Chocolate Orange Energy Balls 

by Nessa Robins

Oranges are currently in season, making it a particularly good time to add them to your Green Earth Organics box. They are especially rich in vitamin C, which support our immune system, aids in the adsorption of iron and helps to find inflammation in the body. They are also a great source of fibre and folate. 

The zest of an orange holds incredible flavour and makes a great addition to sweet treats. Our oranges are organic and unwaxed, making the zest especially beneficial for using in recipes, but still give the oranges a wash before zesting. Orange zest can be placed in a freezer proof container and popped in the freezer for up to three months, so the next time you’re treating yourself to an orange, remove the zest first before peeling.

These chocolate orange energy balls make for a delicious, sweet treat to enjoy anytime of the day. They are packed with wholesome ingredients. If you prefer you can omit the chocolate topping, they will still be full of flavour. 

Enjoy!

Nessa x

Chocolate Orange Energy Balls 

Ingredients

Makes 24

Topping

  • 100g chocolate, of choice, melted
  • Zest ½ orange

Method

Leave to set and store in the fridge until ready to serve. They will keep well in the fridge in a sealed container for at least 5 days.

Add the oats and almonds to a high-powered blender and blitz until fine.

Add the dates, milk, peanut butter, cacao, and orange zest. Blitz for about 30 seconds, until fully combined.

Taking a little scoop of the dough, roll into a ball and place on a greaseproof paper-lined tray. Repeat with the remaining mixture, making about 24 balls. 

Drizzle over the melted chocolate. Top with some orange zest.                            

Christmas Gravy & Simply Prepared Sprouts 

by Nessa Robins

For me, Christmas dinner is one of my favourite meals of the year. There are so many different elements on the plate, which merge so deliciously together, and a good-quality gravy always elevates every mouthful. The gravy recipe I’m sharing is packed with wholesome Irish vegetables and herbs, with plenty of fresh sage, as a nod to the traditional Christmas flavours. I’m using a roasting tray which is also suitable for the stovetop, but after roasting the vegetables you could transfer this mixture to a large saucepan either. It may be a little time-consuming to make on Christmas morning, so it’s probably best to make it in the run-up to Christmas, freeze flat in an airtight freezer bag, and then heat completely through just before serving dinner. 

Brussels sprouts are rich in fibre and packed with nutrients. They are delicious served in so many ways, but when serving sprouts, I still prepare them the way I remember my mother preparing them. The sprouts are cut in half, and added to a saucepan of boiling salted water, and simmered for no more than five minutes, when a tiny bite will remain. They are then drained, added to a warmed bowl, and topped with butter – dairy or plant-based – and a sprinkling of sea salt. Simple and delicious!

Enjoy!

Nessa x

Christmas Gravy

Ingredients

  • 2 onions
  • 2 carrots
  • 2 sticks celery
  • 10 sage leaves
  • 1 sprig rosemary
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 1tbsp plain flour
  • 1 vacuum packed bag (180g) chestnuts 
  • 1lt vegetable stock

Method

Once the vegetables are soft, take the rosemary sauce from the pan and blitz the gravy. Carefully pass it through a sieve, into a clean saucepan, which gives the gravy a smooth consistency. Place back on the heat and fully heat through before serving. 

Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan 180°C /Gas Mark 6.

Place the onions, carrot, celery, sage and rosemary into a large roasting tray. Drizzle over the oil and season with some salt and pepper. Place in the preheated oven for 40 minutes, stirring regularly. 

Take from the oven and place on a low heat on the stove. Sprinkle over the flour, stir through the chestnuts and add the stock. Turn the heat up a little under the tray. 

Stir to combine and bring to a boil, before simmering on low for 30 minutes. 

Vegetable Wellington

by Nessa Robins

If you are looking for a show-stopping main, packed with Irish vegetables, we’ve got you covered. This Vegetable Wellington not only looks the part at a Christmas feast, it tastes scrumptious too. It can even be prepared in advance of the big day and popped into the freezer, only to defrost in the fridge the night before. Serve it alongside all the trimmings and lashings of gravy.

Enjoy!

