Pure Vegan Goodness

It’s been a while since i have blogged only because recently my children have become so very fussy and I don’t have time as i’ve been concentrating on my photography work!

But today I was determined to cook something super healthy and blog on the same day like I used to.

I bring with me a super duper trio of broccoli, kidney beans and sweetcorn style filling for the ever popular tortilla wrap!
So here goes…Much love D x

INGREDIENTS 

1 large broccoli into florets

1 tin kidney beans

1 tin tomato crushed

1 small tin of sweetcorn

1 tbsp rapeseed oil

3 shalots diced

2 garlic cloves minced

1 tsp cumin seeds

Crushed chilli flakes to taste

Salt and pepper to taste
METHOD
Heat up oil and cumin seeds in a large saucepan on a medium heat. Once the seeds sizzle,  cook off the shalots for a minute or so.
Toss in the broccoli with the sweetcorn.
Season with salt, pepper and chilli flakes. Mix well

Cover and cook on a low heat for 8 to 10 minutes 

Put in the crushed tomatoes, kidney beans and garlic.  Stir well. Cover for another 10 minutes

Now the filling is ready to put into tortilla wraps! Don’t forget the grated cheese! If you’re not vegan.

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A Spicy Chipotle Tomato Sauce

The perfect sauce for your gnocchi. Smoked Chipotle chilli flakes with fleshy tomatoes crushed with garlic salt and pepper and a little bit of rape seed oil. Which in turn gives you a wonderful aromatic spicy and yet tantalizing sauce for any pasta dish!
All you do is blitz all the ingredients and gently cook through to fuse all the flavours.

INGREDIENTS 

1 tin crushed/whole tomatoes

1 medium white onion

2 garlic cloves

1 tbsp rapeseed oil 

2 pinches chipotle dried flakes

1 tsp garlic salt

Ground black pepper to taste

Dried Oregano to taste 

Salt to taste 

METHOD 

Blend the tomatoes, onion and garlic cloves together

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan. Sprinkle in the chipotle flakes, pepper, dried oregano  and garlic salt as the oil heats up

Keeping on a slow heat, pour the tomato blended mix. Season with salt, stir and cover the saucepan

Cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally 

Serve with gnocci or your favourite pasta

Enjoy!

Butter Bean, Kale & Tagliatelle Soup

A wholesome soup. Filled with some much goodness and the Kale just takes it to that super soup level!

INGREDIENTS

1 tin 400g butter beans drained
100g kale
100g tagliatelle
50g crushed tomato
800ml water
1 garlic clove crushed
1 tsp cumin powder
Salt to taste

METHOD

Place all the ingredients into a soup maker or in a saucepan on a medium heat to simmer.  Cook through until soft. 

Holiday Means Chocolate Muffins!

Recently I have found it very difficult to buy chocolate muffins without the taste of soda bicarbonate running through it! A real bitter taste, not gooey and very dry in the middle.

However I’m have very happy to say that today I found the ideal quick and extremely indulgent and delicious chocolate muffin recipe from Taste Australia.

Both my boys were running around the house so I thought I’d give them a task which they would enjoy. Making chocolate muffins! and then of course eating the final result!  Worked a treat and they were very happy too!

INGREDIENTS

2 1/4 cups self-raising flour, sifted
1/2 cup cocoa powder, sifted
1 cup caster sugar
3/4 cup dark chocolate chips
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs

METHOD

Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan-forced. Line a 12-hole, 1/3 cup-capacity muffin pan with paper cases.

Combine flour, cocoa, sugar and chocolate chips in a large bowl. Make a well in centre. Whisk vegetable oil, milk, vanilla and eggs in a large jug. Add oil mixture to well (see Cooking class, below). Using a wooden spoon, stir until just combined (don’t over-mix). Spoon mixture into paper cases.

Bake for 25 minutes or until firm to touch and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Stand in pan for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Serve.

Recipe from http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/27866/basic+chocolate+muffins

Some Birthday Cake?

I’ve been wanting to make Lamingtons, for quite some time now but when my son said he wanted a chocolate cake with coconut for MY BIRTHDAY…then that worked for me!  I’m just really happy we like the same sweet things lol!

A massive chunky, glossy ganache covered chocolate fudge cake topped off with naturally crunchy sweet coconut! Ummmm loved it! We all did!

I had to share some cake with you all…I hope you enjoy it, as much as we did!  Have a beautiful day friends! See you soon! Much love, D x

Click on the blue link below for the recipe…

My favourite chocolate fudge cake recipe…just top with extra coconut!

