Tag: vegan

Purple Carrot Powerhouse Juice

Here’s the final juice recipe in my mini series on the health benefits of Purple Carrots.

Full of antioxidants, anthocyanins – the memory boosters that give blueberries their superfood status – soluble fibre, vitamins and minerals, this juice is a nutritional powerhouse.

The carrot greens contain protein, calcium, magnesium and potassium, the broccoli contains calcium and folate – a mood enhancer – while the sweet potato also has essential fatty acids, B vitamins and Vitamin A.

Purple carrot greens have 6 times more Vitamin C than orange ones!

See Ever Had Purple Carrots? (Juice Recipe Included) for a full nutritional breakdown and the health benefits of eating purple carrots and purple foods in general.

Perfect for an energy booster and pick-me-up!

Ingredients

4 Purple Carrots, scrubbed

1 Sweet Potato, scrubbed

1 Apple

1 Pear (the harder the better)

Small Handful Carrot Greens, washed thoroughly and chopped

1/2 Small Wax-free Lemon, scrubbed, peel left on

3″ Broccoli Stem

Begin with carrots and sweet potato, then the lemon and broccoli, lastly put the carrot greens through between pear and apple to get the most juice from them and help prevent the greens clogging the juicer.

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PS If you like the Grip and Go Glass Bottle, here’s the link (can’t help you with the flowers, though!):

http://www.gripandgo.co.uk/

Copyright: Chris McGowan

3 Vegan Meals with Chilli, Quinoa, Tacos & Steamed Veg (but no Quorn!)

As many of you will know, during a recent and rare visit to a local café, I was innocently duped into having vegetarian chilli by a young woman who believed it was vegan. In fact it contained Quorn mince, which is gluten-free and vegetarian, but not vegan. I was really upset when I later realised; it’s taken me decades of being vegetarian to finally make the leap to veganism. It hasn’t been easy, but I was proud of myself and now I felt I’d failed. It took the shine off what had been lovely afternoon out in a beautiful setting. (See Chillin’ on a Chilly Afternoon with Chilli).

The only thing I felt I could do to make amends (in my way of thinking) was to create a vegan chilli at home and in having it for dinner that following day – and publishing it on social media as well as my blog – somehow I would go some way to erasing my blip and to providing regular meat-eaters and vegetarians with an alternative for their menus.

Quinoa was cooked separately, then added to the cooked sauce to give some added texture in place of ‘mince’. This recipe made enough for a bowl of chilli and quinoa one evening, chilli with 3 tacos and green salad the next, and the leftover quinoa I had with corn on the cob and vegetables the third day.

imageI’ve used chilli flakes because we don’t normally eat fresh chillies, I try to keep nightshade foods to a minimum as they can exacerbate skin and joint inflammation, which is also why I’ve used tomato paste rather than tomatoes. But don’t be put off, it still has a kick and is very tasty. The onion and crushed garlic are missing from the chopping board – they’d already gone in the pot before I remembered to take a photo!

You might be surprised at a couple of the items, or if you’re my son, then probably not!

All measurements are approximate, all ingredients used were organic where possible, vegan and gluten-free. 

Ingredients for the Chilli Sauce

Approx. 1 Tsp Solid Coconut Oil

1 Onion

2 Garlic Cloves, crushed

1 Tsp Chilli Flakes

 French Beans, washed and chopped

Broad Beans

1 Carrot, washed and chopped small

2 Large Chestnut Mushrooms, washed and chopped

1/2 Courgette (small zucchini)

Half a tin of Kidney Beans, rinsed

Sweetcorn

1/2-1 Tsp Raw Cacao Powder*

2 Cacao Buttons (or just under 1/4 Cup melted cacao butter)#

Big Squeeze Tomato Paste

1-2 Tsps Bouillon Powder

dissolved in

Approx. 300-400 mls Hot water (enough to almost cover the veg)

A Good Splash of Tamari

Black Pepper

Method

Melt coconut oil until hot but not smoking.

Stir fry onions and crushed garlic for a couple of minutes.

Add chilli flakes.

Add rest of vegetables and heat through, stirring regularly, place lid on and sweat for a few minutes.

Add kidney beans and sweetcorn, bouillon powder in hot water, tomato paste, tamari and black pepper.

Mix the cacao powder with literally a few drops of water (an egg cup is easiest to use) and add to sauce with broken cacao buttons.

Stir well, replace lid and cook on low heat about 45 -50 minutes, until all veg cooked through. Keep an eye on the liquid.

