Cauliflower Crumb

A different way to eat cauliflower.  Either on its own or used as a crumb.  I quite like it as it is. 

This crumb couldn’t be simpler!  Something to snack on and it’s actually good for you!!!

INGREDIENTS

1 small raw cauliflower grated finely
A little broccoli is desired
Fresh lemon juice to taste
Salt to taste

Extras to spice the mix up a bit

Smoked paprika
Garam masala
Roasted pumpkin & sunflower seeds

METHOD

Combine all ingredients. If using the plain lemon version this can definitely be used as a crumb to coat ingredients instead of breadcrumbs

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Kerala Style Okra Curry

My taste buds fancied something different today I aim to make different dishes at least once or twice a week to mix it up a little and have a bit of variety in our usual day-to-day lives

I found this recipe online by the amazing Tarla Dalal.  I’ve never combined vegetables in a South Indian based curry and I’m extremely happy that this was my first one.

So moreish, healthy and luxuriously coconuty plus the sourness of the yoghurt and spices to cut through the sweetness

The recipe can be found @ http://m.tarladalal.com/Dahi-Bhindi-(–Kerala-Style-)-267r

I’m very sure you all will enjoy it as much as I did!

I have an easy and versatile potato curry coming up soon! Keep watching!

Until then, much love, D x

Saag Aloo, I’m back to being healthy!

So the plan was to take a cheeky break from our relatively healthy diet that both my husband and I are on. We did for a while…And I’m extremely happy to say I am back to eating healthy and even healthier! Yay!

The reason for the termination of the cheeky break was that I started to feel horrible physically. I felt bloated and guilty that I had to go back to the wonderful way it was!

I think anyone can tell you to eat healthy, but it’s only when you see what a difference it makes to you! It’s when you realise it’s the best thing for you. You feel better, not only physically but emotionally too!

So what better way to celebrate then to share my saag aloo recipe with you all. Fresh vivid green baby spinach draped over soft spiced new potatoes! It just couldn’t get better. Enjoy, much love D x

INGREDIENTS

500g new potatoes quartered and par boiled
200g baby spinach
2 cloves garlic crushed
1 green chilli finely sliced
½ tsp grated ginger
1 tbsp sunflower oil
¼ mustard seeds
¼ tsp cumin seeds
Pinch of dried red chilli flakes
⅓ tsp turmeric powder
2 tsp coriander & cumin powder
1 tsp garam masala
Salt to taste

METHOD

• Heat up the oil in a large saucepan with the chilli flakes, mustard and cumin seeds. Once they start to pop, gently add in the garlic, ginger and par boiled potatoes, mix well and ensure the potatoes are coated in the oil

• Throw in all the spices and seasoning, combine well, pour in a little water to aid the cooking process (½ cup)

•Cover and simmer on a low heat for 10-15 minutes.

• Put in the whole bag of baby spinach and cover to allow it to wilt, stirring occasionally

• Leave to cook for a further 10 minutes, ensuring that the potato is now soft and fluffy. You may like add a little single cream to make the curry a little richer (leave out if Vegan)

• Serve up with some naan bread or chapattis

The healthy recipes just keep on coming!

Ok, I’m freaking myself out! I’ve produced another really healthy recipe in two days! No butter or cheese in this vegetarian shepherd’s pie. I swapped the traditional mash potato topping for a sweet potato one, which provides this dish with a sweetness to compliment the earthiness of the vegetables.

A real winter warmer and so very filling due to the protein content. So great for the husband’s diet and good for me too!

But I’m going to be baking again today! Just to balance things out a bit lol!
Have a super day friends, much love D x

INGREDIENTS

3 medium sweet potatoes boiled
300g frozen quorn/soya mince
1 large onion sliced in crescents
2 cups of selection of frozen or fresh vegetables
2 garlic cloves crushed
200g tomato passata or crushed
½ vegetable stock cube
½ cup of hot water
1 tsp ground cumin powder
1 tsp soya sauce
½ tbsp tomato ketchup
A few sprigs of fresh coriander chopped
2 tbsp olive oil

METHOD

• In a large saucepan sauté the onion and garlic in 1 tablespoon of oil. Add the vegetables and mix well

• Throw in the quorn mince, pour in the hot water and crumble in the stock cube. Stir, cover and simmer on a low heat for 10 minutes

• Meanwhile mash the boiled sweet potato with a little olive oil until smooth, set aside for now

• Gently stir in the passata, soya sauce and tomato ketchup and simmer for a further 5-7 minutes. Sprinkle in the fresh coriander

• In a deep rectangular oven dish, empty out all the cooked vegetable mince

and then top off with the sweet potato mash. Use a fork to set it down

• Place in the oven for 20 minutes and then brown off in the grill

Serve with a crisp refreshing salad

A Breakfast Treat!

