Inspired by Thailand – Vegan Mushroom, Peanut, Beansprouts and Lime Lettuce Cups

Looking for some easy healthy entertaining ideas for the weekend? Then try these super easy, super tasty Thai inspired Vegan cups.

Prep: 10 mins

Cook: 15 mins

Ingredients:

Pack of mushrooms (chestnut, button etc are fine), 2 garlic cloves, 1 thumb sized piece of fresh ginger, 1 whole lime, 2 tbsp of soy sauce, handful of natural peanuts, bag of beansprouts, 1 head of iceberg lettuce carefully separated into individual leafs,1 small red onion and bunch of coriander to serve.

Method:

1.Start by thinly chopping a packet of mushrooms then cooking on a low heat in a little oil to remove all the excess water

2.Remove from the pan and set aside

3. Add a little more oil and gently fry some garlic and ginger for a few minutes, add your mushrooms back to the pan with the juice of a whole lime, soy sauce, a good handful of peanuts and the beansprouts

4. Mix well and warm through (don’t over cook though as you want to keep the peanut crunch)

5. Serve with lettuce cups, shredded red onion and coriander

Enjoy!

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Salada Tres De Legumes

I can’t stop eating this! So fresh tasting and so easy to make…great as part of a salad spread or a BBQ accompaniment.

Serves: 4 as a side dish

Prep: 5mins

Ingredients:
1 cup of cooked chickpeas, 1 cup of cooked bread beans, 1 cup of cooked frozen peas, 1/2 block of feta crumbled, 1/2 red onion thinly sliced, juice of half a lemon, 1 red chilli sliced, 1 tsp. of dried oregano, mil of black pepper…

Method:

Combine all your ingredients, mix well…EAT!

Thursday’s Chicken Teriyaki

Mid-week sorted with my oven cooked Chicken Teriyaki, so quick to make and low fat too as cooking straight in the oven so no need to fry first…

Serves: 4

Prep: 10mins
Cook: 1h 30mins

Ingredients: 3 skinless chicken breasts, 1 large green pepper, cup of orange juice, 3 tbsps. shop bought Teriyaki sauce (I used Clearspring), 2 tbsps. runny honey, 2 garlic cloves, 1 tbps. of flour, handful of cashew nuts and fluffy white rice to serve.

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 150CFan
2. Get an oven proof lidded dish/pan ready
3. Assemble all of your ingredients except the cashew nuts and chop the chicken and pepper into bite sized pieces and add to the pan
4. Thinly slice your garlic and mix with the chicken and peppers
5. Whisked together the orange juice, honey and Teriyaki sauce and pour over the chicken
6. Pop in the oven lid on and cook for 1h and 15mins
7. After this time take the lid off and sprinkle over 1 tbsp. of flour, mix well, add your cashews and pop back in the oven, lid on for 15mins
8. Once ready serve with fluffy white rice and enjoy!

As a three person household we had enough leftovers for a little ones lunch box too. I just let the rice and chicken cool, steamed some broccoli and mixed together with some of the sauce, topped with slices cucumber for a little Teriyaki rice salad lunchbox – yummy!

Japanese Lunch Pancakes

Makes: 12 slices

Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 10 -15 mins

Ingredients: 6 eggs, 4 florets of brocolli thinly sliced, handful of watercress, 1 heaped tbsp. of rice flour, 2 tsps. soya sauce, 1 garlic clove thinly sliced, 1 chopped chilli, 1/2 tsp. of dried ginger, 1/2 tsp. baking powder, 1 tbsp. of oil for cooking

Optional Sauce: 2 tbsps. of tomato sauce, 1 tsp. of runny honey, 2 tsps. of Worcestershire sauce mixed together,
salad cream, seasame seeds.

Method

1. Beat your eggs, then add the rice flour and baking powder and mix again
2. Add the garlic, ginger and chilli mix well then stir in all your veg
3. Heat the oil in a large frying pan and add your egg mixture
4. Cook for 10 minutes or more on a medium heat until the pancake is set
5. Slide off onto a large plate and drizzle over sauce and sesame seeds if using
6. Cut into 12 slices and enjoy!

