Braised Cabbage with Butter Beans: Meat Free Monday

As usual this is a recipe which started with just an image in my mind of the end product but I had no idea how to get there! I love cabbage but I’ve never cooked it in wedges before so I decided to just get all of my intended ingredients out and follow my instincts. I have found on numerous occasions now that actually by working this way and just listening to my instincts and making decisions once I have seen how the dish is panning out I have ended up with something better than I could have imagined….if I may say so myself I think this is one of those times!

I knew I wanted the cabbage to have some colour to it which is why I pan-fried it first and also I knew I’d want to use some sort of herb/ spice mixture so I dived into my cupboards and ended up pulling out my trusted fennel seeds! I think they give the dish a real kick and also add a different dimension to the flavours. I really adore fennel seeds now, especially mixed with a nice rich tomatoey sauce!

If you read my post “A Balanced Diet for a Balanced Well being”you will know that I have been quite high on my carb intake and I want to make sure I am eating healthily with a better balance of protein and carbs. Well this dish is a perfect example of the changes I am making because before I would have made the cabbage with a tomato sauce and then served it with rice however because I’m more aware of my dietary needs at the moment I decided to add butter beans (lima beans) because they are high protein and fiber with a lower more moderate level of carbohydrate. I had this for dinner as a complete meal and felt satisfied! They are also a great source of source of iron, copper and magnesium.

So on to my recipe – as I said I was literally seeing how it went at each stage and making decisions as I went along so if you read this and think I have turned one simple step into 3 or 4 steps then please let me know!

Serves 2

1/2 White Cabbage
1 teaspoon Fennel Seeds
Pinch Sugar
1 Garlic Clove
300 ml Vegetable Stock
1 Can Chopped Tomatoes
I heaped tablespoon Tomato Puree
1 Can Butter Beans (approx 300g)
Large Bunch Fresh Parsley
Salt and Pepper
Spray oil for cooking

I used half of the cabbage for this recipe and kept the other half for a soup recipe. Slice one half of the cabbage into 4 even wedges. Heat some oil in a large deep frying pan on a medium heat and once hot place the cabbage wedges into the pan and cook for 3 minutes on one side. Then sprinkle the cabbage with half the fennel seeds and sugar and turn the wedges over to cook for another 3 minutes on the other side. Sprinkle the other half of the fennel seeds and sugar onto the other half of the wedges.
You can be quite generous with the spray oil at this point as you don’t want it to burn.

Turn the cabbage wedges back over again (be really careful to not let them fall apart) and add the crushed garlic clove to the pan for one minute then add 300 ml of vegetable stock.
Cook uncovered for 15 minutes (let it bubble away slightly) and then turn the cabbage slices over again. You don’t need to turn them more often than I have mentioned as they will begin to fall apart so less touching them the better!

Add the canned tomatoes, tomato puree, butter beans, chopped parsley and some salt and pepper and stir. Don’t worry if the vegetable stock wasn’t all evaporated as that little bit left in the pan will make the sauce nice and juicy! Use a small spoon and stir the tomatoes around the cabbage making sure you don’t disturb the cabbage too much. I liked leaving the pale colour of the cabbage peeking out so I purposefully didn’t coat the cabbage with the tomatoes.

Cook for a further 10 minutes uncovered stirring occasionally so nothing burns or sticks to the bottom then garnish with more fresh parsley and serve!

This was one of the nicest meals I’ve had in ages and I feel like I’m finally getting myself back around to a healthy balanced diet I should be eating! Plus I love butter beans so this was just my cup of tea!

Basil Tofu Stirfry with Noodles: Meat Free Monday

I think everyone should have a basic stir fry recipe for those evenings when you just want something healthy but super quick and easy! I admit my “go to” stir fry recipe used to be a bag of mixed stir fry veg, a jar of sauce and some straight to wok noodles; now there’s nothing wrong with this, but its much cheaper and more rewarding to be able to throw it together from scratch

When I was cooking Tofu for the month of January as part of my first monthly challenges I got a better understanding of some basic ingredients used in Asian cooking. I also bought different types of tofu, although I didn’t get a chance to blog about a few of them! One of my favourites was Taifun’s ‘Basil Tofu’ which has a very savoury basil taste to it and also it is a very firm tofu, I never felt the need to press it which makes it an even quicker recipe.

