Carrot Cake with Orange Frosting

by Lou Robbie

Classic carrot cake is hard to beat. Its spiced and moist and works so well with the cream cheese frosting. No one minds that theres a couple of carrots in there. It’s the acceptable vegetable cake.

Set a few carrots aside this week to make this cake the perfect partner with a pot of tea and a good old chat.

Tip: I like to soak the raisins in tea first to plump them up, it really makes a difference to the finished cake.

Lou 🙂

  • 75g raisins and 1 teabag
  • 225g plain flour
  • 125g castor sugar
  • 115g dark brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon mixed spice or ground nutmeg/ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 200g grated carrot
  • 1 orange – zest only
  • 3 eggs
  • 100ml light flavoured oil (sunflower or vegetable)
  • (I have chosen not to add walnuts to my cake but add 75g of chopped walnuts if you wish)
  • For the frosting:
  • 225g icing sugar
  • 75g cream cheese – chilled
  • 1 orange- zest and 2 teaspoons of juice
  • 100g walnuts

Method:

  1. Preheat the oven 160C.
  2. Prepare a 9inch loose bottomed cake tin with a light coating of oil and line with parchment paper.
  3. Add the raisins to a bowl with the teabag, cover with boiling water and infuse for 30 minutes then strain and discard the teabag.
  4. To a mixing bowl sieve in the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, both spices, white sugar.
  5. Mix in the brown sugar, grated carrot, raisins and orange zest (and chopped walnuts if using) give everything a really good mix.
  6. Measure the oil and eggs into a jug, whisk well.
  7. Add the oil and eggs into the mixing bowl, and stir until combined.
  8. Pour the cake mix into the prepared cake tin and bake in the oven for about 40 minutes.
  9. Cool completely before adding the frosting.
  10. For the frosting: Toast the walnuts in the oven for 10 minutes at 160C, keep a close eye on them, cool completely.
  11. Add the icing sugar and cream cheese to a bowl. Use an electric hand beater to blend until really smooth. Fold in the orange zest and orange juice.
  12. Smooth onto the top of the cake. Scatter walnuts on top and serve with tea.

One Pot Tomato & Chickpea Spaghetti

by Liz Child


This beautiful budget meal saves you time, money, water and washing up! It’s a regular weeknight supper for us and is popular with the whole family. As the pasta cooks with all the ingredients and absorbs most of the water, it releases starch and creates a gorgeous, silky sauce. This recipe is fuss free too, all you need to do is give it stir every few minutes to ensure it doesn’t stick, it’s so simple and honestly, so delicious! We have a really nice delivery of organic tomatoes from Holland in at the moment as our Irish ones are out of season.

You’ll need a wide, deep pan with a lid. A big stock pot would work too or even a wok. Something that your pasta can lay flat in.

Liz x

Ingredients (serves 4)

  • 400g spaghetti
  • 4 medium/large tomatoes, roughly chopped
  • 4 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
  • 1 red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 1 tin of chickpeas, drained
  • 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1 liter freshly boiled water
  • optional chilli flakes, cheese or capers to serve

Method

  1. Gather and prepare all your ingredients and put a kettle on to boil with 1 liter of water.
  2. Place all the ingredients into the pan and pour over the freshly boiled water. Give the pan a stir with some tongs, then put the lid on and turn the heat up to high.
  3. As soon as the water comes back to boiling, remove the lid and stir again to loosen any bits of pasta trying to stick to the bottom.
  4. Replace the lid and after 2 minutes, stir again and replace the lid.
  5. Repeat step 4, twice. Now you should have cooked your pasta for around 7 to 8 minutes. Turn the heat off but leave the lid on for 5 minutes to allow it to finish cooking in the residual heat and the sauce to thicken up.
  6. Taste and add more salt or pepper if you need, I also like another drizzle of good olive oil. Serve in bowls with the topping of your choice. A sprinkle of chilli flakes, some salty capers or a generous grating of hard cheese perhaps? Enjoy!

Apple & Oat Crumble

by Lou Robbie

It’s November the clocks have gone back the dark nights are drawing in quickly it’s time for warming comforting sweet puddings. Theres none more satisfying that a warm bowl of apple crumble and custard.

I remember making apple crumble in home economics, a long time ago. It’s a lovely pudding to make because you can make mostly by using your hands, to clean and cut the apples and to rub the butter into the flour and oat topping. There is something very nostalgic and timeless about it. I made it with my daughter this week its a lovely one to teach your kids.

We had a surplus of ruby red Irish eating apples so thats what we used and it turned out perfectly. Serve it with fresh cream, ice cream or our favourite, warm custard. Homemade is best but shop bought custard will also do the trick.

