The Carrot, An Orange Delight

The carrot…not one of my vegetables of choice but now is, as both my boys love them as does our pet house rabbit Alfie!

I’m just about getting myself to eating them raw, like them in a fruit & veg juice mix and now I have made them a little tangy to add them as a side dish to any Indian meal

INGREDIENTS

3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced into thin rounds
½ tbsp sunflower oil
1 tsp cumin powder
½ tsp black mustard seeds
Salt to taste
Fresh lime juice to taste

METHOD

In a medium saucepan, heat the oil and mustard seeds. As soon as the seeds start to pop, gently add in the carrots

Sprinkle with the cumin powder, mix well so that all the carrots are coated. Cover and reduce the heat. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes til slightly soft

Season with salt and fresh lime juice, cover and cook until the carrot is a little more tender.

Serve with your favourite Indian meal

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Carrot, Strawberry & Ginger Smoothie

Every morning we have a new flavour of smoothie. Having Mr Shivaay Delights working from home gives me the opportunity to spoil him with healthy breakfast shakes.

If I forget then I will be subtly reminded to make him one. So I guess he is enjoying the smoothies that come flying out of our kitchen.

Keep your eye on more fruity and nutritional smoothie recipes coming up!

Hope you’re all are having a beautiful day. Much love, D x

INGREDIENTS

1 medium carrot peeled and chopped
Handful of strawberries
2 apples cored and chopped
Dash of orange juice
Fresh ginger to taste

METHOD

Put all the ingredients into your blender/nutri bullet.  Blitz to a fine blend

Add more water if too thick to achieve desired consistency

The Perfect After Gym Soup!

My younger brother came over today to spend time with myself and my 2 little boys. He had already planned in his gym session as the gym is close by. So I took this perfect opportunity to cook up a protein filled soup with plenty of vegetables and lots and lots of vegetable stock, for hydration and quinoa for protein.

The feedback was great, he found that it replenished his strength well and was a quick fix to fill him up but wasn’t too heavy. I found that it relieved my headcold really well. Most likely was the potent healing garlic, that works a treat for me everytime!

Give it a go friends and let me know how you get on…Have a beautiful day, evening…Much love, D x

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INGREDIENTS

1 large courgette grated
1 large carrot peeled and grated
1 clove garlic minced
½ cup quinoa
600 – 700ml vegetable stock
1 tsp dried coriander powder
1 tbsp sunflower oil
½ tbsp butter
2 tbsp cornflour dissolved in half a cup of water
Salt to taste
Chilli flakes to garnish optional

METHOD

Heat up the oil and butter together, gently place in the grated carrot and courgette into the deep saucepan.  Sauté for 2 to 3 minutes until soft

Season with the coriander powder and salt.  Pour over the vegetable stock, cornflour solution along with the garlic.  Bring to a boil

Slow the heat down to a gentle simmer and stir in the quinoa.  Cover and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally

Serve up hot with chilli flakes to garnish

Black Eyed Bean Curry

In every Gujarati home you will find that black eyed beans are used very regularly. In mine though, not so much until now. I have teamed up this mild flavourful curry with the sweetness of carrot, adding a little more goodness in too. Very little oil is used and overall a very filling and wholesome recipe.  Also brilliant for a vegan diet 🙂

I hope you’re all having a tremendous Tuesday and I shall see you tomorrow friends! Much love, D x

INGREDIENTS

1 tin of black eyed beans drained and rinsed
1 large carrot peeled and grated
1/2 tbsp sunflower oil
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
Pinch of asafoetida
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp garam masala
1 heaped tsp coriander and cumin powder
1/2 tsp salt or to taste
Lime juice to taste
1/2 tsp ginger & garlic paste
100g tomato crushed passata
1/2 cup water
Fresh coriander to finish (optional)

METHOD

Heat up the oil in a medium saucepan, throw in both types of seeds and asafoetida. Once it starts to sizzle, add the grated carrot and sauté for a few minutes

Mix in all seasoning and spices. Combine well, add the beans and simmer for 7 minutes on a low heat

Pour in the passata, water and stir in the ginger and garlic paste. Cover and cook for a further 10 minutes on low

Squeeze over some lime onto the curry and serve with some rice or pitta bread

Roasted one pot veg biryani

An aromatic and tasty rice dish which is so very refreshing with gentle hints of tomato, coriander and Indian spices. It’s not your traditional veg biryani but a quick fix for those who crave some biryani fast! It is first cooked on the stove and then transferred to the oven to roast. This provides and adds a delightful flavour as the spices become more intense as they are roasted. Serve simply with some cool cucumber raita. (Raita recipe coming soon)

INGREDIENTS

300g Basmati rice
250g frozen mixed veg
200g tomato passata
900ml water
1 red onion finely chopped
1 chilli sliced
1 heaped tsp salt
2 tsp ground cumin and coriander
2 tsp biryani powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
2 cloves
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
2 cardamom pods
1 cinnamon stick
Pinch of asafoetida
1 tbsp oil
Handful of chopped coriander

METHOD

1. Preheat oven to 180c/350f/gas mark 4. Heat oil in a large saucepan and add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, cloves, cardamom pods, cinnamon stick and asafoetida. Once mustard seeds start to pop throw in the onion and cook gently until slightly translucent.

2. Pour in the passata. Put in chilli, salt, ground cumin/coriander, turmeric, biryani powder. Add the mixed veg. Combine well and cook on a low heat for 3 minutes

3. Wash rice a few times and combine with the tomato base. Slowly pour in the water and stir. Bring to the boil and then simmer gently for 12 minutes. Stirring occasionally

4. Rice should be half done at this stage. You may need to add a little water if too much has been absorbed. Get your oven dish (30×23×5cm depth) and transfer the veg rice into it, mix rice. Place dish in the oven for at least 15-20 minutes. Make sure rice is cooked.

5. Once done sprinkle with fresh coriander and serve with cucumber raita