My husband found a whole bunch of used coriander in the fridge and most importantly the stalks were still very vibrant and aromatically fresh.
The first thing he suggested was a typical Indian green chutney. So I woke up this morning and started to work on it!

Normally we would add peanuts but I only had walnuts in my pantry from my baking endeavours so they went in first. To bulk up the vitamin and mineral content I threw in some crisp baby spinach leaves. All the Indian flavours followed and within minutes I had a tangy, hot chutney resting in the fridge just chilling away until the dhoklas were ready for it! Have a restful Sunday! Much love D x

INGREDIENTS

40g walnuts
100g fresh coriander with stalks
Handful of fresh baby spinach
½ tsp of grated ginger
3 cloves garlic crushed
2 hot green chillies
½ the juice of fresh lemon
1½ tbsp sunflower oil
1 tsp salt or more to taste
A little water

METHOD

• Blitz the walnuts into a grainy paste.

• Add all the other ingredients and whizz into a chutney paste. You may need to thin the chutney out with a little water, but please do check seasoning after using the water

Serve up with some fluffy Khaman Dhokla

Potato & Spinach Theplas & A Chilli Tomato Chutney

I woke up this morning and I asked my 2 year old what he wanted for breakfast?
I got an instant answer that just rolled off of his tongue…”Thepla please Mummy!”

I couldn’t resist the sweetness in the reply and I did ask what he had wanted to eat. So I’ve just finished making them and thought I would share my spinach theplas again but with a variation…

I grated a red potato with peel and combined it into the flour as I do with the spinach in my spinach theplas

Please note that you may have to use a little less water to bind the dough as the potato releases its own moisture. Otherwise follow my thepla recipe and add a little more seasoning according to taste

This way my little one will be full up for longer and the potato does add to the softness of the thepla

Carrying on the theme of tomatoes from the last post I felt an impullse to make a hot fresh tomato chutney to accompany the theplas. Within fifteen minutes I had a chutney good to go!

INGREDIENTS

For the chilli tomato chutney
1 tbsp sunflower oil
½ tsp red chilli flakes
2 tomatoes chopped
2-3 long green chillies
⅓ tsp salt
1 tsp cumin and coriander powder
pinch of turmeric
½ tsp red chilli powder

METHOD

• Heat up the oil in a small saucepan with the chilli flakes, on a low heat let the flakes infuse into the oil for 5 minutes

• Add the rest of the ingredients to the oil, mix well and let the tomatoes and chilli cook in the oil on a low heat for 10 minutes. Stirring occasionally and squashing the tomatoes a little with a fork to tenderise them

• Once the chutney is mushy and the the chilli soft serve it with the potato spinach theplas

Even he couldn’t resist pretending to make some thepla! 🙂

Samosa masala toasted sandwich

Bored of your usual sandwich fillings? If so, try this samosa masala sandwich. If you like samosas you will love this!

A healthy filling, apart from the cheese but you could leave that out! On toasty brown wholegrain bread which gives you your fibre intake. Ok! so I’m trying to be healthy in balancing out the naughty sweet recipes I post! Lol!

A quick recipe to satisfy your hunger pangs. If you fancy something sweet after, try my basil seed sweet faluda milkshake!

Have an awesome day…see you tomorrow x

INGREDIENTS

2 large red potatoes chopped into small cubes
1 small onion finely chopped
1 cup frozen garden peas
1 tbsp sunflower oil
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
Pinch of asafoetida
2 tsp ground cumin & coriander powder
1/3 tsp turmeric
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp salt or to taste
A splash of tomato passata
Fresh coriander chopped

for the sandwich
Slices of brown wholegrain bread
Mozarella or cheddar grated
Butter

METHOD

Heat the oil with the onion,cumin, mustard seeds and asafoetida. Once they start to sizzle add the potatoes and coat well in the oil

Throw in all the dry spices and seasoning with the onion and combine well

Pour in a little water to aid the potato cooking process

Bring to the boil and then cover and simmer on a low flame for 10 minutes
Stirring occasionally

Throw in the peas, mix and simmer for a further 5 minutes

Stir in a little tomato passata and cover again on a low heat for 5-10 minutes

Make sure the potatoes are soft and tender. Then garnish with coriander

To make the sandwich toast two slices of bread and melt a little grated mozzarella or mature cheddar on one toast and butter the other

Spread the potato pea filling on one of the toasts. Sandwich together and then slice in half.” Voila!” your samosa sandwich with cheese is good to go x

Dudhi & red lentil dal

Dudhi (bottle gourd) a vegetable you may or may not have heard of, but one of my favourites along with similar tasting vegetables as courgettes and marrow. Traditionally made into a curry either by itself or with potato.

