Rainbow toast and roasted seeds

Who invited the damp, drizzle and mist to the January party? I miss the cold already, the frost, the light fresh air, the bright blue sky and the song birds dancing in the garden, feasting on the fresh bird feed under the gentle morning rays of sun…..

Bah! There was only one thing for it this morning, to eat beautiful, which meant creating a rainbow plate.

Making rainbow toast is super easy and you can toast any bread you like. Today I had slices of Biona’s raspberry and coconut rye bread which is gluten-free. But a traditional seeded loaf will also taste delicious. One slice was loaded with fresh avocado smash, one small avocado mashed with juice of one lemon topped with blueberries and blackberries. The other slice was layered with Meridan organic crunch peanut butter (smooth is a crime!) which is purely peanuts, no sugar and most importantly, no palm oil. Topped with one sliced kiwi and a handful of goji berries and scattered grated coconut. Simple, beautiful and delicious with a cup of matcha green tea.

After breakfast I started prepping for this evening’s dinner, making my vegan chorizo and roasted squash sauce . After peeling and dicing the butternut squash I removed all the seeds and placed them on a baking tray with a drizzle of rapeseed oil and salt and pepper and baked in the oven for 20 minutes on 180. Nutty, fibrous, full of protein and heart boosting fats these little babies should never be thrown away. They are little power houses of nutrition and so easy to prepare and can be added to your breakfast muesli, porridge, soup, pasta or eaten as a snack. I’ve hidden mine because they are too yummy and I have zero willpower. Instead I’ll sprinkle them on my creamy zoodles topped with chorizo tonight; they will be the stars of the show.

 

Wishing you all a cosy and snug Sunday.

Hx

 

 

My biotin booster smoothie for super strong hair & nails

This smoothie is super rich in the plant-based vitamin H (or B7) commonly known as biotin. Biotin helps to strengthen our hair and nails and also helps our body to create natural energy through converting food into fuel. It also helps us to metabolise fatty acids and protein.

I originally created this for a lovely friend who I met through work when she told me she was having trouble with her hair. Over a couple of evenings I sourced the best fruits, vegetables and nuts that were naturally high in this vitamin. It took a couple of attempts to get it right, now I think it’s spot on. Its consistency is like a creamy thick shake so it’s definitely worth topping with water otherwise you’ll be eating it out of a bowl! If you do want to eat it out of a bowl you can add granola and top with fruit. If you want an extremely healthy chocolate thick shake try adding some raw cocoa.

Ingredients 

• handful of spinach
• 2 teaspoons of flaxseed
• half an avocado
• 100g berries
• 2 teaspoons sunflower seeds
• 1/5 cucumber (about 100g)
• 300ml whole bean soya milk
• 5 almonds
• 3 brazil nuts
• Top with water

To make this I use a large Nutribullet cup.

Nourish

Not only is the smoothie high in vitamin H and complex B minerals but the avocado, sunflower seeds and almonds also mean it’s a good source of vitamin E and protein. I used a combination of frozen mixed berries which have a range of health benefits including helping to maintain a healthy gut, lowering blood pressure and being high in antioxidants.

I chose whole bean soya milk because this is one of the richest forms of biotin you can get. If you don’t use soya, an almond milk would be a good alternative. If you eat dairy then you can also use milk or a liquid yogurt which is also high in biotin.

Hx

Vegan ‘chorizo’ with creamy courgette and sweet potato noodles

I choose to eat vibrantly. The more colour on the plate, the happier I am. If there is anything I have learned over the last ten months; it’s that you eat with your eyes first. This dish is beautiful on the eye, with citrus-coloured noodles topped with a golden cream sauce which is set off perfectly with a deep pink plant-powered ‘chorizo’.

I created and cooked this for my friends last night who are all fans of meat chorizo and they loved it. I hope you love it too.

This serves four people.

