COURGETTE AND CANNELLINI BEAN LASAGNE
COURGETTI WITH QUICK CHICKPEA TOMATO SAUCE
MARINATED BUTTERBEAN GREEK SALAD
SIMPLE AND SPICED MUNG BEAN SALAD
FOR MORE IDEAS FOR VEGETABLE MAINS TRY:
CARROT RAMEN NOODLE AND MISO SOUP
CUCUMBER, AVOCADO AND CHICKPEA SALAD
HUEVOS RANCHEROS WITH GUACAMOLE
MUM’S ADUKI AND GREEN BEAN SALAD
QUICK COCONUT DAHL WITH ZINGY SLAW
SQUASH AND GINGER SOUP WITH LEMONY CORIANDER OIL
SUPERBLY SIMPLE BROCCOLI SOUP 3 WAYS
SUPER-CHARGED STORECUPBOARD SPINACH SOUP
TANGLE SALAD WITH GINGER ANCHOVETTE DRESSING
WELSH RAREBIT ON FLAX WITH WATERCRESS SALAD
In almost every recipe in this book, and certainly every chapter, vegetables play the hero – from breakfast through to desserts – but this is the section that truly celebrates the plant kingdom. Here we’ve created hearty main courses where a piece of meat or fish won’t be missed, thanks to innovative, satisfying dishes in which we team our favourite pulses, pseudocereals and starchy roots with a rainbow array of veg. We prefer less meat in the evenings as we find we digest it better earlier in the day, so these dishes make great suppers. You’ll find bone broth and butter in among the ingredients, but you can easily swap them to suit vegetarian and vegan lifestyles (for more on this, see here).
As in recipes throughout the book, we replace grains, white potatoes and refined baking flours with less starchy, more nutrient-dense alternatives. Try our ‘lasagne’ (see here) made from thinly sliced courgettes layered with a cannellini bean tomato sauce and a ricotta ‘béchamel’ – no pre-cooking needed! Check out our cauli rice (see here), we’ve pimped up this side dish to serve it as a main in three deliciously different ways, or Easy Cheesy Broccoli Risotto (see here), with quinoa replacing standard Arborio. These wholefood alternatives are far more nourishing and will leave you feeling invigorated and pleasantly satisfied rather than bloated and uncomfortably full.
We’re big fans of simple food combining, where we avoid mixing too much protein with starch in the same meal (such as chicken with quinoa) to improve digestion and also strive to ensure that two-thirds of our plate are made up of vegetables to enhance overall well-being. Think of vegetables in two main camps: the starchier roots and the low-starch varieties such as leafy greens. It’s about teaming those leafy greens with either protein or starchy foods, as well as good fats such as olive oil or butter. When meat is off the menu, use a base of pulses, pseudocereals or starchy veg as the main part of your meal, along with nutritious fats. Bulk it out with green veggies, serve it with more veggies and slip veggies in wherever possible!
A spiralizer is perfect for transforming vegetables into noodles to use in place of starchy pasta – cutting out refined carbohydrates in one fell swoop while upping your veg quota in a tasty way. If you don’t have a spiralizer, just use a julienne peeler or standard vegetable peeler. You’ll see that we’ve put the spiralizer to good use in this chapter with our Courgetti with Quick Chickpea Tomato Sauce (see here) or courgetti tossed in your choice of delicious pesto (see here). Our Beetroot Feta Cake (see here) shows how imaginatively noodles can be incorporated into different dishes. Serve any of these with a salad – full of iron-rich greens like spinach and watercress – and you’ll be able to enjoy your five a day with ease!
SOUP, STEW, SPIRALIZE For those who struggle with eating enough vegetables, we say follow the three ‘S’s – soup, stew and spiralize! These have been our secret weapons in making sure that we get plenty of nutrient-dense and refreshing veggies into our meals.
STICK WITH THE SEASONS Eat seasonal vegetables where possible. In general terms, food tastes better in season and is cheaper to buy.
MORE GREENS As well as avoiding protein and starch within the same meal, we concentrate on getting our greens or other low-starch veg to make up two-thirds of our plate. Avoid a meal of bean stew on quinoa with a side of squash equals (starch overload!).
