By mid-December 2016, we had two delis open, lots of delicious new recipes for our customers and our range of energy balls had been successfully launched. We were so excited with how the business was going and we couldn’t believe it when we walked into a shop and saw our products for sale or watched a customer enjoy one of our new dishes. But we felt like there was still so much more to do. Matt and I had planned a quiet Christmas with our families to regroup, then, in the New Year, wanted to focus on innovation for our product business and expanding our team for the next stage of growth. However, these plans were dependent on us raising investment. It was something we had been working on for the previous six months and was desperately needed, as although our business was growing, we had a huge number of large payments due at the end of December and had agreed with the investor that he’d fund this shortfall before he went away for Christmas. However, on the day before signing our deal, the terms were suddenly changed and we were put in a near-impossible situation: sign a terrible deal or run out of money by the 1st January and consequently go bust. One of the biggest problems was the timing; everything was about to shut for Christmas, so the bank couldn’t look into loans or an extension of our overdraft until the New Year, but we had no way to cover the huge payments due before January.
Suffice it to say, it was a really stressful stage and one of the scariest moments we’ve had to date. We had employed people with families, who had come to us from secure jobs, and had new starters confirmed, but there was seemingly no way to keep the business afloat without doing something we knew wouldn’t serve us in the long run. After an agonising few days, we decided to walk away from the deal and instead accept a short-term loan from our finance director, our family and a friend, which we secured against our flat. Knowing that we now owed our parents and other people we cared for so much money was terrifying. At this point, everything we had – both emotionally and materially – was invested in Deliciously Ella.
On the outside, things, I’m sure, looked pretty great, especially as our energy balls were in more than 3,000 stores just six months after launch. Internally though, it felt as though we were just fighting to survive, and we were on a pretty intense mission to get cash into the business. We were still based in our tiny, 450 square-foot office on Bloomsbury Street with all the honking and beeping that comes from a busy one-way road on which there’s nowhere to stop. When I’d taken on the lease in 2015, just before meeting Matt, I had assumed that we’d never be more than five people or so, but at this point we had between 14 and 17 people in there on any day. Our team had left their sensible professional environments and found themselves in a space where no one had a permanent desk, there was a kitchen in the middle of the room, blenders would be whizzing while they made important calls, I would stand on their desk to get a good Instagram photo and every time they stood up our dog Austin would jump on to their unoccupied chair and steal it for himself! Due to the lack of space, we used the little hotel opposite us for our meetings and the staircase for conference calls. It was mad, but there was a real buzz in there every day and it definitely helped to bring us all together. Matt kept telling us that he was going to build a mezzanine level to fit some more bodies in and we all laughed, but I really don’t think he was joking – if he could have, he would have!
Our office lease was due to run out at the end of May though, so that spurred us on with the search for new investors. The whole process felt a little bit like speed dating; we met so many people and it was a question of whether there was a spark, a sense of mutual respect, excitement and a comfortable acceptance of the fact that we would be tied up together for years. We pitched to a lot of people, but we knew as soon as we’d met the right group. We both had the same gut instinct, and that sense of intuition is something we try and listen to a lot in our business. We had to do a Dragons’ Den style pitch to them, and I was the only woman in a room of about 40 men, all of whom were phenomenally successful. I couldn’t help but feel a little intimidated, but once I’d got past my own fear, things went really well and we started progressing with a deal soon afterwards.
We’d been so desperate for cash that I hadn’t completely taken stock of what a huge thing it was for me to give some of Deliciously Ella to what felt like total strangers. Handing over part of the business I had created was a crazy feeling but I knew it was right. From this moment, what we were doing was no longer about me, it was about our team members; our new investors, who had trusted us with their money; and, most importantly, the Deliciously Ella community, whom I knew we could do more for with additional funds. As terrifying as it was, the second the papers were signed there was a real sense of relief. We were able to pay back the money we’d recently borrowed, the business had some money in it, and despite still having the loan against our flat, we were stable for the first time, and really excited to see what would happen next. Matt and I lay in bed that night, cried a bit with relief, and looked forward to waking up the next morning on more solid ground.