The nice thing about a stir fry as well is you can always chop and change the ingredients to whatever is handy or needs using up. There are four elements – the vegetables, the protein, the sauce and the accompaniment (eg noodles/ rice). These can all be changed around and mixed up to make stirfrys more interesting.

This is a simple stirfry recipe so feel free to add things or jazz it up to your personal taste – that’s the whole fun of this kind of meal!

Serves 2

For the stirfry sauce:

1 tblspn Runny Honey
1 tblspn Mirin
1 tblspn Light Soy Sauce
1 inch Ginger (finely chopped or grated)
1 Garlic Clove (crushed)
1 Red Chilli (Finely sliced)
1/4 – 1/2 tblspn Water

To make the stirfry sauce simply mix everything together and put to one side. Make sure everything is mixed well and that the honey is not just sat at the bottom of the bowl. Also for the first three times I made this I kept adding a lot more water because it looked like it needed it but then I regretted it when I poured it onto the vegetables and it was soggy and diluted so resist the urge!

For the Stirfry:

200g Basil tofu
Vegetables – such as peppers, courgette, onion, mushrooms, bok choi, bean sprouts, finely sliced carrot, sugar snap peas, mushrooms etc
Noodles or rice (however much you like per person)
Stirfry oil such as sesame oil for frying

Ok the first thing I’d recommend when making this is to have everything prepared before you start cooking as it will be much easier. Slice all your vegetables and put to one side on a plate or in a big bowl. Also dice the tofu and put to one side.

Put your noodles in a pan and stick your kettle on to boil but wait untill you cook them as they typically take about 2-3 minutes to cook!

In a wok add a little oil and allow it to get really hot, then add the tofu and stirfry turning it reguarly untill browned on the outside. You  may need to do this in batches. Once cooked transfer the tofu to some kitchen towel and leave to one side.

Add a little more oil to the wok if it looks like it needs it and add all of the vegetables (I usually keep mushrooms out for 5 minutes before adding as they get soft very quickly). Stir the veg and when they look like they are nearly ready stick your noodles on to boil.

Once the vegetables are cooked pour over the sauce and cook for a further 1-2 minutes then turn the heat off. Drain the noodles.

Pile the noodles and vegetables into two bowls and then place the tofu on top! I often add extras like sesame seeds or sweet chilli sauce. It’s quite a big portion but its about 50% vegetables so who cares!

 

 

Vegan Apple, Spinach and Asparagus Pizza: Meat Free Monday

When I started becoming more conscious of my health and diet I knew about low fats and high fats and kind of knew about calories and I would just look at the labels and try to make an informed decision about what to buy and eat. But I’m less about labels now and more about using my eyes! Fats in food are still important however I’ve adopted more of “a little bit of everything in moderation” is better than having a naughty high fat day followed by a few low fat days. Instead I try to vary each day as much as possible and incorporate different vegetables and grains and colours and flavours into my meals to make even the healthy meals exciting.

My idea for this pizza came about when I started making my own pizza for me and Scott as a weekend treat and I thought that actually I LOVE pizza and don’t necessarily like the cheese so why not make a cheeseless pizza which doesn’t have to be just for a treat. A few years ago I would have thought this was insane but now I just think it’s normal. Instead of cheese I added fresh tomatoes and apples which gives it such a sweetness, then for some colour I added spinach and asparagus, and finally for that extra push of pure healthiness I added some raw sprouted beans. The combination of flavours is so much more complex and exciting than any cheese could ever deliver and the amount of vitamins you are getting balances out the fact that it’s a pizza

Oh and just because I felt I might as well take this pizza as far as it can go in the health terms I have also made a wholemeal base packed with seeds to add nutritional fiber and natural oils which your body loves. I tried using different quantities of the whole meal flour and for me this was the best as I didn’t like it when it was more heavy – 100% wholemeal flour was like eating a brick!

Serves 2 … if you want to share!

Pizza base -

100g Plain Bread Flour
40g Wholemeal Bread Flour
1 teaspoon Fast Action Dried Yeast
1 1/2 tablespoons Seed Mix
1 tablespoon Olive Oil
75ml Water
pinch Salt

Add the flours, yeast and seeds into a large mixing bowl and combine together. Make a well in the middle of the flour and pour in the water, oil and a pinch of salt then mix the liquid (using a wooden spoon) into the flour starting from the inside of the well, slowly bringing more flour in untill you have a soft dough. You may need to add a little bit more water but only add 1 tablespoon at a time untill it has come together.