Lou 🙂

Ingredients:

  • 1kg apples – we used eating apples –
  • 1 tablespoon of sugar to sweeten
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 60g porridge oats
  • 100g plain flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 75g butter at room temp
  • 100g brown sugar

Method:

  1. Preheat your oven 200C.
  2. Have a shallow roasting dish at hand.
  3. Wash and dry the apples.
  4. Cut them into quarters and cut out the core.
  5. Cut the quarters in half.
  6. Add the apple pieces to a pot with the 2 tablespoons of water, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and 1 tablespoon of sugar.
  7. Cook on a low heat with the lid on to soften the fruit. This can cake from 15-30 mins, gently stir a couple of times.
  8. Meanwhile make the oat topping.
  9. Add the butter, flour, oats and cinnamon to a mixing bowl and rub the butter in using your finger tips.
  10. When the fruit has softened tip it into the dish and sprinkle on the oat topping.
  11. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes. The top should be golden brown and crunchy.
  12. Serve warm with cream, ice cream or custard.

Lentil Shepherds Pie

by Liz Child

The ultimate comfort food on repeat in our house all through the winter. Filling, warm, nourishing and oh so delicious on a cold night. We use meaty mushrooms and red wine for deep, dark flavours. Instead of plain potato mash, we mix it with swede (with loads of butter and black pepper) and drizzle with rapeseed oil before it goes in the oven for a gorgeous golden, crispy mash topping. Give it a try and see why it’s a firm, family favourite.

Liz x

Ingredients (serves 4 or 6 with sides)

  • 2 white onions, peeled and diced
  • 4 cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced
  • 3 sticks of celery, trimmed and diced
  • 5 carrots, trimmed and diced
  • 250g chestnut mushrooms, roughly diced
  • 1 tbsp rapeseed oil
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 tsp dried thyme
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 1 vegetable stock cube (or a tbsp of bouillion)
  • 2 tins of cooked green lentils, drained
  • 1 small glass of red wine
  • Cornstarch slurry (1 heaped tbsp cornstarch stirred into 1 glass of cold water)
  • 1/2 a swede & around 600g of potatoes, peeled, chopped and boiled in salted water until very soft
  • 50g of vegan butter (or more to taste) with more salt and lots of freshly ground black pepper for the mash
  • a drizzle of cold pressed rapeseed oil

Method

  1. Pre-heat your oven to 200C and get your potatoes and swede on to boil in salted water.
  2. Meanwhile, in a wide, oven and hob safe pan, sauté the chopped onion, garlic, carrot, celery and mushrooms with a tbsp of rapeseed oil, salt pepper and the dried thyme.
  3. Once the vegetables have softened, add the bay leaves, red wine, drained lentils and crumble in the stock cube. Stir and cook out the alcohol for a couple of minutes. Then add the cornstarch slurry and stir over a medium heat until thickened.
  4. Taste the lentil base and adjust the seasoning if needed with more salt or pepper. Drain and mash the potatoes and swede with butter, salt and plenty of pepper. Then top the lentil base with the mash, rough it up with a fork and drizzle over some oil.
  5. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until bubbling hot and golden and crispy on top. Enjoy with some steamed greens or a lovely crisp kale and apple salad.

Pumpkin & Chickpea Rolls

by Liz Child

November already! Get those carved pumpkins washed and in the oven to roast before they go mouldy. You can scoop out the flesh and freeze it in portions to add to soups, curries, stews, pies etc. Here’s a delicious snack you can make with some, all you need is a sheet of ready rolled puff pastry, a tin of chickpeas (or any bean/lentil you like) and some seasoning. We went for Moroccan flavours this time which are very similar to our sweet, warming pumpkin spice mix (which also needs using up – find the recipe for that here). Will you put your own twist on this recipe? Let us know what worked well in the comments.

Liz x

Ingredients (makes 12 small rolls)

  • 1 tin chickpeas, drained
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp pumpkin spice
  • 1 salt & pepper to taste
  • 1/2 a medium kuri squash, roasted and completely chilled (or any pumpkin or winter squash like butternut)
  • 1 sheet of ready rolled puff pastry
  • oat milk for brushing and sealing
  • sesame seeds to sprinkle

Method

  1. Mash the chickpeas with the spices, salt and pepper. If you don’t have pumpkin spice mix, just sprinkle in some cinnamon, ginger, chilli, cloves etc. Leave some chickpeas whole, they bring nice body and texture to the filling.
  2. Add cold roasted pumpkin flesh and mix it in. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed with more salt.
  3. Cut your sheet of pastry into 3 even pieces. Share out the filling between the 3 pieces and use a spoon to shape the filling into a sausage along the middle of each piece. Roll up the filling in the pastry, seal the edges with oat milk. Flip the sealed side over to the bottom and brush the tops with more milk. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and cut each long sausage into 4.
  4. Space them out on a baking sheet lined with baking paper and bake at 200C for 10-15 minutes or until golden and hot through. Enjoy!