Meanwhile, gently cook 1 Cup Quinoa in approximately 1 Cup of stock to give it some flavour, but be careful not to add salt as the quinoa will absorb it all and there will be salt in the sauce via the bouillon powder, tomato paste and tamari.

Slightly undercook the quinoa so it still has a little bite, at about 10 minutes, but keep an eye on the liquid. Remove it from the heat. Don’t stir it about, it needs to keep its shape and not break up or be soft and mushy. It will soak up some of the sauce when it’s added.

To serve:

Add a few large spoons of quinoa to the chilli sauce, folding it into the sauce but not stirring. Leave about half of the quinoa for  the third evening.

Ladle the sauce into a warm bowl, with plenty of liquid, you want the remainder of the sauce to be thick for next evening.

I sprinkled on some nutritional yeast before eating, but that’s optional. You can have tortillas or crisp homemade bread to accompany the chilli.

When the leftover chilli and quinoa are cool, place in separate containers in the fridge for the next 2 meals.

Day Two

Next evening, the chilli sauce will have been absorbed by the quinoa and will be thick enough to have in tacos with green salad and I added some chilled cashew cheese sauce but you could have plain yogurt (See Easy-Peasy Cheesy Cashew Sauce or Dip).

I made three, but it would easily have made four and was so filling. Two was enough. Be sure to eat this with someone who loves you for who you are because it is the messiest thing to eat!

Day Three

Not the prettiest or most photogenic meal, but everything needed using up. It was tasty and filling and you can’t ask for much more in a meal! It also only took about 15 minutes. 

The corn, broccoli and broad beans were lightly steamed while the chestnut mushrooms were stir-fried with crushed garlic and tamari. They were then set aside in the frying pan while the quinoa was warmed through with some chopped spring onion, keeping it on the move so it doesn’t stick to the pan.

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So what’s the verdict? Do you think I’ve made up for my vegan/vegetarian mis-step?

*http://www.therawchocolatecompany.com/

#http://www.pulsin.co.uk/

Copyright: Chris McGowan

Hanna’s Simple Turmeric Breakfast Pot

img_6137After I published my post on the health benefits of Turmeric, the super-supplement and the accompanying juice recipe, I was asked by a couple of people how else to make this important ingredient more palatable?

Later that evening, I saw Hanna Sillitoe’s recipe for Simple Turmeric Breakfast Pot (it would also be a lovely pudding, it has chia seeds, cacao and fruit in it). This seemed the best answer for those who don’t juice, here’s the Link.

Hanna has a great blog. We have been internet friends for quite a while now, we began juicing around the same time, when she was covered in psoriasis. She now has clear skin from juicing, healthy eating and exercising and inspired me when I developed a nasty skin condition. (See my post How I Juiced My Skin Clear).

I’ve tested a few of her recipes, they are mostly vegan, always gluten- and dairy-free and always work out well, but haven’t had chance to do this one, I wanted to get it out to you as soon as possible after my turmeric post.

Hanna is about to publish her first cookbook of healthy recipes in early 2017, do look out for it and have a look at her blog.

Copyright: Chris McGowan

Banana Plum Smoothie with a Warming Dash of Cinnamon

imageThis is a mineral-rich smoothie with protein, fibre and omega fatty acids and a little warming cinnamon spice added now that Autumn is creeping in. Cinnamon has many health benefits including reducing spikes in blood sugar and lowering insulin resistance, as well as helping to balance your metabolism. Yellow plums are reputed to improve iron absorption, possibly due to their vitamin C content. Those with nut allergies can substitute the almond milk with tiger nut milk or any other non-dairy alternative.

All ingredients are organic, vegan and gluten-free, all measurements approximate.

Ingredients

1 Banana

1 Yellow Plum

2 Tbsps Golden Linseeds (lightly ground)

1 Heaped Tbsp Raw Hemp Seeds*

Glass of chilled Almond Milk (see here for how to make your own, it really is very easy and tastes much better than bought)

1 Medjool Date, pitted and chopped

A Dash of Cinnamon + another on top

 Blend and enjoy.

*from http://www.therawchocolatecompany.com/

Copyright: Chris McGowan

Zoodles with Garlic Mushrooms, Beansprouts & Lemon Avocado & Pine Nut Dressing

The title pretty much describes the recipe. This is a light, quick meal conjured up when I wasn’t feeling very hungry but knew I needed to eat something or I would be hungry during the night. As usual, once I began eating I was glad I had made the effort to come up with something to stimulate my appetite.

