Tag: vegan

Double Chocolate Cookies

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Double Chocolate Cookies

It’s tough being pregnant and health-conscious! But what time could be more important than now to watch what I eat? The growth and health of my baby is solely dependent on me – that’s a lot of pressure! So I need to make sure I’m consuming only the healthiest, most nutritious organic produce but that’s not always easy; as we know, everything healthy takes preparation. I must admit, I have succumbed to the odd store-bought chocolate biscuit over the last few weeks as the serious chocolate cravings hit, but I try to make a batch of something sweet yet healthy once a week or once a fortnight so I have stuff on hand.

Today we looked after our 18 month old niece (good practice!) and while she had her afternoon nap I whipped up these bad boys, adapting from a recipe by Wholesome Patisserie. Not only did they 100% fully satisfy my craving (and I’m not lying, they really did – even more so than the store-bought processed stuff!) but my niece loved them too and we got to have them warm out the oven when she woke up. That’s what I call Sunday afternoon bliss! I hope you like them as much as we all did 🙂

Ingredients

Wet Ingredients:
1 heaped tbsp ground flax seeds
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup almond butter
1 and quarter cups coconut palm sugar
1 tsp vanilla bean paste

Dry Ingredients:
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/4 tsp Himalayan or Oryx salt
3 heaped tbsp raw cacao powder
1 1/2 cups buckwheat flour
2 tsp almond milk
Half cup dairy free (or your choice of) chocolate chips

Method

Preheat oven to 180 and line 2 baking trays with parchment paper.

In a large mixing bowl, mix together the ground flax and 3 tbsp filtered water and set aside for 2-3 minutes or until it has thickened up. Then whisk the flax egg one final time.

Now add the wet ingredients to the same bowl with the flax egg; solid coconut oil, almond butter, brown sugar, coconut sugar and vanilla. Beat the mixture until smooth and well combined.

Add in the baking soda, baking powder, salt and cacao, beat the mixture well. You may have to knead a bit with your hands to get it fully incorporated, then beat or knead in the buckwheat flour with the almond milk until smooth and well combined.

Now mix in the chocolate chips.

Take a small piece in your hands and roll into a ball then flatten into a cookie shape and place on prepared baking tray. Make sure to leave enough room between each cookie as they will rise.

Put them in the oven for 12-15 minutes then remove them and leave to cool on a cooling rack for 5 minutes. After that you can either eat them warm or wait until fully cooled before storing them in an airtight container.

Enjoy the decadence!

Love,
Lauren

Turnip, Apple & Sweet Potato Salad

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Turnip Salad

I’ve been getting some interesting fruits and vegetables through in my weekly Abel & Cole organic fruit and veg box now that the summer season is approaching. I truly believe in eating only what is in season, therefore it has no preservatives and can be totally organic so I’m getting excited now that strawberries, blueberries and rhubarbs are coming in! Turnips came in this week’s box and I thought right, it’s getting too warm to make a soup so I’ll make a salad and here is the end result… You don’t need a spiralizer but it will make life easier with this sort of salad and makes it look much nicer too! They’re really not expensive and can be picked up on Amazon for around ÂŁ25.

Ingredients

3 turnips
4 carrots
2 sweet potatoes
2 apples (any will do, I just used what arrived in my shopping box)
A good handful of sundried tomatoes, chopped into quarters
A handful of dill, finely chopped
Croutons of choice (you can find gluten free ones)
2 Mozzarella balls, sliced (optional. Omit if you want this salad vegan)
Drizzle of apple cider vinegar
Drizzle of olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
Himalayan salt & black pepper to taste

Method

Start by peeling the sweet potatoes, dicing them into 5mm pieces, then place on an oven tray, drizzle with olive oil and put in the oven on 180 degrees (gas mark 6) for 20 minutes.

While this is cooking, peel the turnips, carrots and apples, then put each one through the spiralizer and add to a big salad bowl then add your dill.

Add the apple cider vinegar, lemon, olive oil, salt and pepper, mix well, then end by adding the sweet potatoes, croutons and mozzarella (if you add these before the dressing they will go soggy).

Mix well and serve straight away with your choice of crackers and homemade hummus.

Enjoy!

Love,
Lauren

Banana Crunch Smoothie Bowl

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Banana Smoothie Bowl

Breakfasts don’t need to be just cereal or toast! I love making up new smoothie ideas for a yummy, filling and nutritious breakfast. Check out our other smoothie bowls on our breakfast page.

Ingredients

1 and a half frozen bananas (slice and freeze the day before)
1 tbsp almond butter
2 medjool dates
Splash of almond milk
Tsp chia seeds
Homemade granola or organic store bought
Some puffed brown rice

Method

Put all the ingredients except the granola and puffed rice into the blender and blend until smooth.

Pour into a bowl and top with the granola and and puffed rice (or puffed quinoa) and enjoy!

Love,
Lauren

Aubergine & Tahini Dip with Oryx Desert Smoked Salt

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Hatzilim im Tchina

This is a very common dip in Israel and I often make it for Shabbat dinner. Traditionally the aubergine will be cooked on an open flame, giving it a smoky flavour. Using Oryx Desert Smoked Salt gives it that same flavour, while simply roasting it in the oven.

Ingredients

1 large aubergine
2 tbsp tahini
juice of 1/2 a lemon, or to taste
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 clove of garlic, finely minced
1/4 tsp ground cumin
small handful fresh coriander leaves
Oryx Desert Smoked Salt
Black pepper

Method

Heat the oven to 200C.
Pierce the skin of the aubergine with a sharp knife a few times. Place it in the oven, straight on the rack. Roast until the skin is blackened and the interior is soft, about 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

Remove the skin of the aubergine and chop up the flesh. Combine with the rest of the ingredients, adding the smoked salt and black pepper to taste.