The first thing we did was upgrade our office. We moved into our new company home in Soho in central London in May 2017, where we’ve built a dream kitchen which we all love. It has a beautiful white marble work surface and gorgeous wooden shelves, which you’ll see throughout the book. It’s an amazing place to work, and we have plant-based team breakfasts and lunches in there every day, as well as filming and shooting all our recipes for the blog and social channels.
Around the same time, we also opened a big kitchen in Herne Hill in south London. This was the ideal spot as we could use it as a base from which to cater for the delis. We also opened our third deli there.
From this point, things continued to grow quickly: we scaled up the team, launched our next book and got to work on the second product range – our granolas and bircher muesli. There were still intense periods, and we did keep working around the clock, even cancelling our romantic wedding anniversary weekend in Paris to sit in a Portakabin eating kilos and kilos of granola to meet a supermarket deadline, but each day felt more and more exciting. I was also really focused on making Deliciously Ella more accessible. Working as hard as we were, I was always short on time and knew that was the case for so many others – we all needed quick, simple recipes and ideas that worked within our day-to-day to-do lists, as well as using ingredients that were mostly easy to get hold of and that’s what forms the basis of the recipes in this chapter.
These sweet potato falafel have been on our menu since we opened and we’ve had lots of requests for the recipe, so I hope you enjoy making them at home. They’re really simple to make and need just six kitchen cupboard ingredients. I love these with salads and lots of hummus. They’re perfect for on-the-go and desk lunches too.
MAKES 10
2 medium sweet potatoes (about 300g), peeled and cut into bite-sized chunks
olive oil
1 × 400g tin of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons gram flour or plain flour
2 garlic cloves, roasted (see here)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
salt and pepper
Preheat the oven to 220ºC (fan 200ºC).
Place the chunks of sweet potato in a baking tray with a drizzle of olive oil and some salt and pepper, then put the tray into the oven for 40–45 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are soft. At this point, take them out and leave to cool.
Once the potatoes are cool, place them in a food processor along with all the remaining ingredients and pulse until you have a smooth paste.
Scoop balls of the mixture out of the food processor using an ice-cream scoop, smooth them a little by rolling them in your hands if you like, then place them on a lined baking sheet and bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Check they’re cooked through by inserting a knife into the middle of one ball – if it comes out clean they’re ready, if not bake for a little longer.
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These falafel are delicious served warm straight out the oven with a hot salad, such as the Roast squash, spring onion and mixed rice salad (see here), but they are also nice served cool.
This is my favourite falafel recipe. I love the rich flavour of the sun-dried tomatoes and the blend of chickpeas, butter beans, garlic, parsley and lemon juice. They’re really quick to make and are always a real hit. I love serving them as little appetisers with hummus to dunk them in when friends come over.
MAKES 10
1 × 400g tin of butter beans, drained and rinsed
½ × 400g tin of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
90g sun-dried tomatoes in oil (drained weight), plus 2 tablespoons of oil from the jar
2 garlic cloves, roasted (see here)
handful of parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons tomato purée
squeeze of lemon juice
salt and pepper
Preheat the oven to 220ºC (fan 200ºC).
Place all the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until you have a smooth paste.
Scoop balls of the mixture out of the food processor using an ice-cream scoop, smooth them a little by rolling them in your hands if you like, then place them on a lined baking sheet and bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Check they’re cooked through by inserting a knife into the middle of one ball – if it comes out clean they’re ready, if not bake for a little longer.
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Try making mini versions of these – about half the size of the ones in the recipe – to serve as little appetisers.
Cauliflower and butter beans bring a creaminess to whatever they’re used in, which is exactly what they do here – they add softness to each bite. The cumin, chilli and garlic give these falafel a fantastic flavour.
MAKES 10
½ cauliflower (about 200g), cut into small florets
1 × 400g tin butter beans, drained and rinsed
1 × 400g tin of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 garlic cloves, roasted (see here)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small red chilli (deseeded if you like less spice)
30g ground almonds
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt and pepper
Preheat the oven to 220ºC (fan 200ºC).
Place the cauliflower in a roasting tray and roast in the oven (without oil) for 8 minutes – it should still be crunchy at this point. Remove and leave to cool.