VARIETY IS THE SPICE OF LIFE Liven up your food with a variety of veggies and cooking methods. Steam, fry, roast, grill, spiralize, grate and mash, mix cooked veg with raw – and add spices!
GET ACTIVATING Get into the habit of soaking nuts, lentils and pseudocereals to make the most of them – our recipes indicate where this is necessary. (see here for more information.)
SUNDAY COOK-OFF Save time by cooking up a few batches of lentils, quinoa or buckwheat noodles on a Sunday (see here) so you can easily whip up a meal by adding veggies and a dressing.
NO TEETH IN YOUR TUMMY Remember to chew – especially raw food and tiny grains of quinoa… and even tinier chia seeds!
EMBRACE FAT Make sure you cook vegetables in fat or dress them with butter or an oil-based dressing – fat enhances flavour and your enjoyment of a dish, as well as helping you absorb the fat-soluble vitamins in your vegetables.
This delicious take on classic lasagne is not far off the real thing, in our opinion! It’s tasty, slices well and is also delicious cold. The pasta sheets are replaced by fine layers of courgettes then, to make this dish more substantial and add a contrast in texture, we use a blend of cannellini beans, sundried tomatoes and tomato purée. There’s no need to cook a béchamel sauce either – just whizz up the cheese and egg mix below. All you need is your food processor and a lasagne dish to layer everything up before baking. Simple!
SERVES 4
3 large courgettes
FOR THE ‘BÉCHAMEL’ SAUCE
250g ricotta
80g Parmesan or pecorino, finely grated, plus extra for sprinkling
1 egg
FOR THE TOMATO SAUCE
1 × 400g tin of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 garlic cloves
120g sundried tomatoes (about 20 pieces) in oil, drained
3 tablespoons tomato purée
A pinch of sea salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 Add the ingredients for the ‘béchamel’ sauce to a food processor and blend until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
2 Add the ingredients for the tomato sauce to the food processor (no need to clean out the bowl) and blend until smooth.
3 Using a mandolin or very sharp knife, finely slice the courgettes lengthways into 3mm-thick pieces.
4 Preheat the oven to fan 180°C/Gas mark 6. Spread about half the tomato sauce over the bottom of a 16cm × 22cm ovenproof dish which is at least 8cm deep, as a thin layer. Top with about a third of the courgette slices in an even layer. Cover the courgettes with about half the ‘béchamel’ sauce, then top with half the remaining courgettes in an even layer.
5 Repeat the layering with the remaining tomato sauce, courgettes and ‘béchamel’, then sprinkle over a final layer of Parmesan to finish.
6 Bake for 45 minutes until golden brown on top. Remove from the oven and leave to stand for 5–10 minutes before serving.
VARIATIONS
+ Feel free to substitute the cannellini beans for chickpeas, aduki beans or butter beans.
+ The egg can be left out for a slightly sloppy lasagne – still tasty!
+ For a dairy-free lasagne, leave out the Parmesan and replace the ‘béchamel’ sauce with Minty Broad Bean Dip (see here), leaving out the mint.
A quick store cupboard sauce: no need to bubble away on the stove – just blend and serve! This recipe makes plenty of sauce, which you can save for the next day. On a cold day, gently heat it through and fold through the courgetti for a more warming dish. Delicious just as it is, feel free to add your own spin with spices and herbs. We also like to sauté onions in ghee, add a couple of handfuls of frozen green beans and then pour in the sauce and warm through for another easy supper.
SERVES 2 WITH LEFTOVER SAUCE
2 large courgettes
FOR THE SAUCE
1 × 400g tin of chopped tomatoes
1 × 400g tin of chickpeas or beans, drained and rinsed
2 garlic cloves
4 tablespoons tomato purée or 5 sundried tomatoes in oil, drained
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
6 anchovies or 8 large pitted olives in oil, drained
Sea salt and black pepper
OPTIONAL EXTRAS
1 teaspoon dried oregano, basil or thyme
A sprinkle of cayenne pepper or chilli flakes
1 handful of finely grated Parmesan
1 Pour about 4 tablespoons of the tomato juice out of the tin of tomatoes into a bowl and set aside.
2 Place the rest of the ingredients for the sauce in a food processor and blend until smooth, adding some of the reserved juice, if needed, to blend to the desired consistency, along with the oregano, basil or thyme and cayenne pepper or chilli flakes (if using). Season with salt and pepper to taste.