Knead the dough on a floured surface for 5 minutes then roll into a ball and lightly coat with oil. Put it in a bowl and cover with cling film then leave somewhere warm for around an hour untill the dough has risen.

Once risen knock some of the air out of it with your hands then roll out into a circle using a floured rolling-pin. Some of the larger seeds will crack under the rolling-pin but that’s ok.

Preheat the oven to 180c

Pizza Topping-

Tomato puree (or a tomato pizza sauce of your choice)
8 Asparagus Spears
1 Tomato
1 Small apple
Large Handful Spinach
A handful of sprouted beans (I used organic)

Spread a thin layer of tomato puree onto the pizza base, leave a border around the edge for the crust. Then layer on the thinly sliced tomato and apple. Top with some wilted spinach and finally place the asparagus around the pizza.

Place the pizza on a pizza tray in the oven and cook for 12-14 minutes untill the base is cooked through.

Sprinkle the sprouts over the top, slice up and enjoy!

Roasted Cauliflower and Garlic Dhal: Meat Free Monday

I really like making Lentil Dhal’s as they are quite simple and really healthy but filling! You can use all different kinds of lentils but I always use red lentils as they are so easy to find and not expensive. I came up with this idea after seeing the Romanesco Cauliflower in France and thinking that I don’t cook with Cauliflower enough, I went through different ideas in my mind and settled on the fact that curry and cauliflower go hand in hand!

I had used Cauliflower in my Open Mushroom Lasagna to create an alternative to a white sauce so I knew that blending it would work! In this recipe I roasted it with some whole cloves of garlic first then blended it to really bring out the flavours.

The hubby liked this one too and I served it with some mini naan breads and green veggies!

Serves 4 (Freezable!)

330g Cauliflower (cut into florets)
8 Garlic Cloves
170g Red Lentils
1 Green Chilli
2 Onions
1 tablespoon Tomato Puree
Bunch Coriander
Juice of 1/2 Lemon
800ml water
1/2 teaspoon Cumin Seeds
1/2 teaspoon Mustard Seeds
1/2 teaspoon Turmeric
1/2 teaspoon Ground Ginger
Vegetable Oil for Roasting

Blanch the Cauliflower florets in boiling water for 1 minute then drain it really well. Drizzle some oil in a baking tray and heat it up in the oven, remove and then add the cauliflower and unpeeled garlic cloves and roast for about 10 minutes at 190c.

In a saucepan heat a little more oil and fry the onion, green chilli and spices untill softened, then add the tomato puree and squeeze the roasted garlics out of their skin into the pan.

Puree the cauliflower with a splash of water untill smooth (keep a few slices of cauliflower to one side for garnish). Add the puree to the saucepan with the lentils. Stir for a minute to combine the ingredients well then add 800ml water and some seasoning.

Bring to the boil then simmer for 20 minutes with a lid on.

Chop the coriander up and add it to the pan then cook for a further 10 minutes without the lid on.

Serve hot with the slices of cauliflower as a garnish and some naan bread!

NB: since posting this I decided to link it up to Wellness Weekend ( a great site I just stumbled across) which promotes recipes using whole, natural, good and healthy ingredients! So many good recipes on there so please check it out

Beany Chilli and Jacket Potato: Meat Free Monday

Keeping it very simple today and suggesting a nice healthy fulfilling beany chilli as a Meat Free Monday meal! Everyone has their own version of chilli, it’s one of those recipes where you can often use up whatever is left in the fridge and it will still taste amazing! I don’t like mine to be too spicy so I’ve kept the chilli levels moderate however you can always adjust this to your personal taste.

Serves 6 (freezable)

1 Onion – chopped finely
2 Garlic Cloves – crushed
1 Green Chilli – finely slices
2 Sticks of Celery
1 tablespoon Red Jalapenos (from a jar)
1 can Black Beans
1 can Kidney Beans
1 can Chopped Tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon Paprika
1/2 teaspoon Ground Coriander
1/2 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
1 tablespoon Tomato Puree
bunch Fresh Coriander
300ml Water
Salt and Pepper

Preheat the oven to 170c. Heat some olive oil in a casserole dish on the hob and fry the onion, garlic, green chilli and celery for around 5 minutes untill softened. Add the spices, red jalapenos, both cans of beans, chopped tomatoes, tomato puree, seasoning, water and the coriander stalks (chopped).

Put it in the oven for 45 minutes with a lid on then add the coriander leaves, stir and put back in the oven for a further 20-30 minutes with the lid off.