Health & happiness!

Love,
Raine

Roasted Lemon, Sweet Potato & Corn Salad

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Roasted Lemon, Sweet Potato & Corn Salald

I recently posted my recipe for Roasted Lemon Ice Cream. The roasted lemons also work beautifully in savoury dishes, especially when combined with Mediterranean or Middle Eastern flavours. This salad is filling enough to have as a meal on its own, or it makes a great side for a family braai (South African BBQ) or picnic.

Ingredients

2 lemons, quartered lengthways
475g sweet potato, sliced into 2cm rounds
2 tsp chilli flakes
extra virgin olive oil
3 cobs of corn
250g mini rosa tomatoes
200g black olives
a big handful of fresh coriander
5 spring onions, finely sliced
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp raw apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp organic maple syrup
Salt and black pepper

Method

Preheat the oven to 200C.
Place the lemons in an ovenproof dish and roast until soft and slightly caramelised, about 45 minutes to an hour.
Toss the sweet potatoes and chilli flakes together, along with a drizzle of olive oil and some salt. Roast until tender, 30 to 40 minutes.

Boil the corn in a pot of water until done, about 20 minutes. Cut the kernels off the cob.

Whisk together the 2 tbsp olive oil, vinegar and maple syrup.

In a large salad bowl combine the sweet potatoes, corn, tomatoes, olives, spring onion and coriander. Remove the pips from the lemons and then scrape the soft, juicy flesh into the salad, discarding the skins. Add the dressing, and salt and pepper to taste, and toss everything together.

Health & happiness!

Love,
Raine

Garlicky Citrus Carrot Salad

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Carrot Salad

A great accompaniment to any meal, or as a meze starter…

Ingredients

3 carrots, grated
Handful sultanas
Half a clove of garlic, crushed
Juice of one orange
Drizzle of olive oil
Himalayan salt & black pepper

Method

Grate your carrots into a bowl, then crush your garlic into it. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well, then serve.

Enjoy!

Love,
Lauren

Israeli Salad

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Israeli Salad

Simple, but oh so effective! The good old trusted Israeli salad. Full of yummy fresh veggies, colourful and delicious…

Ingredients 

2 tomatoes
Half a large cucumber
1 yellow pepper
2 spring onions
Extra virgin olive oil
White vinegar
Himalayan salt & black pepper

Method

Chop all your veggies up into really small pieces and put them all in a bowl. Drizzle a little olive oil, a little vinegar and season with salt and pepper. Mix, and serve! Voila!

Enjoy

Love,
Lauren

Goji and Baobab Bars

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Goji & Baobab Bars

For those of you who have been saying that some of our recipes are a bit intimidating, here’s the perfect place to start. These energy bars are so simple to make, all you need is a food processor, no other techniques required!

Ingredients

1 cup goji berries
1/2 cup raw brazil nuts
6 – 8 fresh medjool dates (about 125g)
2 tbsp baobab powder
1/2 tsp Oryx Desert Salt
4 tbsp ground flax
1/3 cup organic virgin coconut oil
2 tbsp raw honey

Method

Place the goji berries and brazil nuts in a food processor and process into a rough crumb. Add the dates, making sure to remove the pips and process again. Add the baobab powder, salt, and ground flax and process to combine. Finally add the coconut oil and honey and process until everything is well combined and sticky but with a rough texture.

Spread evenly in a loaf tin lined with clingfilm (for easy removal) and refrigerate until set. Cut into bars and keep refrigerated.

Health & happiness!

Love,
Raine

Tahini / Tchina (depending on where you’re from!)

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Tehini

Sorry for the strange title… in the west, this is called Tahini (the paste itself is called that) but in the Middle East, where this originated, it’s called Tchina. Whatever it’s called, it’s yummy, easy to make and is one of the best sources of calcium out there. So if you read our article about why to stay away from milk and you are wondering where to get your calcium, tahini is one of the best places to find it.

Ingredients

3 tbsp tahini paste
Quarter cup purified water
5 tbsp lemon juice
Half tsp Himalayan salt
Half tsp garlic salt
Quarter tsb paprika
Drizzle extra virgin olive oil

Method

Spoon the tahini paste into a medium size bowl (it gets quite messy so you want to make it in a separate bowl to the one you’ll be serving it in), then add the water and mix really well. You will see it go from a weird texture to smooth quite quickly and it will become much more pale. If it still seems quite thick (it should be relatively runny) then add some more water; gauge it for yourself. Then add the rest of the ingredients and mix well.

Taste to see if it needs more of anything and add to your taste. Transfer to a smaller bowl.

Great with other dips and salads (have a look on both those pages on our website for more ideas) and with bread or crackers.

Enjoy!

Love,
Lauren

Moroccan Salad

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Moroccan Salad

This is a really delicious way of having all the spices of Moroccan food but having the benefit of having raw veggies in it. I whipped this up today for a Friday night dinner party I’m hosting tomorrow and it’s really delicious…

Ingredients

2 carrots
1 beetroot
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 clove garlic, minced
3 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tbsp organic runny honey

Method

Gently heat the vinegar and honey together in a saucepan then set aside.

Peel and grate the carrots and beetroot into a bowl, then add the vinegar and honey mix, followed by the spices and mix really well.

Serve straight away or keep in an airtight container for 5 days.

Enjoy!

Love,
Lauren