3 Spiralize the courgettes, snipping long strands into shorter lengths for easier eating, or use a julienne or standard vegetable peeler to peel the courgettes into strips before cutting in half lengthways.
4 Toss the courgetti in half the sauce, adding more if needed, and arrange on a platter, or plate up one portion of courgetti per person and top with 4 tablespoons of sauce. Serve with a grind of black pepper or a sprinkle of Parmesan, if you wish, and drizzle with plenty of EVOO.
TIP
+ You can use other tinned beans, too, such as aduki, haricot or cannellini.
Comfort food at its best, this bake is an absolute winner! Red lentils, nutty buckwheat, sweet chestnuts and plenty of veg topped with cheese, plus smoked paprika and cayenne in the mix, it’s a real winter-warmer. Replacing the spices with herbs makes for a tasty summer dish. You can leave the cheese and eggs out to make this vegan - without eggs the mixture will be a little runnier. Feel free to halve the recipe or go for double if you have a big family – you’ll appreciate the leftovers and you might as well use up a whole packet of lentils in one go! This dish is also delicious served cold. For a packed lunch, line the dish first before baking so that you can lift out the bake once it’s cooled and chill it before slicing into squares. Serve with our Broccoli 2 Ways (see here) or Sensational Sprout Salad (see here).
SERVES 6
4 tablespoons butter, ghee or coconut oil, plus extra for greasing
2 onions, diced
3 garlic cloves, crushed
2 celery sticks, finely sliced
1 tablespoon sweet smoked paprika
2 teaspoons ground cumin
A pinch of cayenne pepper (to taste) or black pepper
250g dried red lentils, rinsed and drained
500–600ml Bone Broth (see here) or water
4 tablespoons tamari
2 carrots, grated
1 medium courgette, diced
200g mature Cheddar, grated
40g buckwheat flour
40g chestnut flour
2 eggs, beaten (optional)
2 tomatoes or 1 red onion, sliced into rounds, to garnish
1 Preheat the oven to fan 180°C/Gas mark 6 and grease a 17cm × 24cm ovenproof dish.
2 Melt the butter, ghee or coconut oil in a large pan and gently fry the onions over a medium heat for 5 minutes to soften. Add the garlic, celery and spices and continue to fry for a further 2 minutes.
3 Stir in the red lentils, bone broth or water and the tamari, bring up to a simmer and cook for at least 5 minutes, with a lid on the pan, until the lentils are just tender.
4 Stir in the carrots, courgette and three-quarters of the cheese. Add the buckwheat and chestnut flours and stir in the beaten eggs (if using). Transfer the mixture to the prepared dish, spreading it evenly.
5 Sprinkle over the remaining cheese and garnish with the tomato or onion slices. Bake in the oven for 50–60 minutes until bubbling and browned on top.
VARIATION
+ For a summer version of this dish, replace the spices with 4 teaspoons of dried mixed herbs, such as rosemary, parsley and thyme.
Sticky, stodgy and cheesy… Sold! We’ve combined two school-dinner favourites: macaroni cheese and cauliflower cheese. If you have a wide, flat cast-iron dish or ovenproof pan, you can take this straight from the stove to the oven and then over to the table. The tiny seeds of amaranth replace the macaroni with plenty of texture and bite, allowing you to savour a dish that you might otherwise polish off too quickly. The trick here is to have a super-strong Cheddar – use extra-mature or combine your usual Cheddar with some Parmesan and crumble in any leftover blue cheese, for added oomph. Nutmeg is a must for this dish, as is plenty of ground pepper – black or white (we love white for that nostalgic flavour). Serve with a big colourful salad, such as our Spicy Ruby Slaw (see here) or Ayurvedic Carrot Stir-Fry/Salad (see here).
