Quinoa Vegetable Pilau

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I made this quinoa vegetable pilau this week. It is similar to the vegetable pilau I made before. I just replaced rice with quinoa. It tastes really good. A great one pot dish!

Bean Wrap/ Homemade Beans on Toast

I made this simple bean mixture yesterday with onion, garlic, a tin of chopped tomatoes, a tin of mixed beans and some fresh basil. I put the mixture in a tortilla wrap with some cheese and baked in oven for 10 minutes for dinner. I had it with some steamed broccoli. It was delicious!

I had half the mixture leftover so I heated it up for lunch today and had it on toast. Really nice as well!

I think the bean mixture would also taste good with baked potato…

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil (or alternative cooking oil)

1 onion chopped

1-2 cloves garlic chopped

1 tin chopped tomatoes

1 tin mixed beans (rinsed and drained)

a handful of fresh basil (if you don’t have fresh basil you could use a teaspoon of dried basil/ mixed herbs instead)

cheese (optional)

tortilla wrap/ bread/ baked potato

Step 1: Heat olive oil in a pot and cook onion and garlic for 3-4 minutes.

Step 2: Add in chopped tomatoes. Bring to boil, then simmer for 10 minutes.

Step 3: Stir in mixed beans and fresh basil

Bean wrap

Step 1: Put tortilla wrap in baking dish which has been greased with olive oil (or alternative cooking oil). Spoon some of the bean mixture into the middle of the wrap (I used about half the mixture for 1 wrap). Add cheese if using.

Step 2: Fold over wrap as best as you can. (I am not very good at folding wraps. Any tips let me know. ) Bake in oven preheated to 200 c for 10 minutes.

Step 3: Take out of oven and serve. My wrap opened up when I was serving it. I don’t mind. It’s nice to see the filling. 🙂 I had it with steamed broccoli.

Homemade beans on toast

Heat up bean mixture. Make toast. Put bean mixture on top of toast. Add cheese if you like. Enjoy!

Vegan Chickpea Pancakes

I made these vegan chickpea pancakes today. They taste great and are so simple to make!

Ingredients: chickpea flour, water, spring onion, carrot, red pepper, turmeric and cumin

Recipe from: https://www.virginmediatelevision.ie/shows/irelandam/article/1.65.1482.1484/295979/Indian-Inspired-Chickpea-Pancakes

Lentil Shepherd’s Pie

A simple, tasty, vegan shepherd’s pie recipe.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil (or alternative cooking oil)

1 onion chopped

2-3 cloves garlic chopped

2 carrots peeled and chopped

2 sticks celery chopped

2 cups lentils (I used a mix of red and brown lentils)

4 cups water

1 teaspoon dried mixed herbs

4 potatoes peeled and chopped

This recipe makes 4 servings

Step 1: Heat olive oil in a saucepan and cook onion, garlic, carrot and celery for 3-4 minutes.

Step 2: Add in lentils, water and dried mixed herbs. Bring to boil, then simmer for about 15 minutes.

Step 3: While the lentils are cooking steam or boil potatoes until soft (about 10 minutes).

Step 4: Mash potatoes with a potato masher or fork.

Step 5: Put lentil mixture in baking dish and spread evenly.

Step 6: Top lentil mixture with mashed potato. Bake in oven preheated to 200 c for about 25 minutes.

Step 7: It should look like this when it’s done. Enjoy hot! I had it with some steamed broccoli. If you have some leftover you can put it in the fridge and reheat it the next day.

Christmas Dinner

Hello everybody! I just wanted to share what I will be having for Christmas dinner this year in case anyone wants to know/ is looking for inspiration. 🙂

I will have a nut roast I got in the Quay Coop (the local health food shop) . It was easier to buy it than make my own. It saves time. The brand of nut roast is called Thank Goodness. I had one of their nut roasts last year as well and it tasted good.