Once it has thickened up nicely, serve with a jacket potato and a sprinkle of coriander leaves.

Mushroom and Pearl Barley Stew: Meat Free Monday

This is a lighter version of my usual mushroom and barley stew which is perfect for this health conscious month! It’s great enjoyed on its own as a bowl of soup or even better with a load of greens such as broccoli and green beans to create a proper meal.

This recipe freezes well too so you can make a bulk of it and then take a portion out whenever you need a satisfying yet healthy lunch with minimal effort.

Serves 4

1 Large Onion
1 Carrot
1 Leek
1 Stick of Celery
1/2 small Savoy Cabbage
2 Cloves of Garlic
25g Dried Mixed Mushrooms
140g Pearl Barley
100g Chestnut or Button Mushrooms
850ml Vegetable Stock
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
1/2 teaspoon Dried Thyme
1/2 teaspoon Dried Rosemary
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper

To prepare the vegetables – Thinly Slice the onion, carrot, leek, celery and cabbage. Crush the garlic. Brush the fresh mushrooms to clean them then slice roughly. Put the dried mushrooms in a bowl and cover with boiling water, allow them to soak for half an hour.

Heat Olive Oil in a large saucepan on a medium heat and add the onion, carrot, leek, celery, garlic, rosemary and thyme (not the cabbage yet). Soften the veg whilst stirring occasionally for 10 minutes.

Using a slotted spoon remove the soaked mushrooms from the water (reserve the water) and chop them up roughly then add them to the pan with the sliced fresh mushrooms and cook for 2 minutes or untill the fresh mushrooms have wilted.

Add the Mushroom Water, Pearl Barley, Vegetable Stock, Worcestershire sauce and seasoning.

Turn the heat down to a simmer and cook for 25 minutes with a lid on untill the barley is cooked (puffed up and soft). If at any point it looks a little dry you can add a bit more vegetable Stock.

After 25 minutes or so add the shredded cabbage and cook for a further 10 minutes with the lid on.

Twice Baked Curried Sweet Potatoes: Meat Free Monday

l love this recipe, the added flavours just enhance the Sweet potatoes and create a really interesting dish. This makes a lovely main meal with a really nice salad (abit more interesting than the one photographed), you could add avacado’s, cucumber, tomatoes, celery and even some raw brocolli and cauliflower thinly sliced!

You could also serve this as a side dish to go with a green bean curry or as a healthy alternative to chips!

Serves 2 (1 potato each)

2 Large Sweet Potatoes
2 Onions
1 or 2 Red Chillis
2 Garlic Cloves
1 teaspoon Curry Powder
1 teaspoon Paprika
1/2 teaspoon Cumin Seeds
Salt and Pepper

Scrub the potatoes then dry them and spray with a little olive oil. Put them on a baking tray and bake in a pre heated oven for 40/45 minutes.

Meanwhile, roughly chop the onion, garlic and chilli and puree in a blender so they are a rough paste.

Heat a little oil in a frying pan and add the paprika, curry powder and cumin seeds, stir and heat for 1 minute then pour in the onion mix and a little salt and pepper. Sweat the mixture out for 3 minutes so that the onion and garlic are cooked then take it off the heat and put to one side.

Once the potatoes are cooked carefully cut them in half and scoop out the middle flesh leaving a bit around the edges to make the potato shell sturdy. Place the shells back on to the baking tray.

Chop the potato flesh finely and mix it with the onion mix. Spoon it all back into the potato shells and put back in the oven for 10 minutes. Serve hot!

Pea, Leek and Fennel Soup: Meat Free Monday

Another soup for January’s Meat Free Monday feature this week, mainly because I’ve been eating ALOT of soup but also because it’s a great way of settling down after the christmas period and getting some nutrients and vegetables!

I’m actually going to dedicate this recipe to my sister because she’s so supportive of every creative venture I do also she is always ringing me up saying “Becky make more soup”! So here is a soup that I think she will love!

Serves 4

1 Large Onion
1 Leek
1/2 Fennel
160g Peas (frozen)
2 Sticks Celery
1 Garlic Clove
850ml Vegetable stock
1 Small Bunch Mint
1 Small Bunch Parsley
Olive Oil

To prepare the vegetables – Finely dice the onion, slice the leek, celery and fennel and crush the garlic clove. Finely chop the herbs and put to one side.