SERVES 6
250g amaranth (see variation here)
1 tablespoon butter, plus extra for greasing
2 celery sticks, finely sliced
1 medium onion, diced
250ml Bone Broth (see here) or vegetable stock
1 very large cauliflower (about 750g)
250g extra-mature Cheddar, finely chopped or grated
½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, plus extra for sprinkling
Sea salt
½–1 teaspoon white or black pepper
1 Soak the amaranth in double the volume of water overnight or for a minimum of 8 hours (see here), then rinse and drain.
2 Place the drained amaranth in a large saucepan with the butter, celery, onion and ¼ teaspoon of salt. Pour in the broth or stock, then bring to a simmer and cook, covered with a lid, for 15 minutes until tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed. If it hasn’t, simmer a little longer for a thick porridge, stirring every now and then to prevent the mixture from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
3 Meanwhile, preheat the oven to fan 180°C/Gas mark 6 and butter an 18cm × 25cm ovenproof dish.
4 Prepare the cauliflower by cutting into equal-sized florets and roughly chopping the stems (after first slicing off the tough outer layer). Add to the pan and simmer, with the lid on, for another 5 minutes – the cauliflower will continue to cook during baking.
5 Remove from the heat and stir in two-thirds of the Cheddar, half the nutmeg and 3 large pinches of pepper, then check for seasoning, adding more salt, pepper, nutmeg and/or cheese if needed.
6 Pour into the prepared dish, sprinkle over the remaining cheese and nutmeg, plus an extra grind of pepper, and bake on the top shelf of the oven for 20 minutes until golden brown. Serve immediately.
VARIATION
+ If you can’t find amaranth, use quinoa instead (pre-soaked for the same length of time), which works just as well.
These deliciously meaty but meat-free burgers/balls taste a bit like sausage stuffing! It’s important to use roasted buckwheat groats for this dish, for the flavour, or roast your own. Reddish brown in colour and generally known as ‘kasha’, roasted buckwheat has been used in eastern European cooking for thousands of years in porridge, pilafs, soups and casseroles. Much like quinoa, buckwheat is one of the best sources of protein in the plant kingdom. Slow roasting brings out its wonderful, earthy flavour while at the same time breaks down the phytates (see here), avoiding the need to pre-soak. Make burgers and serve in our Flaxseed Buns (see here) with a dollop of BBQ Ketchup (see here) or Pink Chilli Kraut (see here) and Quick-cooked Mayo (see here) and a lettuce leaf and slice of tomato. If you make balls, serve with Lubee Beans (see here) or make your own tomato sauce (see here) and serve with a big green salad or steamed seasonal veg.
MAKES 10 BURGERS OR ABOUT 40 BALLS
3 tablespoons ghee or coconut oil
3 medium red onions, diced
5 garlic cloves, finely diced
250g roasted buckwheat groats (kasha)
700–800ml water
1 egg
12 anchovies or 12 pitted olives in oil, drained and chopped
4 tablespoons capers, chopped
1 large handful of fresh parsley (about 50g), leaves and stalks chopped
Grated zest of 2 lemons
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper or finely diced fresh red chilli (optional)
A large pinch of black pepper
1 Melt 1 tablespoon of the ghee or coconut oil in a large pan and sauté the onions over a medium heat for 5 minutes until translucent. Add the garlic and sauté for another minute.
2 Add the buckwheat groats and water to the pan, bring to a simmer, then cover with a lid and steam over a medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring from time to time to prevent the buckwheat from sticking. Remove from the heat, take the lid off the pan and leave to cool while you prepare the rest of the dish.
3 Preheat the oven to fan 180°C/Gas mark 6, then line a baking tray (you may need more than one) with baking parchment, add the remaining ghee/coconut oil to the tray and leave in the oven for the fat to melt.
4 Meanwhile, beat the egg in a large bowl, then add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Stir in the cooled buckwheat mix and taste for seasoning, adding more black pepper, if needed.
5 Take 4 heaped tablespoons of the mixture and shape into a burger-shaped patty, repeating with the rest of the mixture to make 10 large patties. Alternatively, take a heaped tablespoon of the buckwheat mixture, gently roll into a ball and place on a large plate. Repeat with the rest of the mixture to make about 40 balls.
