A healthier and quicker take on ice cream with two layers, combining a vanilla/banana flavour with the sharp taste of blueberry.
Read moreMiso aubergine, quinoa and black kale
Miso is a Japanese cultured food made from fermented soya beans and brown rice.
Whilst that description may not make it sound appealing, it delivers a pleasant savoury taste without too much salt. Consequently, it goes really well with just about any vegetable.
As an added benefit, miso is a vegan source of B vitamins which would ordinarily be hard to obtain without eating meat.
Here, I combined miso with aubergine and a few other ingredients for a flavoursome savoury dish.
Ingredients for 1
1/4 cup dried quinoa
1 small aubergine, cut into 1"-2" chunks
a large handful of torn kale
5 cherry tomatoes, halved
1 teaspoon of miso (I used Clearspring Organic, available online, from supermarkets & health food stores)
1 teaspoon of pomegranate molasses or a squeeze of lemon
Black pepper to season
1 teaspoon of coconut oil
Method:
Cook the quinoa by boiling it in water for 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Heat a small pan on a medium heat. Add the coconut oil and aubergine chunks. Season with black pepper and cook until the aubergine goes soft (about 5 minutes).
Take the aubergine off the heat and stir in the miso and quinoa.
In a bowl, combine the kale leaves with pomegranate molasses or lemon juice. Rub the kale together with your hands until the leaves bruise a little. This will make it easier to eat.
Grab a plate, put the aubergine/quinoa mix on it. Top with the kale and cherry tomatoes.
Enjoy!
Quinoa and chia porridge
Quinoa contains a good amount of protein, iron, magnesium, manganese and phosphorus, making it a pretty healthy choice for porridge.
Read moreBeetroot and orange salad
Nutrient boosts don't come in prettier packages than this beetroot and orange salad.
It isn't all about the looks so let me reassure you that this dish also tastes amazing.
The peppery rocket combines so well with the sweetness of the beetroot and oranges. Toasted pistachios bring a welcome crunch and the cinnamon dressing adds acidity to balance the flavours.
There are plenty of vitamins and minerals to make you feel good too: vitamins A, C, K, folate, iron, magnesium, potassium and copper are all in this colourful salad.
Tuck in and feel the glow.
Ingredients (Serves 1)
1 orange, peeled
1 medium beetroot, peeled
large handful of rocket
2 tablespoon of pistachios
For the dressing:
1.5 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
pinch of cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon of honey or maple syrup
Method:
To toast the pistachios, preheat the oven to 180 degrees C, put the nuts on a baking tray and bake for 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
To make the dressing, whisk all of the ingredients together until well combined.
Thinly slice the beetroot and orange. Combine with the rocket, drizzle over the dressing and top with the toasted pistachios.
Sweet potato and quinoa falafel
Falafel are a tasty addition to salads or make a great stand alone snack.
This sweet potato and quinoa version is packed with plant based protein as well as a host of vitamins and minerals that support wellness.
Sweet potato is especially high in Vitamin A which is great to maintain the health of eyes, bones, skin and the immune system.
Ingredients (Makes 10 falafel)
250g cooked sweet potato (see instructions below)
150g cooked chickpeas
100g cooked quinoa
juice of half a lemon
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
small handful (5g) parsley
1 tbsp olive oil
Method:
Baking, as opposed to boiling, sweet potatoes ensures that the nutrients remain in the potato.
To do this, preheat the oven to 180 degrees C, pierce two medium sweet potatoes with a knife two-three times. Pop them on a baking tray and bake for 1 hour or until a fork goes through the flesh easily. Allow them to cool and peel the skin off.
Cooked sweet potatoes stay fresh in the fridge for up to 3 days and also freeze well.
To make the falafel, preheat the oven to 180 degrees C.
Put the chickpeas, sweet potato, salt, lemon juice, parsley, cumin, smoked paprika and olive oil in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth.
Decant the mixture into a bowl and stir through the quinoa.
Take 1 tablespoon of the mixture and form into a pattie. Repeat with the remaining mixture to make 10 falafel. The texture will be fairly sticky but this isn't anything to worry about.
Bake the falafel in the oven for 45 minutes.