Nessa x

Vegetable Wellington

Ingredients

2 rolls of puff pastry, taken from the fridge 20 minutes before using

225g mushrooms

1 carrot

1 stick celery

1 onion

1tbsp olive oil

100ml red wine

1tbsp soy sauce

1tbsp tomato puree

1tbsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped

1tbsp fresh sage, finely chopped

1 tin lentils, drained

180g cooked chestnuts, finely blitzed

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1tbsp milk, dairy or plant-based

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan 180°C /Gas Mark 6.
  2. Add the mushrooms, carrot, celery and onion to a processor and blitz for a few seconds until finely chopped.
  3. Add the oil to a large pan, over a medium heat. Once hot, add the vegetables and cook for about ten minutes, stirring regularly.
  4. Next, add the wine, soy sauce, tomato puree and herbs. Stir to combine. Add the lentils and blitzed chestnuts. Season with a little salt and pepper. Simmer on low for another 10 minutes, stirring regularly. Take from the heat and allow to cool a little.
  5. Place one sheet of puff pastry on a greaseproof-lined baking tray. Evenly, add the cooked mixture to the centre of the pastry, leaving a few centimetres all around the mixture. Place the other sheet of pastry on top and using your hands, mould the pastry around the filling.
  6. Cut away any excess pastry – this can be used to make festive shapes to place on top. Secure the edges with a fork, score a criss-cross pattern across the top using the tip of a sharp knife. Brush with a little milk, and place in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.
  7. Slice and serve immediately with all the trimmings. Enjoy!

Carrot Fries with a Coriander & Lime Dip

by Nessa Robins

Once you make these carrot fries for the first time, they will soon become a part of your recipe repertoire as they are totally addictive and so easy-to-make. Of course, they are also bursting with goodness. Carrots are rich in beta carotene, which is converted into Vitamin A by the body. Vitamin A supports our immune system and vision, while promoting healthy skin, bones, and teeth. These carrot fries are scrumptious as a snack but are also perfect to serve as a side. The coriander dip serves perfectly with the fries, but if you’re not a fan of coriander, basil can be used in its place. 

Enjoy!

Nessa x

Carrot Fries with a Coriander & Lime Dip

Ingredients

  • 2 medium-sized carrots
  • 2tbsp olive oil
  • 2tbsp cornflour
  • 1tsp smoked paprika
  • ½ tsp onion granules
  • ½ tsp garlic powder
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper

For the dip

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 220°C/fan 200°C /Gas Mark 7, or the air fryer to 200°C.
  2. Prepare the carrots by peeling them and cutting into strips or batons.
  3. Add to a large bowl along with the olive oil, cornflour, smoked paprika, onion granules, and garlic powder. Season with a little salt and pepper. Toss to combine and fully coat the carrots. 
  4. Cook in the air fryer for 18- 20 minutes or the oven for 25-30 minutes, turning twice during cooking.
  5. While the carrots are cooking, make the dip by adding the ingredients to a high-powered processor and blitz for a few seconds until smooth. Refrigerate until needed. 
  6. Serve the carrots while hot with the dip on the side. Enjoy!

Green Vegan Mac & Cheese 

by Nessa Robins

As the evenings are getting darker and a little colder, comforting dinners, such as this delicious green vegan mac & cheese, are perfect for tucking into. The addition of romanesco to this pasta dish adds extra flavour, texture, and colour, as well as lots of nutrient. It is part of the brassica family of vegetables and tastes like a cross between broccoli and cauliflower. This stunning vegetable is grown on the farm, so nutritionally it benefits greatly from the best of soil. It is rich in fibre, calcium, and iron, and also a good source of vitamins, such as A, C and K. This dish only takes minutes to prepare and is best served with a simply green salad and chunks of crusty bread. 

Enjoy!

Nessa x

Green Vegan Mac & Cheese

Ingredients

Method

  1. Place the cashew nuts in a heat-proof bowl. Cover with boiling water and leave to soak for 15 minutes. 
  2. In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the macaroni according to the pack’s instructions. Add the romanesco to the pot for the last 3 minutes of cooking time. Drain the pot, reserving 175ml of the cooking water.
  3. Drain the cashews and add to a processor, with the juice of one lemon, nutritional yeast, Dijon mustard, turmeric, the reserved pasta water and a little salt and pepper. Blend until combined.
  4. In a large casserole dish, combine the drained macaroni and romanesco with the sauce. Top with the vegan cheese and place under the grill for 5 minutes until golden brown. Serve straight away. Enjoy!

