Savoury Chickpea "Bread"

This is the first time I'm using chickpea flour, and it's resulted in an interesting flavour, I think I like it and will try more recipes with it.

1 cup chickpea flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tbs ground flax
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 cup milk (the recipe says not rice milk as it doesn't react well with the vinegar)
1 tbs water

• preheat oven to 200C and grease a glass dish (I used about 8x5 inch)
• combine flax with all wet ingredients and whisk very well
• in a separate bowl combine dry ingredients and mix well, then pour the wet into the dry and mix until well combined
• pour mixture into greased dish and bake for about 10-12 mins
• let cool and cut into squares

This is yummy on it's own as an accompaniment to a dish, or, my fave, served with apricot jam, mmmmm . . . 

Recipe credit to Chocolate Covered Katie

Veggie Lentil Cottage Pie

This is such a good hearty satisfying yummy dish.  And a good source of protein and fiber.
You can make this dish vegan by using a vegan butter and milk substitute in the mashed potatoes.

Filling:
250g brown lentils, cooked, drained & set aside
coconut oil for frying
1 leek, finely chopped
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 cup steamed butternut (I pre steamed mine for about 15 mins)
1 cup sliced mushrooms (I used button but you can use others)
1 cup peas (not canned)
3 tomatoes, finely chopped
115g container tomato paste (heaped 1/3 cup)
1 tsp veggie stock powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
2 bay leaves
1 tsp himalayan salt
1/4 tsp powdered pepper

Topping:
4 cups potatoes, steamed until soft (about 30 mins - I steamed them while filling was cooking so that mash is fresh & soft when I spread it on filling)
salt & butter to taste
a little milk to make it "fluffier"

• heat oil and fry onion, leek, salt, pepper, cumin, turmeric & stock powder until onion is translucent, about 5 mins
• add remaining ingredients with 1 1/2 cup water, bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat & simmer 15 mins
• while it's simmering, chop & steam the potatoes - when they're done, mash them with salt, butter & a little bit of milk - add little milk at a time and add more if you see you want the mash to be more fluffy
• remove cover and simmer until most of the liquid has been absorbed (it took me about 20 mins), but leave some moisture left, it mustn't be simmered dry
• place filling into a glass dish (remember to remove bay leaves) & gently spread mash potato over the top
• serve & enjoyyyy

Tomato Rice Pilaf

This is just about a staple in our house, we all love it, not only because it's tasty but also because it's quick and easy to make (latter part is very important haha).

1 medium - large onion (sliced & roughly chopped)
1 tbs coconut oil
1 1/2 cups white rice
3 cups veggie stock
400g fresh diced tomatoes
1 1/2 tsp himalayan salt
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1/4 tsp ground coriander

•  fry onion in oil until it starts to become translucent
• add rice and spices and mix to coat
• add tomato and stock, bring to boil, then reduce heat and simmer until liquid is absorbed, about 20-25 mins

Good as a dish on it's own, or as a side-dish.

Vegan Lentil Carrot Burgers

These are a healthy alternative to meat or frozen burger patties.  Unlike most burger patties, these are actually nice when eaten just as is - I made these especially so that baby (well, 1 year & almost 2 month baby) can join us for our burger dinner.  :)

This makes about 9 small burgers.

2 1/2 cups cooked & drained lentils (about 1 cup dried), mashed (I blended them in a food processor - quicker than trying to mash 'em)
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup finely grated carrots
3 tbs tomato paste
3/4 cup bread crumbs (I used gluten-free bread)
salt to taste
coconut or sunflower oil for frying (coconut will give it a slight coconutty taste)

• put lentils in a bowl & add all remaining ingredients except oil
• mix well
• shape into patties & fry both sides in a little oil until heated through

Make your burger and munch away!

We didn't have burger buns so we had to use sliced bread, and the slices were way bigger than the burgers so I used a cookie cutter to make smaller pieces of bread (this is the only shape I had that was just the right size)

Yum, a good burger.