6 Remove the baking tray from the oven and add the patties /balls, basting the patties with a spoon or rolling the balls around the tray to coat in the melted fat, then roast for 45 minutes until golden and crunchy at the edges.
7 Alternatively, fry in batches in a frying pan in ghee or coconut oil over a medium-high heat for 2 minutes on each side for patties, or 4–5 minutes all over for balls, to let them get a nice crust.
TIPS
+ This recipe makes plenty, so freeze some before cooking.
+ Reserve the EVOO, if you like, from the drained anchovies for adding to salad dressings.
+ Chopped fresh rosemary is delicious in this dish too.
Noodles are not just for slurping! Try this beetroot cake scented with rosemary and salted with feta. This was a nuts experiment for a leftover lunch that became an ‘OMG!’ moment. Beetroot noodles are so delicious, we urge you to have a go, though you’ll definitely need a spiralizer for this dish: grating will make it too soggy and finely dicing takes forever, and both will make the cake too dense. Fresh rosemary really makes this dish, though mint is delicious too. Serve with our Chilli Kick Cucumber Snack (see here), if you fancy a meal with real oomph, or with a simple green salad so that the rosemary sings through. You can also cook the noodles in individual ring moulds, if you have them, and eat like a burger in our Flaxseed Buns (see here).
SERVES 2
2 medium beetroots, scrubbed and topped and tailed
1 tablespoon ghee
½ tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves
150g feta, crumbled
2 eggs, beaten
Sea salt and black pepper
1 Spiralize each beetroot using the small noodle blade.
2 Melt the ghee in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Stir in the rosemary and add the beetroot noodles. Season with a small pinch of salt and a big grind of pepper, tossing everything together to combine, and stir-fry for 3 minutes.
3 Flatten the noodles in the pan, neatening at the edges. Sprinkle over the feta and pour over the beaten egg, distributing it evenly.
4 Lower the heat and cook gently for 5–6 minutes until set. Use two spatulas to carefully turn the cake over to cook on the other side for a few minutes, or finish it under a hot grill. Delicious served hot or cold.
One of our go-to meals, this recipe takes no more than 15 minutes to put together (plus 10 minutes’ marinating time). Based on the classic Greek salad, our version is loaded with protein-rich butterbeans, which soften and absorb the rich flavours of the dressing. We like to keep tinned beans in our cupboard for whipping up super-quick, nutrient-dense meals like this one. Indeed, you could swap the butterbeans for tinned chickpeas or cannellini, aduki or black beans. Delicious with or without feta, choose good-quality feta made from sheep’s milk, or a mixture of sheep and goat’s milk, and you will really taste the difference.
SERVES 4 AS A MAIN OR 6 AS A SIDE
2 × 400g tins of butterbeans, drained and rinsed
1 large red onion, finely sliced
2 large red peppers, deseeded and roughly chopped
1 large cucumber, roughly chopped
250g cherry tomatoes, halved, or medium tomatoes, quartered
3 large handfuls of fresh parsley, leaves and stalks roughly chopped
1 large handful of mixed green olives and black Kalamata olives in oil, drained and pitted
300g feta
1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves or 1 teaspoon dried
FOR THE DRESSING
120ml extra-virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
2 garlic cloves, diced or grated
1 teaspoon mustard
Sea salt and black pepper (to taste)
1 Whisk all the dressing ingredients together in a bowl, or shake together in a jam jar with the lid on, and taste for seasoning.
2 Place the butterbeans and onion slices in a large serving bowl, add the dressing, toss gently to mix and leave to marinate for at least 10 minutes.
3 Add the remaining salad ingredients to the marinated butterbeans and onion, and mix everything together. Roughly chop the feta into cubes and scatter over the top, then sprinkle the oregano over the feta and serve.
Cauli rice is a revelation – simple to make and so much quicker to cook than standard rice. A great way to pack your meals full of vegetable goodness, it will have everyone fooled thanks to its incredibly fluffy texture. Here are four of our favourite ways to enjoy it, including our basic recipe, and each is completely different. We like serving the Coconut Lime Cauliflower Rice with dahl (see here) or leftover chicken, while the Spiced Cauliflower Rice is great with some simple baked or smoked fish. Egg-fried Cauliflower Rice makes the perfect post-party late-night snack with some Homemade Sriracha (see here).