Ingredients 

‘Chorizo’

• 120g sweet red pepper
• 120g sun dried tomatoes (rinsed)
• 100g walnuts
• 50g oats
• 0.5 tbsp paprika
• 0.5 tsp ground cumin
• 0.5 tsp mild chilli powder
• 0.5 tsp ground cinnamon
• 0.5g ground garlic

Cream sauce

• 600g squash
• Drizzle of rapeseed or olive oil
• 150 cashews (soaked for in cold water for two hours)
• half cup of nutritional yeast
• 300ml plant milk (i.e. almond, oat, soya)
• 150ml water

Noodles

• 2 standard courgette
• 2 standard sweet potato
• tsp coconut oil (or rapeseed or olive oil)

Equipment

I use a Nutribullet to blend the sauce, a Magimix 3200 food processor to make the chorizo and a spiralizer to make the noodles. If you don’t have a spiralizer you can use pasta or gnocchi.

Method

1. Set your oven to 200 degrees.
2. Peel the squash and cut it into bite-size cubes. Place it in a bowl and drizzle a little rapeseed or olive oil. Top with salt and pepper. Use your hands to move the squash around the bowl to ensure it is well seasoned and covered with a little oil.
3. Spread the squash out evenly on a baking tray and cook for 50 minutes at 200 degrees. My fan oven is a little old – if you have a healthier, happier oven 180 degrees may be more appropriate.
4. De-seed the red pepper, rinse the sun dried tomatoes (if kept in a jar with oil) and pop them in the food processor along with the walnuts, oats and spices. Pulse the mixture until comes together. Although it should be relatively smooth it should still have some texture.
5. Roll the chorizo mix into sausages, place on grease-proof
   paper and pop in the fridge for 40 minutes or so to chill.
6. Once the squash is cooked let it cool on the tray before blending. It should be soft, but hard enough to still hold it’s shape and not mushy.
7. Blend half of the squash, cashew nuts nutritional yeast and 200ml of the plant milk until smooth. Gradually add more of the squash, milk and water. Add salt and pepper to taste. When all blended together this will be quite thick, if you want it to be thinner, add more plant milk or water when you come to heat it later.
8. Peel the sweet potatoes and spiralizer. Wash the skin of the courgette and then spiralize, place in a wok with the coconut oil and gently heat. When you serve the noodles they should still be firm and a little warm – the bonus of eating these relatively raw is that they retain so many more nutrients. 
9. Remove the chorizo from the freezer and slice into rounds. It should be firm but still easy to cut.
10. Warm a frying pan with half a tsp of coconut oil and place the chorizo in. Cook at a medium heat for a couple of minutes on each side. When you turn it you should notice that that it has darkened and looks a little grilled.
11. In the meantime pour the cream sauce in to a saucepan and heat, continually stirring at a medium heat to ensure it doesn’t stick or burn.
12. Serve up the noodles and top with the cream and chorizo.

This chorizo is a lot softer than the mean version but the use of paprika and other traditional chorizo spices give it that very familiar smell which wins over everyone who is doubtful that the plant-based version will ever compare. If you like your chorizo hot, add more chilli powder and if you love the smokiness of paprika load it up.

Overall this meal is surprisingly fulfilling and you may be surprised at how comfortably full you feel relatively quickly. If you want to add in even more veggies, try stir-fying the noodles with sliced chestnut mushrooms and peas.

Nourish

The nuts in this meal are well-known for their heart boosting powers, strengthening our bodies against cardiovascular disease as well as cancer. Walnuts are rich in anti-oxidants and omega-3, while cashews are rich in zinc and iron which supports a healthy immune system.

Sweet potatoes are high in nutrients but low on the glycemic index which helps stabilise our blood sugar levels, keeping any cravings and hunger at bay. They also support our bodies to lower bad cholesterol and are also high in anti-oxidants and vitamin E.

🌟

I really hope you enjoy this recipe this Autumn and do let me know what you think. 

Hx