Chickpea Omelette

by Liz Child

A simple mixture of chickpea flour, water and seasoning makes a really delicious batter that can be used to make egg free omelettes. Have you tried it yet? Delicious and so nutritious! Chickpea flour is high in protein, fibre and lots of vitamins and minerals. Stuff it with sautéed veggies and fresh herbs and you’ll be in brunch-heaven. Really you can make this recipe by eye and stuff it with whatever veg you like, but as a guide, here’s what I did to make two.

Liz x

Ingredients (makes 2)

  • 70g chickpea flour
  • 100ml water
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • a handful of chopped dill
  • 1 chopped scallion
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 6 chestnut mushrooms, sliced
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 a courgette, sliced into ribbons with a peeler
  • 2 large handfuls of spinach
  • 1 tomato, sliced
  • 2 tsp butter for cooking the omelette

Method

  1. Start by whisking the chickpea flour with the water into a smooth batter. Season with a pinch of salt, a grind of pepper and a handful of chopped herbs and half the chopped scallion. Stir in 1 tbsp of good olive oil to enrich the batter. Set to one side while you prepare the filling.
  2. In a non-stick pancake pan, sauté the mushrooms with the other tbsp of oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Add the garlic powder to the pan once the mushrooms start to sweat. Add the courgette strips and spinach and stir fry for a couple of minutes until the spinach has wilted. Move the filling off the pan into a bowl and put the pan back over a medium heat.
  3. Now melt a tsp of butter in the pan and pour in half the batter. Swirl and cook the omelette slowly until it is set. Then put half the filling on half the omelette and arrange half the tomato slices on top. Fold the omelette and serve with a sprinkle of scallions.
  4. Repeat with the other half of the batter and fillings and enjoy!

Veggie Irish Stew Pie

by Liz Child

This is ultimate comfort food, and the perfect dish for a family feast. Our veggie version of the classic Irish stew is hearty with beans and lentils. Chunks of sweet root veg and meaty mushrooms simmer in a broth of bouillon, dried mushrooms and bay leaves. We’ve taken the potatoes out of the stew and put them on top in the form of colcannon. This pie is so so delicious, packed with healthy veg and heaps of flavour, you’ll be coming back to this again and again and again.

Liz x

Ingredients (serves 6)

For the stew:

  • 2 tbsp vegetable bouillon powder
  • 1 tsp dried mushrooms 
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 1 liter just-boiled water 
  • a little oil or butter for sautéing 
  • 2 onions, roughly diced
  • 3 carrots, cut into chunks
  • 3 celery sticks, sliced
  • a couple of parsnips or a 1/4 of a celeriac, cut into bite sized chunks
  • 200g chestnut mushrooms, halved
  • salt & pepper to taste
  • 1 tin cooked lentils, drained
  • 1 tin cooked beans, drained
  • 3 tbsp cornstarch, mixed with enough cold water to make a slurry

For the colcannon:

  • 10 or so potatoes, boiled
  • 150g kale, thinly sliced
  • 3 scallions, thinly sliced
  • butter, salt & pepper to taste 

Method

  1. Gather and prepare the vegetables, get the potatoes into salted water to boil and turn the oven on to 200C to warm up. Pop the kettle on.
  2. Pour a liter of boiling water into a jug with the bouillon powder, dried mushrooms and bay leaves. Stir well, this is your broth.
  3. Then, in an oven and hob safe pot, sauté the chopped onion, carrot, celery, mushrooms and parsnips/celeriac with the oil and a little salt and pepper. Stir over a medium-high heat for around 7 minutes or until the vegetables take on some colour and start to soften and reduce. Now add the broth, beans and lentils to the pot and simmer the stew for around 10 minutes.
  4. Meanwhile make the colcannon. Once the potatoes are boiled, tip the sliced kale into the pot and let it boil for just a minute. Drain and mash the potatoes and kale together with plenty of butter. Stir in the scallions and season to taste with salt and pepper.
  5. The stew should be ready, now it will just need thickening. Pour the cornstarch slurry into the stew and stir over the heat until the stew has thickened up. Then top with the colcannon and run a fork over the top to even it out and rough it up.
  6. Bake it a hot oven until the top has browned and crisped up a little and the stew is bubbling. This should take around 15-20 minutes if you get it in the oven whilst still hot. Enjoy!

Blood Orange Sorbet

by Liz Child

All you need to make this sorbet is ONE ingredient, blood oranges (plus a freezer and a food processor). We are obsessed with blood oranges at the moment. Have you tried one yet? They are only around for a short season each year, so don’t miss out! They are a little sweeter than your usual oranges, with a stunning raspberry twist. Having that gorgeous purple/red hue is a sign of anthocyanin, a really powerful antioxidant which is brilliant for heart health. This sorbet makes a stunning palette cleanser between courses if you are cooking up a fancy feast, otherwise it is just a delicious, healthy dessert. No need for added sugar and it still feels like a luxurious treat!