When the cauliflower is completely cool, place it in a food processor along with all the remaining ingredients. Pulse until the mixture comes together as a smooth paste. Once combined, place in the fridge for 1–2 hours. The cauliflower makes this falafel mixture a bit thinner than our other recipes, so chilling the mixture ensures it is thick enough to hold its shape. While the mixture sets in the fridge, you can turn your oven off.
Turn your oven on again to heat to 220ºC (fan 200ºC).
Scoop balls of the mixture out of the food processor using an ice-cream scoop, smooth them a little by rolling them in your hands if you like, then place them on a lined baking sheet and bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Check they’re cooked through by inserting a knife into the middle of one ball – if it comes out clean they’re ready, if not bake for a little longer.
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If you want to add extra flavour, add a handful of chopped parsley or some more spices to the falafel – a sprinkling of paprika or cayenne pepper is delicious.
I know these may sound a little strange, but they taste amazing – especially sitting in a bed of tomato relish and dressed with garlic cream. They’re full of flavour thanks to the thyme, rosemary, parsley, garlic and onion. I love them served simply with some brown rice and salad.
MAKES 10
150g dried green lentils
1 large onion, sliced
2 garlic cloves, sliced
2 tablespoons buckwheat flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
handful of parsley, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
salt and pepper
FOR THE TOMATO RELISH
6 tablespoons tomato purée
3 garlic cloves, peeled
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon maple syrup
100ml water
handful of parsley
pinch of ground cumin
pinch of chilli powder
pinch of smoked paprika
FOR THE GARLIC CREAM
100g cashews, soaked for at least 3 hours then drained
10 tablespoons almond milk
3 garlic cloves, roasted (see here)
splash of lemon juice
Preheat the oven to 200ºC (fan 180ºC).
Start by placing the lentils in a pan of boiling water. Cook for 20–25 minutes until tender but still with a slight bite. Once cooked, drain and leave to cool to room temperature.
While the lentils are cooking, place the onion and garlic in a pan over a medium heat with a drizzle of olive oil and some salt and cook for 5–10 minutes, until soft. Then leave to cool to room temperature.
Place all of the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until they form a thick paste. Scoop balls of the mixture out of the food processor using an ice-cream scoop, smooth them a little by rolling them in your hands if you like, then place them on a baking tray and bake in the oven for 35–40 minutes. Check the lentil balls are cooked through by inserting a knife into the middle of one ball – if it comes out clean they’re ready, if not bake for a little longer.
While the balls are in the oven, prepare the tomato relish and garlic cream. Simply place all of the ingredients for the relish in a food processor and some salt and pulse until smooth. Then do the same for the garlic cream, adding salt and pepper to taste. Serve the lentil balls piled high with the relish and garlic cream.
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These are delicious served warm straight out the oven – if you’re doing that then gently warm the tomato relish too.
These little sweet potato cakes are a great addition to any meal. I love them as part of a simple lunch bowl with brown rice and green veg, or served in a little stack with our Smoky baked beans (see here) and sliced avocado for brunch. Make extra as they’re easy to pop into a container for an on-the-go meal, plus you can freeze any extra cakes too – just fry them, leave them to cool, then freeze.
MAKES 14
300g sweet potato (about 2–3 sweet potatoes)
1 red onion
1 garlic clove
olive oil
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon arrowroot
2 spring onions, finely sliced
1 heaped tablespoon coconut oil, melted, plus extra for frying
salt and pepper
Preheat the oven to 220ºC (fan 200ºC).
Peel and grate the sweet potato, place in a baking tray covered with foil and cook in the oven for 20–25 minutes until soft. The foil will help to lock in the moisture and ensure the sweet potatoes cook through evenly.
While the sweet potatoes are cooking, finely slice the onion and garlic. Place them in a pan over a medium heat, drizzle with olive oil and cook for 5–10 minutes, until soft.
Once the sweet potatoes are cooked, mix them with the onion, garlic, ginger, arrowroot, spring onions, the melted coconut oil and some salt and pepper.
Place a frying pan over a medium heat with a little more coconut oil. Using a tablespoon, spoon out balls of the mixture and press down into little patties, about 5cm across. Cook in the pan for 3–4 minutes on each side, until golden.
