Summer black bean salad
We’ve been living on this all summer – spicy and delicious, it’s super easy to put together earlier in the day then you get to just pour it into a bowl and enjoy it for dinner.
veganTag
Spicy cold noodle salad with watercress & fava beans (broad beans)
Who’d like some fava beans and a nice chianti? haha, anyway. This lovely little green number with noodles, nutty, crunchy broad beans and fresh watercress is easy to whip up for a quick lunch.
Chilli hummus
I eat buckets of hummus and always have some in the fridge. Nothing wrong with buying a tub but making it is so simple. Make it soon! This one is spicy and rustic and if you have it with heaps of carrot and celery sticks, you get most of your daily vegies in one hit then[read more…]
Three bean chilli con carne
Just a quick post today to say I made a vegetarian chilli based on this one, packed full of beany goodness. It’s great for freezing and quick lunches and dinners, is vegetarian and vegan friendly and uses tins and things from the cupboard so is very economical and easy to put together. Oh and this chilli cheese[read more…]
Ginger spice & apricot toasted oat clusters
I whipped up a deliciously spicy, crunchy, cold weather inspired toasted muesli a while back, just from ingredients I had on hand. It’s not full-on ginger in flavour, just enough to give a sweet, warm flavour however if you’re a real ginger fan, add a bit more fresh or ground ginger to the recipe. This is nice[read more…]
Teriyaki broccoli with soba noodles & cashew nuts (vegan)
I’m really into home-made teriyaki sauce lately, particularly since it’s easy to whip up and so incredibly sweet, salty and spicy. It’s also delicious in this simple dish with broccoli and noodles which rivals any take-away you could order and involves only a few ingredients. This is brilliant for a quick and flavoursome lunch, plus I sort of needed something[read more…]
Blackberry peach crumble (vegan)
I purchased some coconut oil ages ago and never know what to do with it! I was going to use my usual unsalted butter for this crumble but then thought I’d try the bottle of coconut oil sitting gloomily at the back of my fridge instead. Despite the fact that I’m not particularly paranoid about[read more…]
Spicy maple pecan roast sweet potatoes
I’m not quite ready to give up sweet potato even though it’s already hot here and turning the oven on is a bit of an effort. This is a side dish but to be honest, I had a bowl of these for lunch on their own; sweet, caramelised, spicy and with a gorgeous, fragrant crunch[read more…]
Pasta with creamy pumpkin sauce (vegan)
While making my usual winter pumpkin soup recently, it occurred to me that with a few tweaks, it would make a lovely, healthy sauce for pasta, so I gave it a go. Adding nutmeg, sage and a decent amount of full fat coconut cream, this turned pumpkin soup into a lush, creamy and flavoursome sauce which goes[read more…]
Savoury & spicy pumpkin loaf (vegan)
I often make sweet baked loaves, in fact, they’re a staple in our freezer for morning teas and things. But the other day I thought about making a savoury loaf, a type of quick bread, something spicy and warm to have on cold mornings with butter or with a bowl of steamy hot soup. So because[read more…]
Broccoli with chilli, garlic, lemon & toasted walnuts
I mean I like broccoli; green, crunchy, good for you but it’s not exactly the most exciting food on the planet to prepare or eat, so finding a way to dress up ye olde steamed broccoli is always good. The classic flavours of chilli, garlic and lemon go brilliantly with this rustic vegie and I’m[read more…]
Black sticky rice pudding with caramelised bananas (vegan)
I’ve wanted to make this black sticky rice pudding for ages but had trouble sourcing the black glutinous rice in an actual store. I originally tried making a similar dessert with black rice and although it tasted nice, it wasn’t the same, I really feel it needs the glutinous rice for that gloriously sticky texture.[read more…]
Vegan breakfast bars
I’ve heard a lot of negative remarks about the humble little muesli bar lately … too much sugar! Additives! You may as well drink a can of coke! etc etc. Poor muesli bars, being a child of the 80s I’ve always liked them and if you buy a brand which is quite healthy and lower[read more…]
Mash; cheese & garlic and spicy sweet potato
I adore mashed potato and of course, mashed sweet potato is delicious; fluffy, sweet and warm. When I was teeny tiny, some days, it’s all I’d eat. I prefer to leave the skins on my white potatoes (it’s healthier and you can’t tell the difference – use organic if you prefer) and after years of using any[read more…]
St Patrick’s Day – the green smoothie
I had grand ideas of making a chocolate Guinness cake for St Patrick’s Day but ran out of time. Instead, I thought I’d go off the beaten track and offer this green smoothie I made recently which is such a lovely green colour, it seemed serendipitous, despite being devoid of butter, cream, potatoes or Guinness I’ve[read more…]
Blackberry lime muffins (vegan)
I make muffins quite often to freeze for morning teas and such, so thought I’d use some blackberries I had in the freezer and a few limes left over from gin and tonics on a recent weekend to bake some summer inspired, vegan little cakes. There really isn’t any difference between these and muffins using eggs and dairy; they[read more…]
Chai spiced cherry coconut granola
So I knocked together some toasted muesli (or granola if you prefer), with lovely spices and chewy dried cherries.