Liz x

Ingredients

  • Blood oranges

Method

  1. Peel blood oranges and place the segments on a tray or plate which fits in your freezer. Freeze overnight or until solid. Remove from the freezer around 15 minutes before you need to serve the sorbet. It is best served directly from the blender.
  2. Put the frozen segments into your food processor with the S blade attachment. Blend until it turns into sorbet. At first it will look grainy and like it is not going to work. Don’t give up. Stop the machine a few times to scrape down the sides and keep blending. After a while the sorbet will turn creamy and smooth. Stop before it gets too juicy/melted.
  3. Working quickly now, scoop the sorbet out of the processor into a tub. Press it down and smooth it out with the back of the spoon. Dunk an ice cream scoop into a cup of hot water, then scoop out large balls of sorbet and enjoy!

Scandi-Style Seedy Crackers

by Liz Child

These crackers are the best vehicle for a sliver of cheese or a savoury spread! Full of nutritious seeds, golden and toasty from the oven and perfectly thin and snappy. You’ll be making these again and again. This recipe is naturally gluten free, plant based and so so easy. A great way to ensure you are getting all the benefits of seeds – the omegas, the healthy fats and fibres… Any crumbled bits in the bottom of the jar are delicious sprinkled over a soup or salad too. Enjoy!

Liz x

Ingredients

~ use an espresso cup to measure for ease, or the amounts in grams below:

  • 1 cup sesame seeds (100g)
  • 1 cup flax seeds (100g)
  • 1 cup sunflower seeds (100g)
  • 1 cup pumpkin seeds (100g)
  • 2 cups rice flour (200g)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 cups boiling water (350ml)
  • 2 tbsp good oil (eg extra virgin olive or cold pressed rapeseed)

Method

  1. Measure the seeds, salt and rice flour into a mixing bowl and mix well.
  2. Pour in the boiling water and oil and mix with a wooden spoon into a thick, sticky mixture. You may wish to add an extra splash of water if the entire contents are not incorporated into a sticky dough.
  3. Allow the mixture to rest for 30 minutes, the seeds benefit from absorbing some water. Meanwhile, find 3 large baking sheets and 4 sheets of baking parchment. Turn the oven to 175C.
  4. Line the baking sheets with the parchment. Divide the sticky, seedy dough between the 3 trays. Spread the dough out into a very thin, even layer, one tray at a time. The easiest way to do this is with the 4th piece of baking parchment. Lay it on top of the dough and use your hands to squish the dough out as evenly as you can. You can also use a rolling pin to help. The crackers should be no thicker than the pumpkin seeds.
  5. Carefully peel off the parchment on the top and use it to repeat the flattening/spreading process with the other two trays. Then get the trays in the oven.
  6. Bake for 30 minutes or until the crackers are browned and dried out. Allow to cool before carefully snapping them into shards and storing in an airtight container. Enjoy within 3 to 4 weeks.

Masala Omelette

by Liz Child

This is up there with one of our top 5 breakfasts. It is so delicious and incredibly nutritious, I urge you to give this recipe a go. We replaced the eggs in this classic Indian breakfast with a chickpea flour batter here to keep it plant based. Chickpea flour has been used in Asian cuisine for hundreds of years, it is also full of fibre, protein and many vitamins and minerals. Such a useful ingredient, we also use it to make fritters, socca bread and to bind falafel and bean burgers – have you tried cooking with it yet? We stock an organic bag which you can add to your next fruit and veg order.

Liz x

Ingredients (per omelette)

  • 60g chickpea flour
  • 150ml water
  • large pinch of salt
  • chilli flakes to taste (or even better, use chopped fresh green chilli)
  • 1/4 tsp ground turmeric
  • 1/2 tsp garam masala (or any Indian spice blend you like)
  • 1 salad tomato, finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp finely chopped red onion or scallion
  • 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh coriander
  • 1 tsp good oil for frying (we use rapeseed)
  • 1 flatbread (we used tortilla bread here)
  • 1 tbsp mango chutney (or any Indian chutney you like, or natural yoghurt)

Method

  1. Whisk the chickpea flour and water together into a smooth batter. Then add the salt, chilli, turmeric and garam masala and whisk again.
  2. Stir in the tomato, onion and coriander. Meanwhile, heat up a pancake pan over a medium heat.
  3. Warm the flatbread on both sides in the dry pan, place on a plate. Then pour in the oil, swirl to coat the pan evenly. Pour the masala omelette mixture into the pan and swirl or spread in out with a spoon into a thin layer.
  4. Be patient and let the omelette cook slowly until it is set and golden on the bottom and almost dried out on top. You should notice small bubbles forming and popping. Carefully loosen the omelette from the pan and flip with a spatular.
  5. The second side should only take a minute. Spread the bread with the chutney then flip the omelette out on top. Roll up and enjoy whilst hot!