These little mushroom and chestnut sliders are so delicious and have lovely hints of cumin, garlic and thyme. The flavour is rich, but the texture is soft and light. I love them served with salad bowls or in little sourdough buns with lots of hot sauce, slices of creamy avocado and some crispy lettuce. If you like a bit of sauce, the Tomato relish here is perfect with these.
MAKES 20 SMALL SLIDERS
600g chestnut mushrooms, roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
4 teaspoons dried thyme
1 teaspoon ground cumin
olive oil
360g cooked chestnuts
1 heaped tablespoon plain flour (we use a gluten-free one)
2 teaspoons arrowroot
salt and pepper
Preheat the oven to 220ºC (fan 200ºC).
In a bowl toss the mushrooms with the garlic, thyme, cumin, a drizzle of olive oil and some salt and pepper. Place the mixture in a baking tray and roast for 10–15 minutes until the mushrooms are golden, then remove and leave to cool.
Once cool, place the mushrooms in a food processor with all of the other ingredients and pulse until smooth. Scoop out one heaped tablespoon of the mixture at a time and form small patties, about 5cm across, using your hands.
Place a frying pan with a drizzle of olive oil over a medium heat and cook the sliders for 3–4 minutes on each side, until firm and cooked through.
We made these burgers for an Action Against Hunger burger-themed supper club and they were such a hit that we knew we needed to share them with you. They’re so easy to make and the mix of quinoa, black beans, mushrooms and chilli is delicious.
MAKES 6 LARGE BURGERS
1 red onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, roasted (see here)
olive oil
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon chilli powder
150g chestnut mushrooms
125g quinoa
250ml boiling water
1 × 400g tin of black beans, drained and rinsed
1 heaped tablespoon plain flour (we use a gluten-free one)
1 teaspoon arrowroot
pinch of sea salt annd pepper
Preheat the oven to 220ºC (fan 200ºC).
Place the onion and garlic in a frying pan over a medium heat with a drizzle of olive oil and cook for 5–10 minutes, until soft. Add the spices and cook for another minute before removing from the heat and leaving to cool.
Place the mushrooms in a baking tray with a tablespoon of olive oil and some salt and pepper and roast for 10–15 minutes until golden. Remove and leave to cool.
While the mushrooms cook, prepare the quinoa by placing it in a pan over a medium heat and covering with the boiling water. Bring back to the boil and simmer for 10–15 minutes. Once cooked, remove and leave to cool.
Once the mushrooms and quinoa have cooled, place all the ingredients in a food processor – make sure you discard any excess liquid from the mushroom pan before adding them to the processor, as this can make the mix too watery. Pulse until smooth then place the mixture in the fridge to cool for 30 minutes.
Once cool, use a large spoon to scoop out patties and flatten them into round shapes, about 8cm across. If needed, place the patties in the fridge for another 30 minutes to firm up.
Once the patties are firm enough to hold together when flipped; place a frying pan over a medium heat, drizzle with olive oil and cook the burgers for 5 minutes on each side.
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These freeze well, so put any patties you don’t need straight away in the freezer for another day or keep in the fridge for a few days and have them cold as part of an on-the-go or desk lunch.
This brightly-coloured dip feels like a mix between guacamole, hummus and pesto – three of my favourite things! The basil adds great flavour, while the chickpeas thicken it up and the avocado makes it so creamy. We add garlic and lemon juice to enhance the flavour.
MAKES 1 BOWL (ENOUGH TO SERVE ABOUT 4)
2 ripe medium avocados, peeled, stoned and roughly chopped
1 × 400g tin of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
juice of ½ lemon
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, roasted (see here)
25g basil
salt and pepper
Simply place all of the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until smooth.
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This is best served fresh to keep the colour. It’s delicious served with a mix of toasted rye bread and crunchy veggies or layered into a grain bowl.
These are simple recipes, but nice ones to have up your sleeve, as they’re quick and easy to make and hummus works well with just about everything. I make big batches of these every week so that I always have some in the fridge. I slather hummus on toast, dollop it on to salads and grain bowls, dip corn chips into it and even eat it with a spoon straight out the bowl. Classic hummus is a go-to for most of us, the roasted squash one is so incredibly creamy and the piquillo pepper one has a sweet, roasted red pepper flavour.