Puff Pastry ‘Pumpkins’

by Nessa Robins

There is an abundance of Irish apples currently in season and turning them into a delicious dessert the whole family can enjoy is a lovely way to enjoy them. These little puff pastries are the perfect treat to make over the Halloween holidays. There is no doubt eating an apple raw is the best way to enjoy it nutritionally, however even when cooked they are still a good source of dietary fibre. Most shop bought puff pastry is dairy free, making it a great staple to have to hand for a speedy sweet or savoury dish. These pastries can be enjoyed hot from the oven with a scoop of your favourite dairy-free ice-cream or, when cooled, packed into a lunchbox to tuck into as a snack on an autumn walk.

Enjoy!

Nessa x

Puff Pastry ‘Pumpkins’

Ingredients

To serve

  • Icing sugar
  • Cinnamon sticks
  • Sage leaves

Method

  1. Take the pastry from the fridge and leave to rest at room temperature for 20 minutes before using. 
  2. Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan 180°C /Gas Mark 6. Line a large baking tray with parchment paper.
  3. Unroll the pastry and cut into thin strips.
  4. Slice the apples and remove the inner core of each slice using the end of a piping nozzle to cut out a circle. 
  5. Add the caramel sauce to a small bowl. In another bowl, mix the sugar and cinnamon.
  6. Dip each apple slice in the caramel before coating well in the sugar/cinnamon mixture.
  7. Carefully, wrap the pastry strips around each apple slice. Place the wrapped apple slices on the baking tray. Brush with a little milk and sprinkle over some more of the cinnamon sugar.
  8. Bake in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes. Once baked place on a wire rack to cool.
  9. To serve, dust with icing sugar, and to make these little pastries resemble mini pumpkins, pop a cinnamon stick plus a couple of sage leaves into the centre of each one. Enjoy!

Mushroom Pâté – Vegan

by Nessa Robins

Mushrooms make for a nutritious addition to the diet as they’re a source of fibre, protein, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. This mushroom pâté can be made a couple of days in advance, and it’s best served with slices of lightly toasted crusty bread and crunchy vegetables. However, it can also be used as a delicious stir-in pasta sauce; simply stir through some hot cooked pasta with a little of the pasta cooking water, add a few gratings of black pepper, and you’ll have a speedy and tasty supper in minutes.  

Enjoy!

Nessa x

Mushroom Pâté

Ingredients

  • 1tbsp olive oil
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 25g vegan butter
  • 250g mushrooms, sliced
  • Freshly ground pepper
  • 3 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 1 sprig of thyme, leaves only
  • 200g vegan cream cheese
  • To serve – finely chopped chives, rainbow carrots, radishes  

Method

1. Add the olive oil to a small saucepan over a low heat. Add the diced onion and cook, stirring regularly, for about ten minutes, until the onion is soft but not coloured. Take from the heat and leave to one side.

2. Add the butter to a large pan, over a medium heat. Add the sliced mushrooms, season with a few grinds of black pepper. Turn up the heat and fry, stirring regularly, for about 5 minutes.  Once the mushrooms are cooked, stir in the garlic and thyme, and continue to cook for about 1 minute, stirring continuously. Take from the heat and leave to cool. 

3. Once the onions and mushrooms are completely cooled, add them to a high-powered processor along with the cream cheese and blitz until smooth. Refrigerate for at least an hour before serving, and up to 3 days. Serve with a sprinkle of finely chopped chives, some crusty bread, and thin slices of vegetables. 

Yellow Vegetable Curry  – Vegan

by Nessa Robins

Pumpkins and butternut squash are from the same plant family and are both currently in season. They can easily be interchangeable in recipes and make for a nutritious addition to any curry or casserole. They are packed full of vitamins and minerals and are also a rich source of fibre, which is essential for optimal gut health. Preparing the pumpkin or butternut squash is the most time-consuming part of this recipe, so to aid with the preparation of an otherwise speedy curry dish, I normally peel and cube the squash ahead of time and store in a sealed container in the fridge until ready to use. It will keep perfectly when stored this way for up to three days. This curry tastes just as good the day after it is made, so keep a bowl aside in the fridge for the next day’s lunch. 