First, we spiralised a small Courgette (zucchini) and arranged it on the plate. (see Spiralising: A Great Way to Get Your Kids to Eat Their Greens, Reds, Yellows …)

Next, the avocado dressing was prepared in a small chopper: we had no fresh avocado so we used some from the freezer – did you know you can freeze stoned and peeled avocado? We use it to blend with freshly extracted juices.

For one person, blend 1/4 – 1/2 Avocado, a good squeeze of Lemon Juice, a little Water, some Pine Kernels and Black Pepper. Season with a little Pink Himalayan Salt if liked.

I love Chestnut Mushrooms and we seemed to have rather a lot that needed using. So about 7 or 8 were washed, stalked and chopped in quarters before the whole lot was tossed in a teaspoon of Coconut Oil with some crushed Garlic and lightly stir-fried with Tamari.

The mushrooms were placed on the top of the zoodles. The avocado dressing in the middle, a reserved mushroom on top. We had some Mung Beans sprouting and we scattered some over the rest of the food. (See Sprouting for Health, Energy and the Environment!)

It was finished off with more black pepper.

It doesn’t look very exciting, but it tasted good and was surprisingly satisfying. Raw food is more filling than cooked, with plenty of fibre and nutrients to keep you healthy. Avocado is the ultimate in healthy convenience food with its protein, healthy fats, vitamins, minerals and fibre. (See Raw Energy).

Copyright: Chris McGowan

Nutty Bean & Beetroot Veggie Burgers with Quinoa & Redcurrants

These are the third in a series of attempts to find a tasty home-made veggie burger that holds together well and I think in the latter category, these are the best! I think the key might be in using chia egg (chia seeds soaked in water to form a gel) rather than just the chia seeds on their own. In the other recipes, we had assumed that the seeds would soak up any excess moisture in the mix and combined with the chickpea flour, would hold it together. They worked well, but these worked even better.

Don’t be put off by the beetroot, they are peeled and grated and the burgers don’t taste earthy at all. Beetroot are heart healthy, a good source of potassium and good for the circulation. (Read Make Beetroot Your New Veg Friend! for the full benefits of eating/juicing beetroot).

I had a couple of burgers warm with some quinoa and a red- and whitecurrant dressing, with a green salad. The rest were put in the freezer and I had a couple when we had a picnic on a sunny day and they were even better! They held together and tasted amazing – I ate them with my fingers, like a biscuit, and they didn’t break up.

Quinoa is a complete protein and also gluten-free. It can be a little bland unless you add some spices, lime juice or dried fruit for example, here we’ve made a dressing using fresh red and white currants, but you could use defrosted frozen berries or dried cranberries.

Apart from being very tasty, redcurrants are a rich source of dietary fibre, potassium, Vitamin C and Vitamin K – necessary for blood-clotting and for good bone health.

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Ingredients – Burgers

1/2 Tin Black Beans, drained & rinsed

1/2 Medium Beetroot, grated

1 Small Onion, chopped

1 Clove of Garlic, crushed

1 Cup Ground Walnuts (you could substitute for seeds or other nuts, but they would give a different texture and flavour)

2″ Slice Marrow, chopped or 1/2 Courgette (Zucchini)

2 Chestnut Mushrooms, chopped

1 Tbsp Chia Seeds soaked in 3 Tbsps Water, stirred vigorously, to form a gel

1 1/2 Cups Chickpea Flour (garbanzo or gram)

A Squeeze of Tomato Purée

1 Tsp Vegetable Bouillon Powder

1/2 Tbsp Cumin Seeds

Handful Fresh Coriander, chopped

Splash of Tamari

Pink Himalayan Salt & Black Pepper

A little coconut oil for frying.

Method

Put everything in the food processor and pulse/slow process until it starts to come together but is still coarse, you don’t want it too smooth & mushy. Scrape it down between each blast.

With floured hands take handfuls of mix and form into burgers on a floured board using a flat spatula to help it come together if necessary. Sprinkle with a little flour before cooking. We made 5.

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Melt a little coconut oil in a frying pan, but not to smoking point, and gently cook the burgers. You might prefer to cook them in the oven.

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Quinoa

Just before you cook the burgers, put on some quinoa to cook as per instructions, keep the lid on until cooked, about 10-12 minutes – you want the moisture evaporated but the quinoa still keeping its shape, not broken up and mushy. If there is still some moisture, leave the lid off and turn the heat off but keep the pan on the warm plate, or turn it out into a hot dish and fluff it gently with a fork to allow the moisture to escape.

Red and White Currant Dressing

I adapted this from an Able & Cole recipe.