SERVES 2
1 large cauliflower
1 teaspoon ghee or coconut oil
2 tablespoons water
Sea salt and black pepper
BASIC CAULIFLOWER RICE
1 Remove the cauliflower leaves and the tough end of the stalk. Use a food processor (the S-curved blade or grater attachment) or the coarse side of a grater to grate the cauliflower into rice-sized pieces.
2 Melt the ghee or coconut oil in a wide frying pan, add the grated cauliflower with the water and stir to mix.
3 Cook over a medium heat, with the lid on, to let the grated cauliflower steam for 4–5 minutes until tender but still with a little bite. Check after 3–4 minutes to make sure that there is still enough water in the bottom of the pan to stop the cauliflower catching.
4 Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve, or add the other ingredients to make one of the dishes here and here.
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika
A pinch of chilli flakes
1 tablespoon ghee or coconut oil
½ medium red onion, finely sliced
2 garlic cloves, finely diced
1 quantity of uncooked Basic Cauliflower Rice (see here – step 1 only)
2 tablespoons water
1 large handful of cooked chickpeas
1 large handful of fresh coriander or parsley, leaves and stalks finely chopped
2 large handfuls of watercress, snipped
100g halloumi, cut into cubes
Sea salt and black pepper
FOR THE TAHINI DRESSING
1 garlic clove, crushed or finely diced
1 tablespoon tahini
1 tablespoon hot water
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
OPTIONAL EXTRAS
1 tablespoon raisins, dried goji berries or pitted dried dates or dried apricots, chopped
1 tablespoon pomegranate seeds
1 tablespoon pistachios, roughly chopped
SPICED CAULIFLOWER RICE WITH HALLOUMI AND A TAHINI DRESSING
1 Toast the spices in a dry frying pan over a medium heat for a minute until fragrant.
2 Add half the ghee or coconut oil and the onion and fry for 2 minutes, then add the garlic and fry for a further minute.
3 Tip in the uncooked cauliflower rice and add the water. Give everything a stir, pop a lid on the pan and steam for 4 minutes until tender.
4 Stir through the chickpeas, herbs (reserving some for serving) and dried fruit (if using) and season with salt and pepper to taste.
5 Meanwhile, whisk all the dressing ingredients together in a bowl, seasoning to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.
6 Divide the cauliflower rice mix between two plates, adding the watercress on the side, then wipe out the frying pan and place on a high heat to fry the halloumi.
7 Heat the remaining ghee/coconut oil to a high temperature and fry the halloumi cubes in batches for about a minute on each side until each piece takes on a golden-brown colour. (Keep your eye on them – too long in the pan and they’ll toughen up.)
8 Serve the hot halloumi on top of the plated-up cauli rice, with pomegranate seeds or pistachios (if using) sprinkled on top, then drizzle over the dressing and scatter over the reserved herbs.
TIPS
+ You can always swap halloumi for crumbled feta or a fried egg, served on top. To keep it even simpler, just dress with extra-virgin olive oil and lemon juice.
1 heaped tablespoon desiccated coconut
1 quantity of uncooked Basic Cauliflower Rice (see here – step 1 on ly)
3 tablespoons full-fat coconut milk
Grated zest and juice of ½ lime
1 handful of fresh coriander, leaves and stalks finely chopped
A pinch of finely diced fresh red chilli (optional)
Sea salt and black pepper
COCONUT LIME CAULIFLOWER RICE
1 Toast the desiccated coconut in a dry frying pan over a medium heat for 2 minutes until fragrant and golden brown. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
2 Place the uncooked cauliflower rice in the same pan, add the coconut milk and stir together.
3 Cook over a medium heat, with a lid on the pan, to let the cauliflower steam for 4–6 minutes until tender. Check after 3–4 minutes to make sure that there is still enough liquid in the bottom of the pan to stop the cauliflower catching.