My mum used to make dudhi and potato masala/filling for dosas. She still puts it into a well known channa dal recipe but I didn’t want it to be too heavy and decided to use split red lentils instead.

Once again my vegetable disguising skills came in handy my boys ate the dal without realising there was dudhi in it. I guess because it was sliced thin and the dal has a lot of flavour which is what they always crave for!

Get some Dudhi today and give it a go if you’ve never used it!

INGREDIENTS

200g red split lentils
1 dudhi peeled and finely sliced into quarters
3 cloves garlic crushed
1 tsp ginger grated
¼ tsp mustard seeds
¼ tsp cumin seeds
Pinch of chilli flakes
Pinch of asafoetida
1 tsp garam masala
1½ tsp sambhar masala
2 tsp ground cumin & coriander powder
⅓ tsp turmeric powder
1½ tsp salt or to taste
Chilli powder to taste
200g tomato passata
1 tbsp sunflower oil
water to boil lentils
Squeeze of lemon juice

METHOD

• Rinse and boil red split lentils until soft for approximately 10 to 12 minutes. Leave the lentils in the boiled water

• Heat the oil in a large saucepan along with the cumin, mustard seeds and chilli flakes, once they start to sizzle add the chopped dudhi, garlic (2 crushed cloves)and all of the masala seasoning. Mix and cover for 5 minutes on a low to medium heat

• Add the passata, stir and cook for a further 3 minutes on a low heat

• Pour in the boiled lentils with the water but if there is too much water then take some out before combining with the dudhi. Check seasoning at this stage you may need more salt or garam masala

• Lastly stir in the last of the crushed garlic, stir and let the daal simmer for 10 minutes on a low heat. Squeeze a little fresh lemon juice in the end to lift the flavour of the dal

Serve with some fluffy basmati rice and garnish with fresh coriander

Vegetarian Quorn Kleftiko

I was intrigued by a dish that I saw on tv. A greek dish ~ a Lamb Kleftiko, slow cooked lamb in the oven with distinctive flavours. So I thought to myself how could I come up with something like that for the Vegetarian. Though not slow cooked this dish really came up trumps!

I’ve never put Quorn that I cook in the oven but the intensity of the leeks and the sweetness of the tomato really infused well with the Quorn. Kleftiko being a Greek dish, I decided to serve it with some tzatziki in a wrap. You could even have it with some flat bread as the tzatziki brings tangyness and moisture to this dish.

Something really healthy, filling and different from the norm! I hope you enjoy! x

INGREDIENTS

350g frozen Quorn™ chicken style pieces
2 leeks finely sliced
2 tomatoes in wedges
Handful of cherry tomatoes halves
3 cloves garlic crushed
1 tsp ground cumin & coriander powder
½ tsp paprika
salt to taste
2 tbsp olive oil

METHOD

• Heat up 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a non stick saucepan and add the quorn pieces, mix thoroughly so all the pieces are coated in the oil. Cover and cook on a low heat for 10 minutes stirring occasionally

• Meanwhile heat up the other tablespoon of olive oil in a non stick frying pan, throw in the leeks and garlic wait until soft on a low to medium heat. Season with the salt

• Preheat the oven to 180°c/350°f/gas mark 4. Once the quorn pieces are tender after the initial phase, season with paprika and the ground cumin & coriander powder, mix well

• Add the leeks into the saucepan with the quorn. Combine well and turn out into a baking dish. Dot the wedges of tomato and the cherry tomatoes in between the quorn and leek mixture

• Place into the oven for 10 minutes, mix through and smash the tomatoes a little to release its juices and bake for a further 10 minutes. The tomatoes will now be soft and tender and the quorn pieces will have crisped up a bit

• Serve in a tortilla wrap with some home made Tzatziki, don’t worry recipe will appear here soon. Enjoy x

Delightful Chocolate Mousse

I always thought mousse was quite a fussy thing to do. I was under the impression that you need cream which I hardly have on hand and gelling agents but boy was I wrong when I found this recipe! I adapted it by spiking it with almond extract to infuse it with nuttiness! And you clearly get the almond notes as the smooth mousse caresses your tongue.

I had all these delicious ingredients, I made it in the afternoon and by the evening dessert was ready! I still have 2 ramekins full of chocolate delight…you never know I might have a Nigella moment and devour some in the middle of the night!

INGREDIENTS

75g plain chocolate melted
2 eggs separated
25g butter unsalted preferred
2 tbsp caster sugar
½ tsp almond extract

METHOD

• Combine the melted chocolate with butter and let it cool a little, stir in the egg yolks and almond extract

• Whisk the egg whites and add sugar until stiff peaks form

• Gently fold the egg whites into the chocolate, making sure everything is combined

Spoon into 4 small pots or ramekins and chill for a few hours until ready to indulge!

Adapted from Good Food