Feta & Lentil Stuffed Beetroot

by Lou Robbie

Growing up we always had baked and filled potatoes or mushrooms but never beetroot. In fact beetroot in our house usually came pickled in a jar. Beetroot usually gets the job as side veg but here it’s the star of the show.

Beetroots are an all year round veg, hearty and filling and full of goodness. If you get nice big beetroots in your box why not give this recipe a go. It’s sweet from the beets and salty from the feta and toasty from the spices. topped with crunchy walnuts its a complete meal.

Enjoy,

Lou 🙂

Serves 4 as a main

  • 4 large raw beetroot– leave the skin on 
  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • 1 onion finely diced
  • 2 cloves garlic finely chopped 
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin 
  • ¼ teaspoon chilli flakes 
  • Small pinch salt & pepper
  • 400g tin puy lentils- rinsed and drained 
  • 100g feta cheese crumbled 
  • Zest ½ lemon 
  • 50g chopped walnuts
  1. Wash the whole beetroots and slice in half. 
  2. Roast or steam the beetroot and cook until it pierces easily with a knife. 
  3. Preheat your oven to 180C.
  4. In the meantime make the lentil filling. 
  5. Warm a frying pan on medium heat, add the oil, diced onions and garlic and sauté until soft – 5-10 minutes. 
  6. Add paprika, cumin, chilli, salt and pepper, cook for a few minutes. 
  7. Add the drained and rinsed tinned lentils and cook on a low heat for a further 10 minutes. 
  8. With a spoon scoop out the centre of the beetroot, dice it and add it to the lentil mix. 
  9. Fold through half the crumbled feta and lemon zest. Check the seasoning add more salt or pepper if needed. 
  10. Fill the beetroot shells with the lentil filling, top with more feta and some walnuts- there may be some filling left over.
  11. You can bake, grill or air fry the stuffed beetroot to finish it. Make sure its hot in the middle and the walnuts and feta are toasted on top. 
  12. Serve with your favourite sauce and greens on the side. 
  13. Serve one half as a starter or 2 halves as a main. 

PB Fudge

by Lou Robbie

Sometimes you need that quick fix to get you through the mid morning or afternoon slump!! This peanut butter fudge is the fix you need. No bake, 5 ingredients and flavours that were made for each other.

They keep perfectly in the fridge or freezer. Keep them in bite sized pieces for easy eating. The best part is that all the fabulous ingredients are available in groceries #organicingredients

Let us know if you try them,

Lou 🙂

Ingredients

Method

  1. The method could not be easier. 
  2. Make some space in your freezer- or you can let it set in the fridge.
  3. Line a small square baking tin with parchment paper 8x8inc or similar.
  4. Melt the coconut in the microwave or in a small pot. 
  5. Mix in the peanut butter, desiccated coconut, honey and half the dark chocolate. 
  6. Pour the mix into the tin and shake it lightly to get into the corners. 
  7. Sprinkle the remaining chocolate on top. 
  8. Carefully place in the freezer to set- or the fridge. 
  9. When completely set chop into bite sized pieces. 

Autumn Orzo

by Liz Child

Variations of this cozy Autumn dish are always popular in our house. Grab a warm bowl and a spoon and curl up on the sofa for dinner tonight. A warm bowl of orzo is just gorgeous, one of our ultimate comfort foods. Tell us about your variations in the comments, we love to get inspired.

Liz x

Ingredients (serves 4 or 5)

  • 1/2 a small kuri squash pumpkin, chopped into chunks
  • 3 or 4 portobello mushrooms, halved or quartered
  • a drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper to taste
  • a large knob of butter (we use dairy free Naturli)
  • 1 leek, rinsed and finely chopped
  • 3 sticks of celery, diced
  • 5 cloves of garlic, finely diced
  • 400g orzo pasta
  • 1 liter of vegetable stock
  • a small handful of fresh herbs eg rosemary and thyme
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • your favourite cheese to serve (we stock an amazing vegan blue cheese that you have to try!)

Method

  1. Turn your oven on to 200C. Spread the chopped mushrooms and pumpkin out into a tray and drizzle with oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss the tray to evenly coat the veg in the seasoning. Place in the oven to roast while you prepare the orzo.
  2. In a large, heavy bottomed pan, sauté the leek, celery and garlic with the knob of butter and a little more olive oil. Season the vegetables with a little salt and pepper and cook on a medium-high temperature for 5 minutes or so until they are softened.
  3. Add the orzo, herbs and vegetable stock to the pan and turn down the heat to a gentle simmer. Stir, then add a lid and gently cook until the pasta has absorbed all the stock and is soft. Stir every few minutes to ensure the pasta doesn’t stick. You may also need to add a splash more water. Taste a little pasta every now and then to see if it is done or if it is drying out and needs mor liquid.
  4. After around 20-30 minutes, both the pasta and the roasted vegetables should be ready. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary then serve in warm bowls topped with the roasted vegetables and some cheese.