Place about 125g fresh Red and White Currants in a saucepan, add approximately 2 Tbsps water, 1 Tsp Maple Syrup, 1 Tsp Cumin Seeds. Heat slowly until the currants burst slightly. Remove from heat.

Pour half into the quinoa and lightly mix. Check seasoning.

Serve the burgers with the quinoa and a green salad and drizzle over the rest of the dressing.

See Vegan Tiger Nut & Peanut Chilli-Burger (you can use substitutes for Tiger Nuts) and Vegan Black Bean & Walnut Veggie Burger for the other recipes.

Copyright: Chris McGowan

Rocket (Arugula) Salad with Sweetcorn, Walnut Slaw, Crisp Red Apple & Lemon Tahini Dressing

This is quite possibly the final salad photo I’ll be posting for a while – not that I stop eating salads as soon as Autumn appears, far from it, but I don’t think you’ll be wanting to read about them when the central heating’s on! (I realise of course some of you will be in the summer season, but no doubt you’ll be off to the beach for a barbie or spending your time in the pool or by the river, playing with children, partners or pets, or reading a book in the garden, so again won’t want to be reading about salads – no envy at all in those words, honest!)

I don’t eat mayonnaise which is often the default dressing for cole slaw, this one has a lemon and tahini dressing.

If you have a nut allergy and want to avoid the walnuts, you could use alternatives to give a bit of a crunch, perhaps roasted chickpeas – see Crunchy & Spicy Roasted Chickpea Nibbles

I love adding crisp or tart fruit to a green salad, sometimes red grapes, or slices of kiwi, this time slices of a crisp red apple. The fruit not only adds a contrasting flavour but also extra nutrients and can often tempt a child for instance to try a salad they would otherwise turn their noses up at.

There is protein in the walnuts, tahini, sweetcorn and leaves, while rocket (arugula) is believed to have cancer cell-inhibiting properties and along with spinach is rich in B vitamins, Vitamin K (essential for bone health), Vitamin C, and minerals.

Ingredients

Rocket (Arugula) and Spinach Leaves to line the plate, washed even if prepacked.

Thinly sliced Cucumber, washed and peel left on, layered on the leaves.

Sweetcorn arranged around the outside.

Slaw

Finely shred washed light green crisp Cabbage and Carrot into a bowl.

Finely chop a Spring Onion and add to the bowl.

Mix some Tahini with a little Lemon Juice, depending on your taste, and water to the desired consistency.

Mix into the slaw, reserving some to drizzle over the finished salad.

Add Walnut pieces, Pink Himalayan Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Place the slaw in the middle of the leaves.

Thinly slice the Apple and sprinkle with Lemon Juice.

Arrange around the salad.

Drizzle more Tahini Dressing over the salad.

Copyright: Chris McGowan

Apricot & Cacao Fudge Bites

 I recently discovered that the bag of sweet apricot kernels had been open for some time and really should be used up. We made some sweet apricot kernel milk and then used the pulp to make these bites.

You can of course use any nut or seed milk pulp –  a good alternative would be almond milk pulp – but it may behave and taste slightly differently, so you may need to make some other adjustments.

Please ensure you buy Sweet Apricot Kernels if you wish to follow the recipe and not the Bitter ones, which are often used in traditional medicines, taste bitter (!) and can cause nausea and a whole string of other effects.

Sweet Apricot Kernels look like a slightly smaller almond and have a similar taste. They contain Vitamin E and Iron.

Cacao powder contains many vitamins and minerals especially magnesium, which many people are deficient in, and is a natural mood enhancer and energy booster.

Ingredients

1 Cup Pulp reserved making from Sweet Apricot Kernel Milk

3/4 Cup Soft Dried Apricots, chopped

1/2 Cup Sweet Apricot Kernels,*chopped

1/2 Tbsp Chia Seeds*

1/2 Tbsp Cacao Powder*

Juice of a small Satsuma

1 Apple, peeled and grated

1/4 Cup Cacao Butter Buttons** – about a dozen, melted (or solid cacao butter)

1 Tsp Maple Syrup (optional)

Desiccated Coconut for sprinkling

Method

Add all the dry ingredients to a food processor (including the pulp) and pulse several times to break up the apricots and sweet apricot kernels. You still want a bit of bite, the sweet apricot kernels need to be roughly chopped rather than ground, so don’t overdo it.

Add the rest of the ingredients except the desiccated coconut.

Alternately pulse and mix on low for a couple of seconds, scraping the mixture down if necessary, until the mixture can be squeezed together to form a ball. Again, don’t overdo it.

If it’s too wet, add some more chia or other seeds, or a few ground sweet apricot kernels. If too dry, a few more drops of juice.