Miso vegetable soup with ginger and chilli
I’ve always loved the salty flavour and lightness of miso soup, in fact, Japanese food in general is a cuisine I really enjoy for the taste and health benefits. When I was younger, at uni and a bit broke, I’d just have miso soup on it’s own, sort of like a really healthy cup-a-soup, but over[read more…]
Spring pea and potato salad
It’s funny how I hate frozen peas but love fresh ones. Shelling peas always reminds me of being a kid and I’d eat more peas than would go in the bowl for mum. Sweet, crisp and light, they were perfect in this spring inspired salad with spicy radish, creamy potato, rich buttery leeks and a creamy, zingy,[read more…]
Crunchy vegetable pasta salad
In warmer weather I love to make salads for meals and as I’m a bit of a pasta fan, I whipped up a pasta salad the other day with only a few simple, on-hand ingredients and it was really satisfying in that healthy, yet hearty pasta way; I loved the crunch of the raw vegies and walnuts[read more…]
Spicy roasted chickpeas
I’ve wanted to make these for ages! I love chickpeas and I also love snacky things like chips and nuts to have with cocktails and thought these would be a healthier option. These little morsels were nutty, spicy and crispy not too long out of the oven and I really enjoyed them. So give them a go! [read more…]
Spicy sweet potato black bean burgers with chilli lime coleslaw
I see a lot of recipes for sweet potato vegie burgers around so thought I’d give them a go. I roasted/sautéed the sweet potato and onion first as it gives a lovely caramelised flavour however apart from that, these are so easy to put together, they’re well worth it. I loved the sweet and spicy taste[read more…]
Maple chilli roast sweet potato and black bean tacos
I love using maple syrup for savoury things and it goes particularly well with spicy, chilli based dishes. Instead of using traditional kidney beans for this spicy, Mexican dish, I thought I’d use black beans and some maple chilli roast sweet potato to add another flavour. I love the crispy sweet, caramelised potato with creamy avocado[read more…]
Chocolate hazelnut breakfast oats with coconut milk
I didn’t realise that chocolate oats were a thing until I searched recently and found quite a few recipes. I think it’s inspired! This cacao flavoured, nutty, creamy breakfast dish is also very timely considering Easter’s just about upon us. I love hearty, healthy oats and will always try something a bit different with them. Inspired by this[read more…]
Ratatouille with white bean mash
This simple French dish is one of my favourite things to make. I’ve learned not to skimp on the oil and also, that the vegetables need to be cooked down really well on a slowish but longer heat, to encourage intensity of flavour, sweetness and also for a soft, silky texture. And this dish is even better the next day as[read more…]
Stir fried cauliflower with soy sauce, ginger and chilli
I realise poor little cauliflower isn’t the most popular vegetable in the bunch (compared to say, the sexy avocado and frilly, trendy kale it must feel quite lonely), but we should all be eating more of it according to doctors and experts in these things. And less of the fun stuff. Also cauliflower allegedly has negative calories! Can this[read more…]
Pumpkin carrot soup with coconut milk
I love the creamy texture and coconut flavour of this soup combined with sweet pumpkin and carrots and only a handful of other ingredients. It’s gorgeous sprinkled with chopped pistachios and a toasted cheese sandwich on the side .. a perfect Saturday lunch on a cold day. A swirl of Greek yoghurt wouldn’t go astray either[read more…]
Sweet potato hummus with tzatziki and spicy pita chips
I based this on your basic chickpea hummus but added baked sweet potato and a teeny bit of chilli. It seems I’ve always eaten hummus and tzatziki, I sometimes make these dips from scratch and sometimes buy them ready made, either way they’ve made up a large part of my lunches over the past 15 years or so. Seeing as[read more…]
Australian made – Nerada tea review, a giveaway and a recipe for vegan Chai tea pancakes (CLOSED)
I don’t know about anyone else, but I can’t get on with my day until I have my morning cuppa and going to bed without a cup of tea just doesn’t seem right. Tea is calming, comforting, it brings people together, has many health benefits, there are so many different flavours, and for these reasons, I’m[read more…]
Roast cauliflower with lemon, chilli and pine nuts
I don’t eat enough of this healthy vegie. The other day I roasted some cauliflower florets with lemon, chilli and pine nuts and it was delicious; slightly sweet and spicy with a nutty crunch, and not at all like the cauliflower mornay some of us might remember from being kids.