Greek Yoghurt & Chive Dip

I made some home-made chips (aka fries) - I use an air fryer for that, so no deep frying in oil.  Anyway, here is a dip I made to go along with the chips . . . yummy . . .

all is you need is:
greek yoghurt
fresh chives

• put some greek yoghurt into a bowl
• finely chop chives and mix into yoghurt
• dip a chip in and munch

 It's a lovely cool fresh dip.  I even tried it as a pasta sauce and that actually worked too.

Red Lentil & Veggie Dahl

This turned out really good, BUT . . . only because we added chutney to it - without that it was nice, but it seriously lacked *something*, and chutney filled the gap perfectly. I'm talking about Mrs Ball original chutney.

coconut oil for frying
1 1/2 cups onion, chopped
2 tbs grated fresh ginger
1 tbs garam masala
1 1/2 cups red lentils
3 cups cauliflower, cut into small pieces (about 1 1/2 inch) (I used broccoli)
2 1/2 cups carrots, roughly chopped
1 1/4 cups potatoes, chopped into 1 inch chunks
1 tsp turmeric
1 1/2 tsp himalayan salt

•  in a LARGE pot, heat coconut oil & fry onion & ginger for a minute, then add garam masala & stir
• add lentils & stir to coat, then add cauliflower, carrots, potatoes, turmeric, 5 cups of water &1 1/2 tsp himalayan salt
• bring to boil then reduce heat to a simmer and cover.  Simmer until veggies are tender, stirring occasionally, about 30-40 minutes
• add chutney to taste before serving

Can be eaten as is, or served over rice.

Butternut Soup

This is a really yummy & easy soup to make.  Butternut is one of my FAVE veggies, so I love this dish.

1 butternut, peeled & chopped into large chunks
1 onion, chopped into chunks
veggie stock
sunflower or coconut oil
cinnamon
nutmeg
cayenne (optional)

•  place chopped veggies on baking tray, drizzle generously with oil, sprinkle over lots of cinnamon, a pinch of nutmeg, and if you want to add cayenne for some kick, sprinkle just a light layer over (or add more if you like it hot)
• bake at 180 degree C for 1 hour, until tender and cooked
•  place in a food processor and add veggie stock - blend and add more veggie stock to get the soup a consistency that you like - you can make it chunky or smooth

Easy peasy.  :)

Red Lentil & Butternut Curry

This is good on it's own or served on couscous.  I loved it.

I added a few tbs cake flour at the end because it was quite saucy, but it would be nice served on couscous with the extra sauce, and better with less sauce if you were to munch it on it's own with no couscous to absorb the sauce.

coconut oil for frying
1 onion, chopped
1 tbs curry powder (or more to taste)
4 cups veggie stock
1 cup red lentils
3 cups cooked butternut, cut into bite-sized cubes (I steamed mine until cooked, about 25 mins)
1 cup greens of choice (I wanted to add spinach but couldn't find that day)
himalayan salt to taste

• fry onion in oil for about 5 mins on low-medium heat
• stir in curry powder & cook another few mins
• add stock & lentils, bring to boil, reduce heat & cook for 10 mins
• stir in butternut & greens, cook over medium heat for about 5-8 mins
• season with salt and serve

Curried Potato Salad

This is really good, and I think a healthier alternative to ordinary mayo 'tato salad, 'cause I don't like lots of those weird ingredients in mayo's.  And it's nice & creamy too.

3-4 medium cooked potatoes (cut them into bite sized pieces & steam for 25 mins)
50g butter
1 tbs curry powder
3 tbs cake flour
500ml milk
himalayan salt & pepper to taste

• melt butter in pot
• add curry powder and stir about 30 seconds to release fragrance
• add flour, stir to dissolve, and add milk
• bring to the boil while stirring, until it thickens a little (to about a soup consistency)
• season potatoes with salt and pour sauce over potatoes and season with more salt as needed

I wouldn't mind having some more spice in here, so next time I'll try it with some chilli maybe?  Will see!

Cauliflower Mash

Yummmm . . .