FYI You can substitue the veg for whatever you have in, peppers, sweetcorn, spinach, cauliflower etc.

Gluten Free, Dairy Free and Delicious Creamy Broccoli and Walnut Pasta

Need something that’s quick, healthy and delicious too this week? Then give this Gluten Free, Dairy Free and Delicious Creamy Broccoli and Walnut Pasta a try…great for kids too!

Serves: 2

Cook: 10mins
Prep: Less than 5 minutes

Ingredients: 120g of Pasta of your choice, (I used gluten free spaghetti), half a head of broccoli, handful of walnuts, squeeze of lemon juice, 3 tbps. of soya cream, 1 tbsps of olive oil, salt and pepper.

Method:

1. Cook your pasta as per packet instructions
2. While this is cooking cut your broccoli up into florets and boil for around 6mins
3. Drain the broccoli and add to a food processor with the rest of the sauce ingredients and blend to a thick sauce like consistency, if you prefer more liquid add some more olive oil
4. Drain your pasta and mix in the broccoli and walnut sauce
5. Add more seasoning if you wish and enjoy!

Weekend Treat – Rice Flour Pancakes with your Choice of Toppings

Gluten Free, Dairy Free and Sugar Free

So glad I have created this recipes as pancakes are a real weekend treat in our household, I was a bit dubious at first, thinking that the pancakes wouldn’t be as fluffy as they are when using normal flour, but this recipe worked a treat! It was really good to make the mixture of Friday night too, so that it was ready for a lazy morning breakfast. These pancakes are also gluten free, sugar free and dairy free so feels like an even better start to the weekend!

Ingredients: 3 large eggs eggs, 1 cup of rice flour, 1/2 cup of Oat milk 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 tsp of baking powder, pinch of salt, oil of your choice for frying.

Method:

1. Combine all you wet ingredients and mix well
2. Add slowly to the rice flour, baking powder, salt and mix well, so that there aren’t any lumps
3. Leave overnight in the fridge
4. When ready to cook, give the mixture another really good stir
5. Heat some oil in a pan and start to cook your pancakes in batches, using a 1 tbsp. to measure out each pancake
6. Cook on each side for 2 -3 minutes
7. Once cooked top with your favourites pancake topping, chocolate sauce and banana works, blueberries and honey or in my case, poached egg, pancetta, spinach and black pepper yummy!

Wholemeal Banana Muffins

DF, Low Sugar

Whipped up a batch of these yesterday, great for lunch on the go, lunch box treats or after school snack. This recipe is dairy free and low sugar, making these a great addition to your weekend baking, as well as using up those overripe bananas!

Makes: 12 Muffins

Ingredients: 200g wholemeal flour, 4 overripe bananas, 2 eggs, 100ml of oat milk, 50g of brown sugar, 1 tbsp. of olive oil, 2 tbsp. of oats, 1 tsp. of baking powder, 1 tsp of baking soda, 1 tsp. of honey.

Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 180F
2. Combine all of your wet ingredients except the honey and mix well,
3. Add to all of the other dry ingredients
4. Mix well until smooth
5. Mash your bananas in a separate bowl and then add to the muffin mix
6. Mix well and then finish off by stirring in the honey
7. Fill a 12 hole muffin tray with muffin cases and fill equally with the muffin mixture
8. Pop in the oven and bake for 15 -20 minutes until the muffins have risen and are golden brown
9. Allow to cool and keep in an airtight container until ready to eat
10. Enjoy!

The Easiest Gluten Free Brownies

Have a go at making the easiest gluten free brownies, using only three ingredients, good for lunch box treats, after school of with a coffee for grown ups.

Ingredients: 400g of Hazlenut chocolate spread, 100g of desiccated coconut, 2 eggs.

Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 160F
2. Mix the coconut and chocolate spread together until all combined
3. Add the eggs and mix well
4. Line a baking tray with parchment paper and tip your wet mixture in
5. Pop in the oven for 20mins
6. Allow to cool and then cut into squares and store in an airtight container until ready to eat
7. Enjoy!