Heat a drizzle of oil in a large saucepan and fry the onion, leek, celery and garlic for 1-2 minutes. Add the fennel, peas, mint and parsley and continue to fry for 4-5 minutes making sure you stir the vegetables well. Season with some black pepper and a little salt (remember powdered vegetable stock is usually quite salty).

Add the vegetable stock and simmer on a medium heat for 15 minutes.

You could eat this like a broth with out blending it, but the way I like it is to use a slotted spoon and remove two or three spoonfuls of the vegetables then blend the soup and stir the vegetables back in again. This makes it a smooth soup with a little texture!

Apple and Parsnip Soup: Meat Free Monday

I don’t know about you but I’m so ready to get back onto a healthy diet after a wonderful christmas full of delicious food and plenty of wine! Me and the hubby have decided to do one of our soup weeks again to help kick start the new year! We’ve never done a soup week in winter before so my usual recipes were not really tempting us – plus I like to try and keep the ingredients seasonal!

So I decided to cook a classic apple and parsnip soup with my own personal preferences of flavours (I’m not a fan of curried parsnip soups sorry!). I also made use of my Walnut and Parsley pesto (recipe here) by slicing up a french baguette, toasting one side of each slice and then on the other side I spread on some pesto and put it back under the grill to brown up. One or two slices per person is enough) The flavours of the pesto with the soup was wonderful and made a perfect wintery combination!

Serves 4 large bowls

1 Onion
1 Leek
1 Parsnip
1/2 Bramley Apple (Around 150g)
1 Garlic Clove
1/2 teaspoon Ground Cumin
1/2 teaspoon Dried Thyme
750ml Vegetable Stock

To prepare the vegetables: Dice the onion. Slice the leek and the parsnip into small chunks. Peel and core the apple then slice into chunks around the same size as the parsnip. Crush the garlic clove.

Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a saucepan and add the leek, onion, garlic, cumin and thyme. Fry for around 4-5 minutes untill softened then season with salt and pepper. Add the parsnip and cook for a further minute or two. Try not to brown the veg as it will change the colour of the blended soup.

Add the apple and the vegetable stock and simmer on a medium heat for 10-12 minutes.

Take off the heat and using a hand held blender puree the soup (you could also pour it into a blender). Serve with some black pepper and the pesto croutons!

Veggie Packed Macaroni and Cheese: Meat Free Monday

This recipe is loosely based on a tuna pasta bake my mum used to make us when we were younger, it had loads of veg, a white sauce and a breadcrumb topping and it was delicious!!

Serves 6-8 (a good one for the freezer!)

180g Sprouts (around 8 sprouts)
140g Broccoli (around 10 florets)
140g Carrots (1 Carrot)
100g Shallots (3-4 shallots)
2 Garlic Cloves
300g Macaroni
Large handful breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon Dried Basil
1 teaspoon Dried Thyme
¼ teaspoon dried Chilli Flakes
300ml Soya Milk
1 Teaspoon Margarine
100g Cheddar
1 Teaspoon Plain Flour
Salt and Pepper

To prepare your vegetables: Peel the Sprouts and cut into quarters.Slice the shallots and carrots. Cut the broccoli into small florets and crush the garlic.

Preheat the oven to 200c

Steam the sprouts, broccoli and carrots untill soft (you can boil them but steaming retains all the goodness and flavour). As the vegetables are cooking put your macaroni on to boil in a pan of hot water for around 10-12 minutes or untill cooked, once cooked drain in a sieve and put to one side.

In a frying pan add some olive oil then fry the shallots and garlic for 3-4 minutes, then add the steamed veg and seasoning and let the veg brown a little. Then take the pan off the heat and stir the vegetables into the cooked macaroni and transfer all of the combined pasta and vegetables into a large lasagna dish.

In a small saucepan make the white sauce by heating the milk and butter in a pan, then add the flour and whisk untill the flour is combined and not lumpy. Add the cheese and keep stirring over the heat untill the cheese is melted. Season the white sauce and mix it into the pasta and vegetables, spread the mixture out so it covers the bottom of the lasagna dish and is level on top.

To make the breadcrumbs put a toasted slice of bread into a blender and add the dried basil, dried thyme and chilli flakes. Blitz untill you have herby breadcrumbs and then sprinkle these over the top of the cheesy pasta/ veg combination in the lasagna dish.

Put in the oven (uncovered) at 200c for around 10 minutes then serve with a side salad!

Photo: Prepared vegetables