With the nut roast I will cook a few veggie dishes:

Mashed Carrot and Parsnip

Red cabbage and apple

Whole roasted cauliflower with harissa spice and yogurt

Roasted baby potatoes

Steamed broccoli

All these dishes are simple to make and very tasty. Christmas dinner doesn’t have to be complicated.

Happy Christmas everybody!

Chocolate Ginger Nut Biscuit Cake

A Christmassy chocolate biscuit cake that’s very simple to make.

Ingredients

150g dark chocolate

50g butter

1 tablespoon honey

7 ginger nut biscuits broken into pieces

2 handfuls mixed dried fruit and nuts

Step 1: Melt chocolate, butter and honey in a saucepan over a low heat.

Step 2: Mix in dried fruit and nuts.

Step 3: Spread mixture in baking tin lined with parchment paper. Put in fridge for a few hours to set.

Step 4: Take out of fridge, cut into squares and enjoy! Try not to eat all at once. 😉 Keep refrigerated.

Lentil Dahl with Roasted Root Vegetables

This dahl is full of texture and flavour. It is a lovely warming dish for this time of year.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil (or alternative cooking oil)

2 carrots peeled and chopped

2 parsnips peeled and chopped

2 sweet potatoes peeled and chopped

1 onion chopped

3 cloves garlic chopped

some fresh ginger chopped

2 teaspoons curry powder

1 teaspoon turmeric

1 tin chopped tomatoes

1 cup red lentils

2 cups water

a bunch of fresh coriander

This recipe makes 3 servings

Step 1: Put carrot, parsnip and sweet potato in baking dish along with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Roast in oven for at least 30 minutes.

Step 2: Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a pot and cook onion, garlic and ginger for 3-4 minutes.

Step 3: Add in curry powder and turmeric and cook for another 1-2 minutes.

Step 4: Add in chopped tomatoes, lentils and water. Bring to boil and simmer for 20 minutes.

Step 5: Stir roasted vegetables and fresh coriander into lentil dahl.

Step 6: Enjoy hot! If you have some leftover put it in the fridge and reheat it the next day.

Parsnip, Potato and Leek Soup

A change from the traditional potato and leek soup. Parsnips add a nice creamy texture and sweet flavour to the soup.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 leek chopped

3 cloves garlic chopped

some fresh ginger chopped

2 teaspoons curry powder

4 parsnips peeled and chopped

3 potatoes peeled and chopped

1 litre water

This recipe makes about 5 servings

Step 1: Heat olive oil in a big pot and cook leek, garlic and ginger for 2 minutes.

Step 2: Add in curry spice and cook for another minute.

Step 3: Add in parsnip and potato. Stir well.

Step 4: Add in water, bring to boil, then simmer for about 20 minutes.

Step 5: Blend until smooth.

Step 6: Enjoy hot! If you have some leftover you can put in the fridge and reheat the next day.

Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Harissa Spice and Yogurt

This whole roasted cauliflower looks and tastes so good! It makes a great side dish.

Ingredients

1 head cauliflower

1 teaspoon harissa spice seasoning (or you could use harissa paste)

2 tablespoons yogurt

about 100ml water

 

Step 1: Wash cauliflower and remove outer leaves. Make indents in the top of the cauliflower with a knife so it will be easier to cut later. 

Step 2: Mix harissa spice and yogurt together to form a paste. 

Step 3: Spread harissa yogurt mixture over cauliflower. Put in baking dish. Add about 100ml water to dish.  Roast in oven preheated to 180 c for at least 1 hour. 

Step 4: It should look like this when it’s done.  Cut into pieces and enjoy as part of your dinner. 

Stir-fried Spinach with Garlic

This is my favourite way to cook spinach. It tastes great and it literally only takes 2 minutes to cook. It makes a great side dish.

 

Ingredients

1 teaspoon olive oil

1-2 cloves garlic chopped

spinach (use as much as you think you will eat)

 

Step 1: Heat olive oil in a wok and cook garlic for 1 minute. 

Step 2: Add in spinach and stir-fry for another minute. 

Step 3: Enjoy as part of your lunch or dinner.