen, so I decided to put one in this smoothie. They were small, so we used just half a medium banana to go with it.

This pudding has lots of healthy ingredients and beneficial nutrients: protein, calcium, potassium, magnesium, Vitamins A, B, C, E, omega oils, probiotics, fibre to name but a few.

Ingredients – Serves 1

(Vegan, Glutenfree, Organic)

1 Nectarine (fresh or frozen)

Half Medium Banana (fresh or frozen)

2 Tbsps Plain Live Yogurt of your choice

1 Heaped Tbsp Peanut Butter

1 Tbsp Chia Seeds**

1 Tbsp Buckwheat Flakes

1 Tbsp ground Golden Linseeds**

Small to Medium Glass Unsweetened Coconut Water

1/2 Tbsp Baobab Powder**

Blend for about 40 seconds and serve, sprinkled with a few chia seeds or a slice of nectarine.

*For the non-Brits, ‘Strong and Stable’ was the Tories’ campaign mantra.

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**See also: Three Cheers for Chias! What Are Chia Seeds & How Do I Use Them? Recipes included

Golden Linseeds (aka Flax Seeds): The Original Superfood?

The Benefits of Baobab, a Fruity Protein Smoothie + Review of Aduna Bars.

 

Copyright: Chris McGowan

Kumquat & Cacao Protein Smoothie

28596160_UnknownNo, that’s not a slice of tomato on top, it’s a kumquat!

Kumquats have a two-tone flavour: sweet peel, tart juice and are so full of a variety of beneficial nutrients including essential oils.

We had some in our Abel & Cole veg box recently and have used them in salad, a juice and today a smoothie.

This delicately chocolate-orange flavoured smoothie is so yummy and is vegan, gluten-free, nutfree, organic and dairy-free.

It contains protein, potassium, magnesium, iron, B vitamins, Vitamin A and C, calcium, omega oils, probiotics and fibre. Cacao is nutrient-heavy, including iron and anti-oxidants, and is reputed to be mood-enhancing. What more could you ask for?

(You eat the whole fruit, but be sure to remove the pips first and give the skin a good rinse),

Ingredients

2 Kumquats

1 Small Ripe Banana

1 Heaped Tsp Raw Cacao Powder*

1 Heaped Tbsp Chia Seeds*

1 Heaped Tbsp Hemp Seeds*

2 Tbsps CoYo Live Plain Coconut Yogurt

1 Heaped Tbsp Buckwheat Flakes

Unsweetened Coconut Water, according to how thick or thin you like your smoothie

Deseed and rinse the kumquats, add all the ingredients to a high-speed blender and blend on fast for approximately 40 seconds.

(We used the Retro Superblend, see here for my review).

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The Raw Chocolate Company

See also Three Cheers for Chias! What Are Chia Seeds & How Do I Use Them? Recipes included

Shelled Hemp Seeds: Superfood or Psychogenic?!

Copyright: Chris McGowan

Frozen Mango Chia Pudding – Breakfast or Dessert

28597984_UnknownIn my previous post How to Make Cashew Nut MilkI promised the recipe for this delicious and nutritious Frozen Mango Chia Pudding – which, despite the name, makes a wonderfully light breakfast too.

As I am a woman of my word, here it is!

But first, the science bit:

Mangoes are not only juicily refreshing and tasty, they contain loads of healthy nutrients too. Here are just a few of the benefits of eating mangoes regularly:

They contain antioxidants that have been shown to prevent certain cancers; they are a good source of Vitamins A, B6, C, K, Folate and Potassium, contain dietary fibre and are good for your skin, eyes and digestion.

They are one of my favourite fruits, they feel indulgent and I love the fragrance as well as the juicy flavour.

Mangoes can be a handful to peel and slice, the best way we have found is to slice off both ends thinly to provide a flat base, stand it on one end, slice the peel downwards while turning, then slice the flesh.

And always lick your fingers afterwards!