Baked Egg In Toast

A cheese and egg dish which can only be described as ultimate comfort on a plate.  Is a brilliant nutritious breakfast or a luxury delight at brunch!

Prep takes a minute, place in the oven and when the timer goes off your cheese, egg in toast is ready!

INGREDIENTS for 1

Slice of bread
1 medium egg
Grated cheddar cheese
Butter

METHOD

Preheat oven to 200c

With the back of a tablespoon press firmly into the centre of the bread. Making an indent for the egg to sit in

Lightly butter the edges of the bread

Crack an egg into the indent.  Sprinkle the edges with grated cheese

Place in the oven for 15 minutes. You should get a runny egg!

A Silky Courgette Pasta Sauce

It’s the time to be sneaky again. Vegetables will be disguised in many forms so that our little ones will eat and hopefully enjoy them through the flavour rather than texture. I feel it is the texture that many children fear when it comes to eating fruit and vegetables. I couldn’t do aubergine when I was younger as it felt rather slimy on my tongue! Now I can’t live without them! Thanks to my Mum’s perseverance in feeding them to me.

Pasta is always a winner and chunks of courgettes are not appealing to our children so blitz it, make it smooth and silky! They’ll be none the wiser!

INGREDIENTS

1 large courgette
1 tin plum tomatoes
3 garlic cloves
1 level tsp dried oregano
Dried chilli flakes to taste
Salt to taste
1 tbsp olive oil
100ml water

METHOD

Blend the courgette, tomatoes and garlic to a smooth paste with the water

Heat up the oil on a low heat in a medium saucepan with the oregano and chilli flakes.  Once the oil starts to sizzle slowly pour in the tomato blend.  Stir in the salt

Keeping on a low heat, allow to simmer gently for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Whilst the sauce is cooking through put on your penne pasta to boil

Serve the sauce on a bed of pasta with a sprinkling of grated mature cheddar cheese

Paneer In Urad Daal

Paneer and black gram split lentils, I was yet to combine in a dish, so yesterday was the day. I was extremely pleased with the result as I managed to get a mushy daal with bags of flavour. It tasted very similar to a daal makhani, as the paneer provided the wonderful creamy feel and flavour

Ummm…I was in heaven! I’m sure you all will love it too, guaranteed!

INGREDIENTS

1 cup cubed paneer
1 cup split urad, white split gram lentils
½ tsp soda bicarbonate
¼ tsp turmeric
Boiling water
1 tbsp sunflower oil
½ tsp mustard seeds
1 onion diced finely
1 tomato chopped
1 tsp garam masala
2 tsp dried cumin & coriander powder
Salt to taste
Lemon juice to taste
½ cup tomato passata/crushed tomato
Fresh coriander optional

METHOD

Boil the urad daal with the bicarbonate of soda and turmeric until soft and mushy. Once cooked leave aside

In a large non stick saucepan, heat the oil and mustard seeds on a medium heat.  Fry off the onion and fresh tomato

Add all the spices and stir fry for a couple of minutes

Pour in this tomato passata, along with the cooked daal and its water.  Gently place in the cubed paneer into the saucepan

Simmer through on a low heat for 20 minutes or so, stirring occasionally

Garnish with fresh coriander and serve with freshly made hot chapatis

Instant Loaded Egg Paratha

My husband is always watching Indian street food videos on YouTube.  This is one particular dish that he was checking and that I was extremely intrigued by.
I think you all know me by now, in that I love to cook really, really simple food and am not embarrassed in taking short cuts to get to the final yummy result!

This is one of those easy than easier recipes, yet so satisfying and filling.  The protein hit from the egg and cheese really reaches the spot!  Make sure that you have some ready made parathas or frozen parathas like I used in this recipe and you are ready to go my friends!

Enjoy, see you soon! Much love, D x

INGREDIENTS

Frozen paratha/ready made paratha
Large eggs
Grated mature cheddar cheese
Spring onion sliced
Chopped fresh coriander
Chilli flakes
Butter
Salt and pepper to taste

METHOD

Place the frozen paratha in a frying pan and cook through on both sides to a medium golden brown.  Spread a little butter on one side

Crack one egg onto the buttered paratha and break the yolk gently.  Load on all other ingredients and seasoning

Cover with a large lid on a low heat for 5 or so minutes or until egg is firm

Fold the paratha and serve with a hot chilli sauce

Wordless Wednesday

Enjoy your day!…