4 When the cauliflower rice is cooked, squeeze in the lime juice, season with salt and pepper and stir to combine.
5 Serve immediately, sprinkled with the toasted desiccated coconut, coriander, fresh chilli (if using) and lime zest.
TIP
+ Save the rest of the coconut milk for smoothies, porridge, soups and stews.
SERVES 2
1 tablespoon coconut oil
2 spring onions, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely diced
1 quantity of uncooked Basic Cauliflower Rice (see here – step 1 only)
2 tablespoons water
4 eggs
2 teaspoons tamari
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil (optional)
Black or white pepper
EGG-FRIED CAULIFLOWER RICE
1 Melt half the coconut oil in a wide frying pan on a medium heat and gently fry half the spring onions and all the garlic for 1 minute.
2 Add the uncooked cauliflower rice and water and stir together. Put a lid on the pan and cook for 3–5 minutes until just tender – it will cook further when the eggs are added.
3 Push the cauliflower rice to one side of the pan to create a big space for scrambling the eggs.
4 Add the remaining coconut oil to the open space in the pan and crack the eggs in quickly. Stir the yolks into the whites and leave the mixture to set ever so slightly in the pan – about 30 seconds – before breaking it up with a wooden spoon into lovely egg chunks, stirring it through the cauliflower rice.
5 Stir through the tamari, pepper and toasted sesame oil (if using) and top with the remaining spring onions.
We’re mad on pesto because it combines our love of fresh herbs, garlic, natural fats in the form of nuts and cold-pressed EVOO in a super-quick and simple-to-make way – just blend and go! Delicious as dips, drizzled onto grilled fish or roast meat, tossed with cooked beans and lentils, or generously dolloped into hot soups and stews, these are the three pestos that we make the most, worth committing to memory for quick meals. Courgettes are one of our favourite vegetables: versatile, affordable, easily available, and of course you don’t need to cook them, so pair pesto with courgetti instead of standard pasta to cut down on refined foods and up your vegetable intake at the same time. These pestos are also delicious with cucumber noodles (see here) – or branch out in the winter and try noodles made with beetroot (see here), butternut squash (see here) or celeriac spaghetti (see here).
SERVES 4
6 large courgettes
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
COURGETTI
1 Use a spiralizer to turn the courgettes into long strips that resemble spaghetti, snipping any long strands in half to make them easier to eat. Alternatively, use a julienne peeler or standard vegetable peeler to peel the courgettes into long, wide strips before cutting in half lengthways.
2 Combine the courgetti with your chosen pesto (see here and here and here) in a large bowl and toss together.
3 Pile everything into a serving dish, drizzle with EVOO and serve immediately.
SERVES 4 WITH COURGETTI
18 cashew nuts, soaked in double the volume of water for 3 hours (see here)
100g fresh basil (leaves and stalks)
2 garlic cloves
200ml extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons lemon juice
Sea salt and black pepper
LEMON BASIL CASHEW PESTO
1 Rinse and drain the soaked cashews.
2 Place in the small bowl of a food processor with the remaining ingredients and blitz together, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. Blitz to the desired consistency – sometimes we like it chunky, other times smooth and creamy.
3 Alternatively, finely chop the first three ingredients with a sharp knife and then mix together with the remaining ingredients.
1 medium red pepper, halved and deseeded
400g cherry tomatoes
½ bulb of garlic
45g cashew nuts, soaked in double the volume of water for 3 hours (see here), then drained and rinsed
30g Parmesan or pecorino, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, or ½ tablespoon apple cider vinegar
½ fresh red chilli, deseeded (to taste)
1 large handful of fresh basil (leaves and stalks)
Sea salt and black pepper
ROASTED TOMATO AND PEPPER PESTO
1 Preheat the oven to fan 170°C/Gas mark 5 and line a baking tray with baking parchment.
2 Place the red pepper in the prepared baking tray with the cherry tomatoes and garlic bulb. Roast in the oven for 1½–2 hours, removing the garlic after 25 minutes, to reduce the moisture in the red pepper and tomatoes and concentrate their sweet flavour.