Roll into ball and then in the coconut. Makes about a dozen, depending on size and how many times you ‘test’ it!

(This one’s for you, K!)

*http://www.therawchocolatecompany.com/

**http://www.pulsin.co.uk/

Copyright: Chris McGowan

Lemony Avo Pine Nut Spread

This arose out of necessity: there was a mini avocado in the bowl with the bananas that had been there all week and I fancied avocado salad, surely it must be useable by now? The avocado had other ideas. It was so hard, we could have played cricket with it! So, not to be completely outwitted, it was peeled, stoned and chopped and placed in the Braun grinder/chopper with some chopped spring onion, a good squeeze of lemon, some pine nuts, a splash of virgin olive oil, some pink Himalayan salt and some ground black pepper. (All the ingredients were organic).

It was lush! It really worked. I had some with the salad and the rest on some Nairn’s Gluten-Free Oatcakes. Loved every bite.

Avocados are such a versatile fruit and it has been said that you could practically live off them (with water), they have so many essential nutrients for the human body. They are good for your skin, heart, and brain too, with Vitamin E, protein and essential fats. I have avocado in some form every day, often blended into a juice.

(If you want it a bit thinner just add a little more oil and lemon – or persuade your avocado to get a wriggle on with its ripening timetable!)

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Copyright: Chris McGowan

Vegan Black Bean & Walnut Veggie Burger

Greg over at Pleasant Peasant Cuisine, is a lifelong vegetarian and is on a quest to find the perfect veggie burger. He has several great recipes on his blog. We too hanker after a good, tasty burger, but ours is even more difficult to find as it has to be vegan, gluten-free and nightshade-free, so no egg, wheatflour or tomato. We also need it to be simple, quick and uncomplicated!

Greg has used kidney beans, tofu and seitan, but we decided to try and devise our own version using black beans, which we’d never had before. We enhanced the protein content of the beans with organic chickpea flour to hold it together, chia seeds instead of egg, and walnuts to give it some bite and texture, as well as sweetcorn for a little colour.

Everything was thrown into the food processor and pulsed to bring it together, then shaped and cooked in a little coconut oil in a frying pan.

Black beans are often used in cajun and creole cooking and are good for vegetarians and vegans alike as they are high in protein and fibre:

1 Cup of cooked black beans provides 1/3 of a day’s protein requirement + 15g of fibre – US dietary guidelines recommend 21-25g per day for women and 30-38g per day for men.

They are also a good source of Vitamin B1 (thiamine) which, along with the other B vitamins, helps convert carbohydrates to glucose for fuel to provide energy and also helps metabolise fats and protein.

Black beans contain magnesium – important for relaxing muscles, good quality sleep and elevating mood – as well as iron.

So, on to the burgers – you thought I’d never get there, didn’t you?!

As always, the measurements are appoximate, it was a case of let’s try this and see how it goes and if it’s not enough add a bit more! Everything was organic and gluten-free. If you want a bit more colour or spice, you can add chilli powder or flakes or paprika or different herbs.

Ingredients

1 Cup Cooked Organic Black Beans (we used tinned, strained and rinsed)

1/2 Cup Walnut Pieces

1 Tbsp Chia Seeds* in 1 Tbsp Water

1 Cup Frozen Sweetcorn, defrosted

1 Onion, chopped

1/2 Stick Celery + leaves, chopped

1/2 Small Carrot, shaved

1 Clove Garlic, pressed

A good splash of Tamari

1 Tbsp Cumin Seeds

Pinch of Pink Himalayan Salt + Black Pepper

1 Tbsp Dried Miso Soup

2-3 Tbsps Chickpea Flour + extra for shaping & frying

imagePut everything in the food processor and pulse a few times to  bring it together, don’t overdo it  you want some texture not a purée! Test to see if you can squeeze it together. If it’s too wet, add a little more flour.

Dust a board with some flour and shape the mix into burgers.

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We managed 4 good-sized ones and a smaller one.

They are quite soft, so handle gently and use a fish slice to lift them into the pan and flip them over.

Melt a little coconut oil in a large frying pan, but not smoking.

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Cook on a medium heat turning a couple of times until done.

imageServed with a watercress or babyleaf and rocket salad, we added sprouted mung beans (more protein), and cumin spiced sweet potato oven chips (fries) with a piquant cashew ‘cheese’ sauce (see here for recipe),

*

Do visit Greg, his blog is full of improvised, unusual and colourful recipes and beautiful photos (click on the link at the top of this post).

*http://www.therawchocolatecompany.com/

Copyright: Chris McGowan