1 head cauliflower
few tbs cream cheese
salt & pepper to taste

Steam cauliflower until cooked and soft
Mash with a potato masher
Season with salt & pepper to taste
Mash in a few tbs of cream cheese - see how much you prefer in there, add as much as you like

Best served right away, fresh and warm, mmmmm . . . :)

Mushroom & Rice Bake with Cheese

I'm not the best food photographer, but this dish is soooooo good & tasty, I'll definitely make this again, and it's easy too which is important for me. :)

coconut oil for frying
400g brown mushrooms, chopped up
1 large onion, well chopped
1 1/2 cups cooked brown rice
2 eggs
1 cup smooth cottage cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 tsp himalayan salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/3 - 1/2 cup grated cheddar (or whatever cheese you like)

• heat over to 180 degree C.  Get a baking dish ready of more or less 9x13 in.
• heat oil and fry mushrooms with some salt to taste.  Stir now and again until mushrooms have released their liquid and have browned a bit
• add onion and cook for about 5 mins until they're translucent, then remove from heat and add cooked rice - mix well
• in another bowl, whisk together eggs, cottage cheese,sour cream & salt.
• combine egg mix with rice mixture and mix to combine well, then pour into baking dish

At this point, this dish is actually ready to eat just as is!  It's delicious and if you're in a hurry or whatever, you don't even need to do any further steps - in fact I don't think I will next time - if I do this though I'll leave out he egg, I see no reason why that can't be left out entirely.

• sprinkle cheese on top, cover with tin foil & bake for 30 mins

 Yum yum yum is all I can say . . .

Cottage Cheese Salad

This is a quick & healthy lunch option on it's own, or it can be used as a side dish.

Ingredients: tomato, cucumber, plain chunky cottage cheese, himalayan salt to taste, (and pepper if you like, or spices if you prefer).

Add as much of each ingredient as you like, but more salad & less cheese would probably be more favourable for weight loss if that's what you're after. :)

Chickpeas in Spiced Tomato Sauce with Couscous

I discovered another keeper last night, a tasty spicy chickpea dish, and I can't wait to make it again. :)

3 tbs organic coconut oil
1 cup finely chopped onion (I added at least 1 1/2 cups - I love onion)
1 tsp finely grated fresh ginger
3/4 tsp ground cumin
3/4 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (or 1/2 tsp if you like it uber spicy)
1/4 tsp ground turmeric
1 cup finely chopped fresh tomato (I added maybe 1/2 tomato more - I love 'mato)
1 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups cooked drained chickpeas
1/2 tsp curry powder
1 tsp fresh lemon juice

• heat pan, add oil, and when hot, fry onion until soft
• add ginger and stir once
• add first 4 spices and stir once
• add tomato and stir for a minute
• add 1 cup water and salt, bring to boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer for 10 mins
• add chickpeas, bring to boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer for 15 mins
• add curry powder and lemon juice, stir, cover and simmer another 5 mins
• serve on couscous (or rice if you like)

It only serves about 2 large or 3 smaller portions.

Scrambled Eggs with Cheese & Avocado

Here's a recipe I found online and tried it this morning, and I'll definitely be making this fancy scrambled egg version again. :)

For 1 serving, this is what you'll need:

1/2 small onion (small onion = 2 inch onion)
2 eggs
1/2 cup grated cheese (I used cheddar)
1/2 an avocado
salt & pepper to taste
butter for frying

• Heat up butter then fry onion until lightly browned
• Beat eggs then add cheese and mix together
• Pour eggs into pan and fry like normal scrambled eggs
• When cooked, stir in chopped avo, plate up & munch

Ok so I overcooked my onion a little, which are the brown bits you see there.  It really is more appetizing than it looks in my pic. :)  I wouldn't have thought eggs & avo are a good combo, but surprise surprise...

Toasted Wrap with Hummus Dip & Salsa

I was in the mood to try something different today, so I made some hummus and a simple salsa as dips for a wrap that I cut into pieces and toasted in the oven.  It was tasty and filling. :)

I cut up a wrap and toasted the pieces in the oven for 5 mins at 180 C (could have gone a bit longer to make them crispier though --- next time!)

See my hummus recipe HERE.

And the salsa...it's just a really simple one - finely chopped tomato & red onion, salted with Himalayan crystal salt. 

(There's some pesto in the background which I got as a gift and never knew what to do with, so I finally opened it today and it actually smells yummy.  So I used it as a dip for the wrap chips too.)

