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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Date, Chocolate and Peanut Butter Flapjacks

Treat yourself to a yummy tea break this week with these moreish little bites…with just a little hint of that naughty snickers bar taste!

Makes: 12 squares

Prep: 10mins
Cook: 30mins

Ingredients: 300g porridge oats, 150g of butter (or vegan alternative), 150g of golden syrup, 135g of brown sugar, 80g of pitted chopped dates, 2 tbsps. of peanut butter, 50g of dark salted chocolate (or vegan alternative).

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 150°C fan
2. Weigh out your butter, sugar and golden syrup and melt gently in a pan until runny and all ingredient combined
3. Pour the wet ingredients over your oats and dates and mix well until the oats are completely coated in the buttery mixture
4. Swirl in your peanut butter and pour into a lined baking tray so that the flapjack mixture lays an inch thick
5. Pop in the oven for 30mins
6. Allow to cool
7. Melt your chocolate and drizzle over the flapjacks, leave to set or cut into 12 squares and eat straight away…
8. Enjoy!

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!

Sausage Rice

Try out this easy recipe for mid-week inspiration! Uses mostly store cupboards and freezer ingredients too.

Serves: 4 (with maybe some leftovers)

Cook: 30mins

Prep: 20mins

Ingredients: 1 cup of cooked white rice (basmati or long grain is fine), 1 can of beans or your choice such as chickpea, pinto etc, 1 cup of frozen peas, 2 – 4 (depending on how many you want), decent sized sausages of your choice these can of course be veggie, decent sized sausages of your choice these can of course be veggie, 4 eggs, small bunch of chives or spring onions (keeping a little back for garnish), 1 clove of garlic, 1 veggie or chicken stock cube, splash of oil.

Method:

1. Cook your rice as per instructions and set aside
2. Meanwhile boil your eggs for 10mins and leave to cool
3. Cut your sausages into slices and fry on a medium heat with a little oil in a large pan with the garlic until browned
4. Mix in the chopped chives or spring onions and stir quickly
5. Crumble over your stock cube and add your frozen peas and beans with a little water and mix well
6. Add your rice and stir, so that the rice is coated in all the lovely flavours
7. Peel and slice your eggs and use to top the rice with the remaining chives or spring onions
8. Dig in!

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.

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

 

 

Eat Your Greens Super Speedy Stir Fry

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Make sure you eat your greens this week with this super speedy vegan stir fry that you can add to anything, rice, pasta, noodles etc, the sprinkling of brown sugar right at the end really adds something to the greens!

Serves: 2 – 4 depending on what you are serving it with

Prep: 2mins

Cook: 6mins

Ingredients: A bag or bunch of greens such as chard, kale, spinach, watercress, pak choi, (some types of cabbage might work too), 1 garlic clove, 1 red chilli (you can used dried chilli and frozen or pureed garlic), tbsp of oil, sprinkling of brown sugar and sesame seeds.

Method:

1. Chop up your garlic and chilli and heat in the oil for a few minutes

2. Chop or tear your greens and add to the pan, stir well to coat in the oil

3. Stir fry for a minutes more then sprinkle with brown sugar and sesame seeds

4. Enjoy!

The Lockdown Larder Homemade Tinned Tomato Soup

Remember the taste of the very popular branded canned soup from your childhood…well this is a close second!

Serves: 4

Prep: 5mins

Cook: 25mins

Ingredients: 2 cans of chopped tomatoes (drained weight 240g), 1 onion, 2 cloves of garlic, vegetable stock made with 300ml of boiling water, 2 tbsps of cream cheese, 1 tbsp of tomato puree and a little oil for frying.

Method:

1. Chop the onion and garlic and soften in a little oil for a few minutes

2. Add the tomatoes and stock, bring to the boil and then keep on a low simmer for 20mins

3. After 20mins add the cream cheese and puree and cook for a few minutes more until melted

4. Blitz in a food processor

5. Slurp and enjoy!

 

The Lockdown Larder – Friday Night Freezer Rice with Cheeky Chorizo

Want a tasty treat this evening without having to make an unnecessary visit to the supermarket? Then try this…my Friday Night Freezer Rice with Cheeky Chorizo, something that can be enjoyed by all the family! 

Please note that this dish can easily be made to suit a vegan or veggie diet by omitting the chorizo and using veggie stock. 

Serves: 4

Prep: 10mins
Cook: 20mins

Ingredients: Thumb sized piece of chorizo, 1 onion, 2 cloves of garlic, 1 cup of rice (long grain, basmati or risotto will work), three cups of frozen veg of your choice, I used sweetcorn, peas and butternut squash, 1 stock cube like chicken or vegetable, 2 tsp of harissa paste if you have, if not 1 tsp of tomato puree and 1 tsp of paprika, 1 tsp of dried oregano or dried thyme, a little oil for frying, jarred black olives and lemon slices to serve if you have.

Method:

1. Cut the chorizo, onion and garlic into small pieces and fry in a lidded pan with a little oil for a few minutes, until the onion is softened and has taken on some of the colour from the chorizo
2. Add your rice and give it a good stir, so that it is coated in all of the juices from the onion mix
3. Make up 1 stock cube with two cups of boiling water, (same cup you used to measure the rice)
4. Pour the stock into the pan and give it a good stir
5. Add you frozen veg and tomato puree or harissa paste with the dried herbs
6. Give another good stir, bring to the boil and then simmer lid on for 10mins
7. After 10mins the rice should be al dente, but if you prefer it softer, add 1/2 a cup of water and cook for a further 5mins lid on
8. Serve with a few olives and fresh lemon slices if you have
9. Dig in!

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Baking Bread…Corn Bread!

We are running low on bread this morning and as we are only going out when really necessary I thought I’d experiment with making my own…and here it is freshly baked cornbread with scrambled eggs and chilli oil…I’ve never made it before but was so simple and have loads left to keep me going, I searched a few different recipes online and managed to find one using what I already had in the cupboard!

Have a look online for loads of ideas and different types, I just added a bit of strong grated cheese to mine before popping it in the oven.

Let me know how you bake yours…

Happy Sunday x