Enjoy!

Nessa x

Yellow Vegetable Curry 

Ingredients

Method

  1. Over a medium heat, add the olive oil to a large saucepan. Once it has heated through add the onion and turn down the heat. Sauté over a low heat, stirring regularly. Add the garlic and stir through, before adding the curry paste and a few grinds of black pepper. Stir to combine.
  2. Next, add all the remaining ingredients to the pot. Place the lid on the pot. Once it starts to bubble, turn the heat to low and simmer for 50 minutes, stirring regularly. 
  3. To serve, ladle into bowls, serve alongside some boiled brown rice, scatter over some fresh coriander leaves, and add a dollop of coconut yogurt.  

Mushroom Burgers – Vegan

by Nessa Robins

It’s now peak mushroom season in Ireland, and we’ve a great variety of them available to pick up in our online store. When preparing mushrooms for cooking they should never be washed, as they are porous and will retain this water which will interfere with their texture and flavour when cooked. However, their ability to retain fluids works perfectly for this recipe as the mushrooms are marinated in a flavoursome mixture which adds an extra level of deliciousness to these burgers. I’ve made a simple plant-based burger sauce, which works nicely with the cooked mushrooms, along with a layer of lettuce and slices of our juicy tomatoes. 

Enjoy!

Nessa x

Mushroom Burgers

Ingredients

  • 2 large portobello mushrooms
  • 1tbsp soy sauce
  • 1tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1tsp olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper

For the sauce

To serve

Method

  1. Prepare the mushrooms by removing the stems and lightly brushing away any dirt. In a bowl, combine the soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, olive oil and garlic, along with a little salt and pepper. Whisk to combine, before adding to a bag along with the mushrooms. This allows the mushrooms to better soak up the marinade. Place in the fridge for about an hour.
  2. Make the sauce by combining the mayonnaise, gherkin liquid, gherkin, mustard, and garlic in a small bowl. Place in the fridge until ready to use.
  3. Place an oven-proof griddle pan over a medium heat. Add a drizzle of olive oil, once hot add the mushrooms. Cook for about 5 minutes on each side. 
  4. Preheat the grill. With the mushrooms underside up, place a slice of plant-based cheese on top. Place the pan under the grill for about two minutes, until the cheese starts to bubble. 
  5. Remove straight away and layer into the toasted bun with the burger sauce, lettuce, and slices of tomato. 

Vegan Meringues

by Nessa Robins

These vegan meringues are light and crispy, and serve perfectly alongside some plant-based cream and berries. When making the meringue mixture it is important to whisk it well for about fifteen minutes, before quickly adding the trays to the oven. To help prevent the meringues from cracking, once baked, allow the meringues to rest in the oven for an hour, without opening the oven door. There are plenty of blackberries appearing in the hedgerows at this time of year, which pair nicely with the meringues and cream, but any soft fruit would work well in their place.

Enjoy!

Nessa x

Vegan Meringues

Ingredients

makes 24

  • 400g tin chickpeas
  • 100g caster sugar
  • 1tsp vanilla extract

To serve

  • Whipped plant-based cream or yogurt
  • Blackberries and blueberries
  • Mint leaves

Method

  1.  Preheat the oven to 120°C/fan 100°C/Gas 1. Line two large baking trays with greaseproof paper. 
  2. Drain the tin of chickpeas over a bowl, reserving the chickpeas for another recipe.
  3. Add the chickpea liquid to a mixing bowl. Using an electric whisk, beat the liquid until it becomes frothy. Gradually start to add the sugar, a spoonful at a time, while whisking continuously. Once all the sugar has been added, add the vanilla, and continue to whisk at a high speed for about 15 minutes.
  4. Spoon out blobs of the mixture onto the greaseproof paper-lined trays. Bake in the oven for 2 hours. 
  5. Once baked, leave in the oven without opening the door for about an hour, this will help to prevent the meringues from cracking.
  6. Once completely cooled, store in an airtight container in the fridge for 5 days. Serve with cream or yogurt and lots of berries.