Vegetarian Whole Foods Made Simple
I’m sharing a family favourite with you today! This spinach and chickpea curry is a staple in the home of my parents, and has since become a staple in mine. This is the ultimate curry in a hurry- the spices are simple and I always …
Tempeh. Are you familiar?! Up until a couple of years ago I was really more of a tofu girl, but after a few experiments – not all of them successful(!) – I have come to love tempeh just as much, if not more than its …
I’m fairly certain I saw an amber coloured leaf fall from a tree branch this week. I am taking this as my official cue that it is ok to share this Pumpkin, Pecan & Cranberry Granola recipe with you… Ok maybe I’m jumping the gun a little bit, but once you make a batch of this gently spiced, toasty, healthy granola, I’m sure you will thank me.
The pumpkin bandwagon is one of those American trends that I have wholeheartedly embraced. I had certainly eaten pumpkin before I moved here, usually in soup form, but living in the USA opened my eyes to the endless possibilities for pumpkin- scones, bread, cake, pancakes, latte’s, smoothies, GRANOLA. The list is endless, you Americans love your pumpkin!
I have several pumpkin recipes at various stages of testing in my kitchen at the moment, so watch this space for more pumpkin love soon. In the meantime, lets get stuck into this granola! It is oat-based with a little raw quinoa for extra crunch and nutty flavour. The pecans are lightly toasted (YUM!), and the dry ingredients are baked in a maple sweetened spiced pumpkin mixture. As a final touch I mix in dried cranberries, they look so beautiful amongst the warm orange color of the granola, and add a little tang. Paired with yoghurt, milk or even eaten raw, this is may be the perfect breakfast to see you through those crisp autumn mornings just around the corner.
Happy (almost!) Autumn! I hope you love this granola as much as I do!
Adapted from Skinny Taste’s Skinny Pumpkin Granola
Hello, and Happy September! Are you ready to hear about my latest obsession? Let me introduce you to these Chocolate Quinoa Energy Bars… Yum! I have been whipping up batch after batch of these beauties, and I am still craving them. They are healthy and satiating enough …
Are you ready for one last hurrah? One last Summer recipe before we turn our attention to pumpkins and root vegetables?! Here you go! This is a yummy, light smoothie made from strawberries, watermelon, coconut water and chia seeds. It is so refreshing and full …
Hello friends! Can you forgive me for my little blog hiatus last week? I spent last weekend with two of my favourite people in the world- my husband and my little sis. Consequently I was having FAR too much fun to cook, let alone photograph. Am I forgiven?! Ok, good.
As you know, my hubby has been living in a different city for the Summer, so seeing him was obviously wonderful. We haven’t seen one another for two months now, and last time I saw him there was barely a bump to speak of, now I’m looking positively rotund…! We also found out that our baby is a he! Very exciting indeed, I feel like I am getting to know him a little more every day and I can’t believe how fast the time is flying.
I saw my little sissie last month when I was in England, but it was lovely to spend some quality time with her in the US. Plus, my pup Dexter adores her, so he was in heaven last week. My sis is on a ridiculously fun road trip across America, her last hurrah before she begins teacher training in the Autumn, I was pretty flattered to be squeezed into her plans! All three of us really wanted to relax, so we resisted the temptation to push ourselves into any kind of heavily scheduled itinerary, instead we ate a lot of food, slept, spent some time at the beach, and just relaxed. It was fab.
I really have no clever segway to take me from my lazy weekend to this Roast Red Pepper & Cashew soup, so I suppose I should just jump in and tell you how marvelous it is. Friends, this soup is to die for! It is creamy, aromatic, and ridiculously abundant in flavour. There is a little sweetness, a little spice, a little tang, and even a little smokiness. Cashew nuts are blended with water to create a cashew cream, delicious red peppers are roasted to perfection, and both are mixed with tangy tomatoes and spices to make something truly magical. The lemon and parsley, though optional, are highly recommended as they give a little freshness to this otherwise creamy soup. We have been having a pretty cool summer here in Michigan, so a warm bowl of soup is still still very welcome. However, I have frozen a little stash in my freezer for those cool Autumn days just around the corner…
Enjoy!
Adapted from The Kitchn’s Creamy Vegan Cashew Tomato Soup
I heartily recommend you serve this with some homemade bread!
This soup freezes very well, so double up stock your freezer with an emergency stash!
I have spoken before about my lifelong quest to make tofu taste really good, and today I want to tell you about another one of my tricks! One of my favourite ways to come up with delicious tofu recipes, is to take inspiration from seafood. …
Yesterday I was sat in my weekly staff meeting chatting about upcoming projects with my colleagues. Suddenly I realised that it will be August next week. AUGUST! Where does the time fly? And why has my summer been so devoid of summery activity?! Hey, no …
Ahhhhh what a crazy couple of weeks! As if moving home isn’t trying enough, Kirk and I had 30 days to find a new place to live, and move our lives, whilst living in different states… not fun! So it actually seems fitting today that I am sharing this Thai Spiced Carrot Soup with you, it is very simple, no fuss, and both comforting and bolstering… the perfect antidote to the stress of a big move.
So what’s happening besides moving and making lazy soup recipes? Well I have been busy unpacking and settling into my new home, which includes trying to find some good running routes (so far- a little underwhelmed). The big news is I get to go home for a visit to England next weekend… for two weeks!! I’m so ready for a little injection of English wit and weather. In fact, yesterday it dawned on me that I have not enjoyed the British Summer since 2009! Refresh my memory… I should leave my Summer dresses at home, yes? Or just pack lots of cardigans?!
Anyway, enough about me and my weather concerns, let’s talk about how lovely this soup is. Simple really, its a carrot soup with infused with beautiful thai ingredients- coconut milk, lemongrass, lime, chili, ginger and coriander. The coconut milk makes it creamy and luxurious, and the thai flavours and a little zip! Let me know if you try it! And thank you all for your patience and well wishes- this little blog has certainly been neglected in the past couple of weeks, but I’m looking forward to sharing some good stuff with you soon!
Adapted from the Whaletail Cafe Cook Book, the Whaletail is a small vegetarian cafe in the town where I grew up- Lancaster UK.
If you don’t have carrots, or want to change this a little, I think Butternut Squash or Sweet Potato will be fantastic instead of carrots
This soup freezes well, I like to make big batches and freeze it into individual portions for lunch emergencies!
At some point during my early teenhood, my parents developed an interest in gardening. Pretty flowers, the odd bush, a smattering of herbs, and the most overactive fruit trees you could imagine. For some reason, the pear tree and the plum tree would produce an …