Beetroot & Carrot Salad with Dukka

by Liz Child

This fresh, sweet salad is the perfect vehicle for my favourite crunchy condiment, dukka. Dukka is an Egyptian dip/sprinkle made with toasted nuts, sesame seeds and spices. It is absolutely stunning – earthy, nutty, warmly spiced with the most intoxicating fragrance. Use it the traditional way as a dry dip (dunk bread in olive oil then into the dukka and devour) or as a crunchy topping for endless salads, soups, stews… you’ll find any excuse to use it once you have a jar in your pantry. Beetroots are in season now and perhaps eating them raw is the most delicious way? Let me know your favourite beetroot recipes in the comments.

Liz x

Ingredients

For the dukka:

  • 250g mixed nuts (or use just the traditional hazelnuts)
  • 4 tbsp sesame seeds
  • 2 tbsp fennel seeds
  • 2 tbsp cumin seeds
  • 2 tbsp coriander seeds
  • optional tsp of salt

For the salad:

  • 3 carrots, julienned
  • 3 beetroot, julienned
  • a large handful of chopped parsley
  • the juice of half a lemon
  • 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • a very small clove of garlic, crushed or finely grated
  • salt and pepper to taste

Method

  1. To make the dukka, toast the nuts in a dry, hot frying pan until they start to take on some colour. Stir often whilst toasting to avoid burning any. Allow the nuts to cool a little before tipping them into a food processor. Pulse to roughly chop the nuts before adding the other smaller ingredients.
  2. Toast the sesame seeds, fennel, coriander and cumin in the dry, hot frying pan next. They will start to pop and smell incredible. Tip them in with the nuts and pulse the processor again until you have a fairly uniform, crumbly mixture. Careful not to over-process, you want crunch and texture, not powder. You can add salt at this stage if you like too.
  3. Allow the dukka to completely cool before storing in a clean jar. Use within one month for optimum freshness and flavour.
  4. To make the salad, add the julienned carrots and beetroot to a salad bowl along with the chopped parsley. Mix the lemon juice, olive oil, garlic and seasoning and pour over the salad. Toss well and just before serving, sprinkle over the dukka. We ate it alongside a parsnip pilaf (next recipe) and some natural yoghurt.

Vegan Bibimbap Bowl

by Liz Child

Bibimbap means mixed rice and we are totally in love with the concept and flavours of these colourful Korean bowls. We eat versions of this so often, it’s our go-to dinner when we are stuck for inspiration. They’re a great way to use up leftovers or odds and ends from your veg drawer too. Eat with hot sauce and kimchi – a spicy, sour fermented cabbage full of flavour and so much goodness for your guts – we stock a really good one or search here in the blog to make your own. Traditionally topped with a raw or fried egg, we prefer some scrambled tofu. Here’s the very loose and flexible recipe which you should totally make your own. Enjoy!

Liz x

Ingredients

  • Cooked rice (hot or cold)
  • kale, garlic, salt
  • mushrooms, soy sauce
  • carrots, sesame oil, soy sauce, lime juice, sesame seeds
  • scallions
  • silken tofu, salt, pepper, turmeric
  • kimchi
  • hot sauce

Method

  1. Cook rice or use leftover rice and make a cold bowl.
  2. Rinse your kale and strip out the tough stems. Finely slice the stems and place in a pan with a little oil and some sliced garlic. Sauté gently until they start to soften, then add the wet leaves and a sprinkle of salt. Stir fry to wilt the leaves, you may want to add a little splash of water to help them wilt.
  3. Slice the mushrooms and sauté with a little oil until they start to colour. Then add a splash of soy sauce and let the mushrooms cook for a few minutes until they are dark and delicious.
  4. Grate or julienne carrots. Mix them in a bowl with a splash of soy sauce, a drizzle of toasted sesame oil and a squeeze of lime. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
  5. Scramble tofu by stirring silken tofu in a hot pan with some butter, salt, pepper and a pinch of turmeric. Break it up into lumps and sauté until it’s hot through.
  6. Slice your scallions and assemble your bowls. Start with rice then top with a portion of all the other sides. Stir and dig in!

Homemade Twix Bar

by Lou Robbie

The Twix bar is so iconic! Well known for its biscuit base, caramel centre and topped with chocolate. Would you believe me if I said these are sugar free, wheat free, dairy free and an utterly delicious alternative. #guiltfreetreats

The date and almond caramel filling is divine, make extra and use it for dipping apple slices, in brownies, on porridge or add it to smoothies.