Ingredients

 Vegan, Organic, Gluten-Free (can be nutfree if you want to use tiger nut milk or soya milk and seed butter, but it will alter the flavour)

1/2 Mango, chopped and frozen

Small Glass Homemade Cashew Milk (see above for link to recipe)

1 Heaped Tbsp Chia Seeds*, soaked in the cashew milk for a few minutes, with the oats & goji berries

1 Heaped Tbsp Oats

2 Heaped Tbsps Goji Berries*

1 Tbsp Cashew Nut Butter or Almond Butter**

2 Tbsps Plain Live Yogurt

1 Tbsp Baobab Powder***

Blend everything in a high-speed blender until thick and smooth

Serve in a chilled glass dish, sprinkle with goji berries and a little desiccated coconut.

This breakfast/dessert contains protein, calcium, magnesium, b vitamins, healthy oils, complex carbohydrate for slow-releasing energy, probiotics for a healthy gut and dietary fibre.  

Go on, what are you waiting for?

Ps Look out for my Morning After The Night Before Wake-Up Smoothie, another breakfast/dessert, coming soon!

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*We buy ours from The Raw Chocolate Company

**We use Meridian Foods organic nut butters because they are free from palm oil and sugar.

*** Baobab Powder is high in Vitamin C & fibre, contains potassium, magnesium, calcium, thiamin, manganese and protein. We use Aduna

Copyright: Chris McGowan

Vegan Chilli Spiced Black Beans, Veggies & Buckwheat with Cumin & Coriander

28863488_UnknownWell, it’s mid June and still we are wearing long socks and woolly cardis while cowering inside from gale force winds and rain, but worry not, we Brits are a hardy bunch and we know how to keep our peckers up! Here’s an easy wholesome dinner that will not only warm your cockles but is satisfyingly healthy too.

Buckwheat is a good alternative to rice and quinoa and very versatile. You can even eat it without cooking: it’s a nce crunch in muesli or energy balls, goes well lightly toasted in granola or with other seeds and a splash of tamari. It’s gluten-free, a vegan source of protein and magnesium, B vitamins and fibre. It’s satisfyingly nutty – suits me then! – and filling.

Black beans are also a great source of vegan protein, vitamins, minerals and fibre.* This recipe uses some fresh summer vegetables: you can mix and match the types of fresh beans, mushrooms and tomatoes, use fresh chilli if you like it – I’m a bit of a wimp so this has a little chilli powder in it.

The thing is not to overcook it. It took about 30 minutes. How you serve it is entirely up to you – my husband decided to fry a (veggie) burger and some onions to have with it, I drew the line at the chips (fries) he proposed to have too :-)) I had it with some green salad.

All measurements and timings are very approximate.

Serves 2-3

All ingredients are vegan, gluten-free, and organic where possible and unpeeled

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Ingredients

1 Tsp Coconut Oil, melted in a frying pan

1/2 Tsp Chilli Powder

1Tsp Dried Cumin

Onion, chopped

Pressed Garlic

Fresh Green Beans, washed, topped and tailed, chopped

Half a Courgette, washed and chopped

Few Chestnut Mushrooms, washed and chopped

Sweetcorn

1/3 Cup Buckwheat

Approx. 250mls Vegetable Stock

Few Fresh Baby Plum Tomatoes, sliced

1 Tsp Raw Coconut Palm Sugar

Fresh Coriander, chopped and some reserved

Tamari

Black Pepper

1/2 Tin Black Beans, drained and rinsed

Method

Cook the spices, onion and garlic in the coconut oil for a few minutes, stirring

Add green beans, courgette and mushrooms and cook for a few minutes, stirring

Add the buckwheat, stirring, then the stock, sweetcorn, frsh coriander, a splash of tamari and black pepper.

Cover and cook on a low heat for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

When almost done and most of te liquid absorbed, gently mix in the black beans and scatter the sliced tomatoes on top.

Cover and allow to heat through for a couple of minutes.

Serve in a hot bowl with fresh coriander.

****

*See also  Vegan Black Bean & Walnut Veggie Burger

Red Lettuce & Black Bean Protein Salad

Rice Bowl with Mildly Spiced Veggies, Vegan Black Bean Burger & Cashew Cheese Sauce

Copyright: Chris McGowan

My Burnt Quinoa and a Yummy Banana Chia Pudding!