 

Check out my other lunch box sweet treat ideas below:

The Lockdown Larder – Chocolate Flapjacks

Easy Oaty, (with a little bit of dark chocolate), and Dried Apple Cookies

Inspired by Madagascar – Vanilla, Banana and Tumeric Muffins with Sea Salt and Vanilla Glaze

Super Easy Gluten Free Nutella Cookies

 

 

Easy Baba Ganoush

Possibly my favourite dip ever…after hummus of course!  Have a go at recreating this recipe at home and let me know what you think.

Serves: 4 as a side dip or more as part of a bigger Mezze Platter, (check out the links below for more ideas).

Cook: 40 mins
Prep: 10 mins

Ingredients: 1 large aubergine, 4 tbsps. of olive oil, juice of one lemon, 2 tbsp. of tahini, 2 garlic cloves, 1/2 tsp. of powdered cumin, 1/2 tsp. of salt, your choice of nuts and a little more olive oil to serve.

Method: 

1. Preheat your grill to high
2. Prick the aubergine all over and place under the hot grill for 15 minutes each side, until the aubergine skin becomes sunken
3. Allow to cool slightly and scoop out all the flesh and add to a blender or a bowl if using a hand blender
4. Chop the garlic and add to a pestle and mortar with the cumin and salt and pepper, mix to a smooth paste then add the olive oil
5. Add this mix to the aubergine and add the lemon juice and tahini and mix until smooth
6. Add a little more olive oil if the mixture needs loosening
7. Serve in a bowl with your choice of nuts for a garnish, (I used linseeds, walnuts, pine nuts and black sesame seeds), drizzle over some olive oil and serve with crudités or pitta or both!
8. Enjoy!

Click on the links below to see my other Aubergine, Dips and Mezze Ideas x

Store Cupboard Vegan Green Lentil Hummus…

Hummus…we have a problem!

Inspired by Iraq – Cucumber, Dill and Yogurt Soup

Vegan Oven Roasted Spicy Aubergines with Spicy Green Lentils

Grilled Aubergine, Courgette and Red Pepper Salad with a Tahini, Lemon and Herb Dressing

Inspired by Syria – Garlicky Roasted Courgette and Carrot, Honey, Cumin and Pine Nut Dips

Inspired by Egypt – Courgette and Chickpea Salad with DukkahGrilled Aubergine, Courgette and Red Pepper Salad with a Tahini, Lemon and Herb Dressing

Inspired by the Lebanon – Whole Roast Lebanese Chicken with A Cauliflower, Bulgar Wheat Tabbouleh

Vegan Oven Roasted Spicy Aubergines with Spicy Green Lentils

Friday night is a good excuse for a curry night right? Check out this delicious vegan recipe for some healthy inspiration.

Serves: 4

Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 45 – 60 mins

Ingredients: 1 white or brown onion, 2 large aubergines or 4 baby aubergines, 1 cup of green lentils, 2 cups of coconut milk, 1 veggie stock cube, 1/2 tsp of cumin, 1/2 tsp of turmeric, 1 chopped red chilli and 1/2 tsp of dried ginger, 4 tbsp of oil, 1 tsp. of masala paste.

Method: 

1. Preheat the oven to 200F
2. Chop your onion and garlic and fry in a pan with 1 tbsp of oil for a few minutes until softened
3. Add all of your dried spices and chilli and coat the onions and garlic well
4. Add the lentils with 2 cups of coconut milk and 3 cups of veggie stock and give it a good stir
5. Bring to the boil and then turn down to a simmer until the lentils are soft, you may need to add some more liquid and give it the occasional stir
6. While the lentils are cooking, mix the masala paste with 3 tbsp. of oil
7. Cut the aubergines in half lengthways, criss cross the flesh and place on a baking tray flesh side up
8. Brush the masala oil all over the flesh and pop in the oven for 30 – 45 mins until soft
9. Once the aubergines and lentils are cooked serve up on a fluffy bed of basmati rice, lentils first then the aubergines on top
10. Enjoy!

Tip: I used the same cup to measure the lentils and liquids to make sure I get the right measurements.