Find all the ingredient needed in the groceries section, most of which are in compostable or reusable packaging.

Lou 🙂

Ingredients: Makes 8-10

  • For the base
  • 100g coconut flour
  • 80g coconut oil, melted
  • 60ml (4 tbsp) honey or maple syrup
  • For the caramel
  • 6 pitted dates
  • 40g coconut oil , melted
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 100g almond butter (or cashew butter)
  • 2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
  • 4-6 tablespoons of hot water
  • To finish:
  • 100g good quality dark chocolate

Method:

  1. Line a small tray (4x8inch approx) or lunch box with parchment paper.
  2. Start by making the base, measure the coconut flour, melted coconut oil and maple syrup into a mixing bowl. Stir well to combine.
  3. Spoon into the tray and push down to flatten. Tip use an extra piece of parchment paper the size of the tray put it on top of the base and push to flatten with the palm of your hand. Chill the base for 5 minutes.
  4. For the caramel add all the ingredients to a small blender, pulse to blend and add the hot water as needed- you might not need it all. Blend until smooth, the consistency should be thick and not too loose.
  5. Spoon the caramel onto the base and smooth with the back of a spoon until its nice and even. Chill for at least 1 hour.
  6. After this time cut into bars and place on a wire rack or plate.
  7. Melt the chocolate gently in a pot or in the microwave.
  8. Spoon the melted chocolate over top of the bars and chill for 10 minutes. Enjoy!

Leek & Potato Gratin

by Liz Child

We adore a classic potato dauphinois, there’s no better side on a cold, winters day. This twist with lovely leeks is so delicious! We all know that leeks and potatoes are made for each other, and this dish proves it once again. Use your favourite milk or cream, (we used oat cream here) but not too much or you’ll end up making soup. Here is a guide, but this is definitely one of those recipes where you should be flexible and feel your way with amounts. Enjoy!

Liz x

Ingredients (serves 4)

  • 800g potatoes, very thinly sliced
  • a 250g leek, halved lengthways then rinsed and cut into chunks
  • 500ml milk/cream
  • 1 tsp salt
  • pepper to taste
  • 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1 tsp garlic powder (or a crushed clove of garlic)
  • 1 tbsp bouillon powder
  • 1 tbsp Dijon mustard

Method

  1. Turn your oven on to 200C and find a deep baking dish with a lid.
  2. Tumble in your cut potatoes and leek, separate the leek leaves so that they can be evenly distributed through the gratin.
  3. In a measuring jug, whisk together the rest of the ingredients then pour over the vegetables. Mix well to coat each slice in the seasoning then press down into an even layer.
  4. Place the lid on (or use baking parchment/foil/a flat baking sheet if you are using a baking dish without its own lid) and bake until the potatoes are soft. This usually takes around 30 minutes but test with a fork after 20 minutes.
  5. Remove the lid and bake uncovered for 15 more minutes to brown the top (and you can add cheese or breadcrumbs at this stage too if you fancy). Enjoy!

Saag Aloo Gobi

by Liz Child

Saag aloo gobi = greens potatoes cauliflower. It’s a classic Indian side dish, a drier curry, delicately spiced and absolutely delicious! We find it easier to mostly make it in the oven and then quickly finish it off on the hob with the spinach/kale and lemon juice. It is honestly gorgeous, we make it so often to go with our weekly bowl of dal or chickpea masala. Or to make it a meal in it’s own right, add a drained tin of chickpeas or some chopped extra firm tofu to the pan for some protein. Don’t stress if you don’t have the brown mustard seeds or cumin seeds, just leave them out. Top with sliced chilli for an extra kick. I hope you really enjoy it.

Liz x

Ingredients

  • 1 large red onion, peeled and sliced
  • 1 cauliflower, cut into florets
  • around 6 medium potatoes, cut into bites
  • 2 tbsp oil
  • 1 tsp brown mustard seeds
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tbsp curry powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • black pepper to taste
  • the juice of 1/2 a lemon
  • 200g chopped kale/spinach

Method

  1. Pre-heat your oven to 200C and find a large oven and hob safe dish (or you can just use a deep oven dish). Tumble in the chopped onion, cauliflower and potatoes then drizzle with the oil.
  2. Add the whole spices, curry powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper then mix well with your hands to evenly coat each bite with the seasoning.
  3. Roast in the oven for around 30 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked through. Check and stir the dish every 10 minutes to ensure an even bake.
  4. Now place the pan on a hot hob and stir through the lemon juice and kale/spinach. Cook until the greens are wilted. Alternatively, if you are using a baking dish that is not safe on the hob, wilt the greens separately then stir through with the lemon juice.
  5. Serve hot with rice and dal or chickpea masala. Enjoy!