Because I think it’s important to show the disasters as well as the successes, here’s a quick post to show you things don’t always go as you expect in a health/food blogger’s world:

Here’s what happened to my dinner last night:

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It was supposed to be a fruity/spicy quinoa dish, with cumin, ginger, mushrooms, dates, sweetcorn and some veggies on the side, but even the most dedicated foodie can get distracted by the cycling at the Giro d’Italia! It practically needed a chisel to remove!

Here’s what I actually had!

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Unfortunately, I lost the mushrooms as they were in with the quinoa and there was no time to redo it as the steamed veggies were ready, so the chopped dates and some pinenuts were added to the steamed carrot, leeks, sugar snap peas, asparagus and sweetcorn, with a little alfalfa on the side. It was surprisingly good.

But just to make sure I wasn’t going to be malnourished I had a lovely banana chia pudding afterwards 😉

I forgot to take a photo but the ingredients were:

banana, a little coconut water, chia seeds, soya yogurt, baobab powder, ground cashews, all blended, and served with a sprinkling of chopped medjool date, chopped cashews & dessicated coconut. Yum!

Here’s a video showing you how to cook perfect quinoa (although it’s a little overcooked for my taste, I don’t like it so soft and mushy!).

Quinoa is a complete protein and can be used in savoury or sweet dishes, you can also buy quinoa flakes for muesli-type breakfasts or smoothies. It needs some spices or sweetness added to give it flavour, or you can cook it in vegetable stock. It’s also gluten-free.

Copyright: Chris McGowan

Paul’s No-Cacao Banana Berry Smoothie w Tiger Nut Milk, in the Garden

Last weekend, my brother and sister-in-law paid a visit during their farewell tour before emigrating to the US. You can read about it here. We had lots of fun and lots of food, all homemade apart from the Persian Christmas Pudding, courtesy of Heston Blumenthal at Waitrose! Remembering that I had caused him to sample rather too much cacao last visit*, I suggested to Paul that we make a different and simpler breakfast smoothie using tiger nut milk, which they had both sampled and approved the previous evening.

This is the result:

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And this is the recipe:

We used the larger Froothie UK Optimum blender and it made enough for the three of us.

All amounts are very approximate!

Rich in protein, calcium, antioxidants, B vitamins, omega oils, potassium and other minerals, vitamin E, prebiotics and probiotics for a healthy gut, fibre.

Vegan, organic, gluten-free.

Ingredients

2 Bananas

Large handful frozen Mixed Berries

2 Heaped Tbsps Golden Linseeds

2 Tbsps Chia Seeds

1 Medjool Date

2 Heaped Tbsps CoYo Live Plain or Vanilla Coconut Yogurt

500mls Homemade Tiger Nut Milk (see here for recipe). Add more if you want a thinner smoothie.

Blend on fast for 60 seconds.

The chia seeds will thicken it if left to stand for a couple of minutes.

I like to use a spoon.

(See Golden Linseeds (aka Flax Seeds): The Original Superfood? and Three Cheers for Chias! What Are Chia Seeds & How Do I Use Them? Recipes included for the benefits of these amazing seeds).

Remember to drink water when consuming chia seeds as they swell and form a gel which helps create a healthy gut and clear the digestive system.

*

The morning was just warm and fine enough to sit outside and listen to the birds. The garden has come to life now, with forget-me-nots and aubretia really showing off while the bright pink Japanese azalea (below), not quite in full splendour, was doing its best to compete.

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Oh, and meet Slugger, descendant of Bruiser, we know this (not really!) because they both had/have white patches on their head and back. They are so-called because they see off all-comers and take no prisoners! Mrs Slugger is busy with their newly-hatched offspring.

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*See Paul’s ‘Too Much Cacao’ Banana Baobab Smoothie! – oddly, it’s become one of my most popular posts!

The Raw Chocolate Company for cacao and chia seeds.

The Tiger Nut Company  for organic, peeled tiger nuts.

CoYo yogurts are available at Ocado and Waitrose.

Copyright: Chris McGowan