EACH RECIPE MAKES 1 BOWL (ENOUGH TO SERVE ABOUT 4)
CLASSIC
2 × 400g tins of chickpeas, plus the water from 1 tin
3 teaspoons ground cumin
juice of 1 lemon
115ml olive oil
2 garlic cloves, roasted (see here)
3 tablespoons tahini
salt
PIQUILLO PEPPER AND WALNUT
1 × 400g tin of chickpeas, plus 3 tablespoons of water from the tin
150g piquillo peppers
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, roasted (see here)
Juice of 1 lemon
3 tablespoons tahini
2 tablespoons maple syrup
50g walnuts, toasted (see here)
salt
Drain and rinse the chickpeas and place them in a food processor with all of the other ingredients. Whizz until smooth and creamy.
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Piquillo peppers are a mild variety of chilli. You should be able to find them in the supermarket in a jar quite easily but, if you can’t, just use any kind of jarred pepper.
ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH
700g butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and cubed
8 tablespoons olive oil, plus an extra drizzle for the squash
1 × 400g tin of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 garlic cloves, roasted (see here)
juice of ½ lemon
2 tablespoons tahini
1 teaspoon dried cumin
salt and pepper
Preheat the oven to 220ºC (fan 200ºC).
Place the chunks of squash in a baking tray with a drizzle of olive oil and some salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 45–50 minutes, until tender. Once cooked, remove and leave to cool.
Once the squash is cool, place it in a food processor with all the remaining ingredients and whizz until smooth and creamy.
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When serving these to friends, I like topping them with some garnishes to make them look even more beautiful. I add smoked paprika, olive oil and a sprinkling of roasted chickpeas to the classic; olive oil, chilli flakes and chopped walnuts to the piquillo pepper one; and some chopped parsley and olive oil to the butternut squash recipe.
If you’re looking for a change from hummus, this is a great option, as it uses broad beans instead of chickpeas and has a different flavour but the same kind of texture. It works well served with crunchy crudités or as a side in a big salad spread – I love the taste of the peas and avocado together. It is also a great way to sneak lots of extra veggies into a meal and add an extra dose of green to your life.
MAKES 1 BOWL (ENOUGH TO SERVE ABOUT 4)
1 large shallot, peeled and chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
olive oil
1 × 300g tin of broad beans, drained and rinsed
130g fresh peas (podded weight) or use frozen
1 avocado, peeled, stoned and roughly chopped
handful of fresh basil, chopped
2 tablespoons lemon juice
salt
Place the shallot and garlic in a frying pan over a medium heat with a drizzle of olive oil and cook for 5–10 minutes, until soft, then leave to one side to cool.
Meanwhile, blanch the broad beans and peas in boiling water for 2–3 minutes, before cooling in ice-cold water. Once cool, drain and leave to one side.
Once cool, place all of the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until smooth, adding a little salt to your taste.
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This dip tastes delicious garnished with a drizzle of olive oil and a handful of toasted sunflower seeds.
I’m pretty obsessed with this dip and make it as often as I can. The mix of roasted aubergines with tahini, sesame oil, peanut butter, garlic and lemon is just incredible. It’s bursting with flavour, and the smooth, creamy texture is wonderful too. I love adding this to salads, as well as serving it as a dip before dinner when I have friends round.
MAKES 1 BOWL (ENOUGH TO SERVE ABOUT 4)
3 medium aubergines
olive oil
4 garlic cloves
juice of ½ lemon
1 tablespoon tahini
1 tablespoon smooth peanut butter
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
salt and pepper
Preheat the oven to 220ºC (fan 200ºC).
Peel the aubergines and halve them lengthways. Place in a baking tray, drizzle with olive oil and add some salt and pepper. Roast for 40–45 minutes, until golden, adding the garlic for the last 5–10 minutes. Once cooked, remove and leave to cool.
Once the aubergine is cool, scrape the flesh into a food processor, along with the rest of the ingredients and pulse until smooth.
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This dip is delicious served with a drizzle of olive oil and sprinkled with a handful of pomegranate seeds.