Pumpkin Brownie

by Lou Robbie

These pumpkin brownies are incredible….I even surprised myself with this one! The bitterness from the chocolate works so well with the earthy sweetness of the pumpkin and the warming spices too. Make sure to have a nice warm drink, tea or coffee or a spiced latte, if thats your preference, and get cosy with this sweet autumn treat!

Liz on a previous post laid the foundations for this recipe and gave instructions on how to make your Autumn Flavour Kit with pumpkin puree and pumpkin spice mix, check it out and come back here to make these brownies. I’m a little bit obsessed with the pumpkin (aka Kuri squash) at the moment, I’ll be cooking them for all things sweet and savoury over the next few months.

Once you have your pumpkin puree and pumpkin spice at hand, there is an endless amount of autumn baking recipes to sift through and experiment with. My first thoughts were cake, cookies, bread and then this brownie. I did extend my research to the US where many bakers have a whole catalogue of spiced pumpkin recipes. I did a bit of tweaking with this recipe and the result was much better that I could have hoped for!

I really hope you make them and enjoy them,

Lou

Ingredients – makes 16 squares

For the brownie batter

For the pumpkin batter

  • 225g granulated sugar
  • 180g pumpkin puree 
  • 170g butter, melted
  • 2 large eggs , at room temperature
  • 200g plain flour
  • 2 teaspoons pumpkin spice** (follow the link Autumn Flavour Kit to make your own or add 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon and 1 teaspoon mixed spice)
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C and butter and line with parchment a 9×13-inch (23×33- cm) baking tray.

For the brownie batter

  1. In a mixing bowl beat (with an electric mixer) or whisk together the melted butter and sugar. 
  2. Then crack in the eggs and beat for a few minutes until pale in colour.
  3. Using a sieve, sift in the flour, cocoa powder and baking powder. Gently mix with a spatula to combine. 
  4. Finally, fold in the chopped chocolate and spread evenly in the prepared pan.

For the pumpkin batter

  1. In a mixing bowl beat or whisk together the melted butter and sugar. 
  2. Then crack in the eggs and beat for a few minutes until pale in colour. 
  3. Gently stir in the pumpkin puree. 
  4. Using a sieve, sift in the flour, baking powder and pumpkin spice. Gently mix with a spatula to combine. 
  5. Pour the pumpkin batter on top of the brownie batter.
  6. Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes. You want the brownie to be a bit gooey so don’t over bake.

Beet Bourguignon

by Liz Child

This stew is so hearty and delicious. The depth of flavour from the combination of sweet beetroots, earthy mushrooms, nutty lentils, red wine, garlic and herbs makes a really memorable dish which you’ll be making over and over again. This meat-free version of beef bourguignon packs just as much punch in the flavour department, as well as many more nutrients. Lentils are cheap and nutritious, bringing lots of fibre, protein, B vitamins and iron to your plate. Our Irish beetroots are rich in antioxidants, folate and nitrates. Mushrooms contain many important vitamins, minerals and antioxidants too. All in all, you can be assured that this plant based version of the classic French stew is doing you good.

Liz x

Ingredients (serves 4)

  • 1 large red onion, roughly diced (shallots or white onions work fine here too)
  • 1 whole bulb of garlic, cloves separated & peeled
  • 250g mushrooms, halved or quartered
  • 300g beetroot, scrubbed & roughly diced
  • a generous drizzle of olive oil
  • salt and black pepper to taste
  • 200g green lentils, rinsed
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 5 sprigs of thyme
  • 250ml red wine
  • 500ml vegetable stock
  • 1 tbsp capers
  • mashed potatoes to serve

Method

  1. In a large pot, mix the onion, garlic, beetroot and mushroom, then oil and season with salt and pepper. Now, if you have the oven on, you can roast these ingredients for around 20 minutes until they are just soft and starting to take on some delicious caramelisation. If you’d rather not put the oven on, you can sauté these ingredients on a medium heat on the stove top instead.
  2. Now place the pot over a high heat and add the lentils, wine, bay leaves, thyme sprigs and capers. Stir for a few minutes to cook out the wine and then add the vegetable stock. Cover the pot and turn down to simmer for 20 or 30 minutes, until the lentils are cooked through. Stir occasionally to ensure the lentils don’t catch and add a splash more water if needed.
  3. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed with more salt or pepper. Then serve with creamy mashed potatoes and some seasonal greens. Enjoy!