 It was good, and more than enough left over for my lunch tomorrow too. :D

Hummus

I decided to try make my own hummus recipe today - well, it's not much different from the standard hummus recipe, but I like this one 'cause I added ingredients in proportions that I like, plus I added some turmeric . . . haven't seen that in a hummus yet.  Anyway, here it is!

1 can chickpeas, drained & rinsed
6 tbs tahini
juice of 1/2 a lemon
salt to taste
pinch of fine black pepper
3 tbs ground flaxseed
2 tbs olive oil
1/2 cup water
1/4 tsp cumin powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder

Throw it all in a food processor and blend until smooth.

What I also like about this one is that it's nice and thick.

Turmeric Sour Cream Dip

I made some air-fried potatoes last night, AND I had some sour cream that I needed to finish, so I thought I'd try to make a dip for the 'tatoes.  All I did was mix in some turmeric powder with the sour cream, and kept adding some until it tasted to my liking.   I'm really happy with my newest invention.  :D

I think it may make a nice chip dip too if you maybe add some plain smooth cottage cheese to make it thicker...and more turmeric of course.  Mmmmmm.....  :)

Curried Bean Wrap

This is good for lunch or dinner really.  Usually I use canned curried beans for this but I couldn't find it lately so I made my own curried beans.

Curried beans:
1 can red kidney beans
2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp cumin powder
salt to taste

Put everything in a food processor and blend until smooth.  You could use whatever spices you like, but I like this combination for wraps.

Rest of the wrap:
1 wrap
1 tsp sesame seeds
1 tomato, finely chopped
1 leaf of lettuce, finely chopped
sour cream  (or mashed avocado)

Plop some bean paste onto the wrap, sprinkle over the sesame seeds, add the lettuce and tomato and fold up the wrap.  If my avocados were ripe, I would have added some of that in the wrap too, OR if I had cheese, I would have added some grated cheese as the last ingredient and microwaved it for a few seconds to melt the cheese (this also helps to hold the wrap together, almost like a glue).  But alas, I had neither of these ingredients, but it was still good!  Add sour cream as desired.

I just added the sesame seeds for some extra nutritional benefit - you don't taste them in here.

If you can find a vegan wrap, you can make this meal vegan if you substitute the sour cream with mashed avocado...yummy..... :)

Cucumber & Chickpea Hummus

This is yummy with savoury biscuits, as a chip dip, or as a healthier snack, used as a dip with veggies.

1 cup peeled & diced english cucumber
2 tbs water
1 tsp ground flax seeds (I'll probably add at least double that next time - make it extra healthy!)
1 400g / 15oz can of chickpeas (drained & rinsed)
2 1/2 tbs organic tahini
2 tbs fresh lemon juice
salt to taste

•  Place cucumber, water & flax into a food processor & blend on high until frothy
• Add remaining ingredients and blend until smooth
• Pour into serving dish and refrigerate until chilled and slightly thicker

This is a really healthy dip!  It's so easy to make, so definitely worth it to make your own instead of buying ones which often contain other nasty ingredients that you can just do without.  Tahini is of course made from sesame seeds, which are really good for you too.  To improve this hummus health-wise, you could cook your own chickpeas isntead of buying canned ones.

Broccoli & Carrot Slaw

I made this for the first time today, and it's also the first time I make a dish with raw broccoli...I had a small taste and I think I like it, the dressing is yummy.  And this is a new and different way to get some broccoli in - usually I just steam it and eat it as is (which is delicious!), but it's always nice to try something different once in a while.  So I may just make this again in future...I'll see how I feel about it after eating more. :)

1/3 cup sunflower seeds
+- 4 cups chopped broccoli (florets and stems)
2 medium carrots

Dressing:
2 tbs tangy mayonnaise
1 cup plain greek yoghurt
1/4 cup buttermilk
2 tsp mustard (not the powder)
3 tbs fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt (I added 20 shakes of powdered himalayan salt instead)

Whisk to combine.

• toast sunflower seeds in dry pan over medium-high heat for a few minutes until they smell aromatic (don't let them burn or turn too brown)
• shred the broccoli & peeled carrots in a food processor
• combine everything with the dressing and mix to coat well.