3 Squeeze the roasted garlic out of their skins into a food processor, then add the roasted tomatoes and red pepper as well as the rinsed cashews, the cheese, balsamic vinegar or ACV, chilli and almost all of the basil (save some for sprinkling). Pulse or crush together using a pestle and mortar, adding salt and pepper to taste for a chunky pesto.
SERVES 4 WITH COURGETTI
200g spinach (preferably baby spinach)
60g fresh basil (leaves and stalks)
2 garlic cloves
35g Parmesan or pecorino, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons lemon juice, or 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
80ml extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt and black pepper
SPINACH AND BASIL PESTO
1 Place all the ingredients in a food processor and blend together until smooth and creamy, adding salt and pepper to taste.
TIPS
+ When storing this pesto, transfer to a sterilised jar (see here) and add a layer of extra-virgin olive oil to preserve it for longer and keep the colour a vibrant green, then seal with the lid and store in the fridge.
+ Choose baby spinach, if you can, as it’s less bitter.
Our one-pot broccoli risotto makes use of protein-rich quinoa in place of Arborio rice. We bulk it out with plenty of broccoli, which pairs deliciously with Parmesan for a comforting, weekday supper. Slow-cooked bone broth replaces commercially prepared stock as a soothing, nourishing base. If you have them to hand, peas or broad beans make a great addition.
SERVES 4
250g quinoa
1 tablespoon ghee or coconut oil
2 medium onions, finely diced
3 garlic cloves, diced
1 tablespoon fresh oregano or thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon dried
2 large handfuls of fresh basil, leaves and stalks separated and roughly chopped
5 tablespoons tomato purée
1 litre Bone Broth (see here) or water
2 large heads of broccoli (about 700g)
100g Parmesan, grated
2 tablespoons lemon juice, or 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Sea salt and black pepper
1 Cover the quinoa in double the volume of water and leave to soak overnight, or a minimum of 8 hours, then drain and rinse. If you don’t have time to soak the quinoa, rinse thoroughly and cook for longer, though we really recommend soaking (see here).
2 Melt the ghee or coconut oil in a saucepan over a medium heat and fry the onions for 5 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and oregano or thyme and the basil stalks and cook for 1 minute. Add the rinsed quinoa and the tomato purée and stir well.
3 Add the bone broth or water and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat, pop a lid on the pan and simmer for 12 minutes until the quinoa is almost tender.
4 Meanwhile, prepare the broccoli by cutting into equal-sized florets and roughly chopping the stalks (after first slicing off the tough outer layer).
5 Stir the broccoli into the pan and cook for another 3–4 minutes until tender (you might want to add another 100ml of liquid at this point if the risotto is getting dry), then remove from the heat.
6 Season to taste with salt and pepper, add the Parmesan and lemon juice or ACV and stir through the chopped basil leaves.
This salad is a great way to pack lots of vibrant greens into one dish. A sesame, ginger and lime dressing and some nutty buckwheat noodles tie it all together. It is the perfect dish to make on a Sunday night for supper, giving you leftovers to keep in the fridge and use for a packed lunch the following day. Pile everything into a glass jar – the dressing at the bottom and the avocado slices and leaves on top so they’re not crushed, then add the lid and take to go!
SERVES 4
300g buckwheat (soba) noodles
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
300g broccoli florets or purple-sprouting broccoli, asparagus or green beans
1 medium green cabbage or pak choi, leaves finely shredded
1 medium fennel bulb, finely sliced
1 cucumber, halved lengthways, seeds scooped out with a spoon and flesh chopped
4 spring onions, finely sliced
1 large ripe avocado, sliced
2 handfuls of fresh greens (such as watercress, baby spinach, sliced lettuce or leftover cooked kale)
1 small handful of nuts (such as cashew nuts, peanuts or almonds) or seeds (such as sesame, sunflower or poppy seeds), preferably ‘crispy activated’ (see here)
4 large handfuls of fresh herbs (such as coriander, mint or basil, or a mixture), roughly chopped
FOR THE DRESSING
Grated zest and juice of 2 limes or 1 lemon
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, grated
4cm piece of fresh root ginger (unpeeled if organic), finely grated
2 teaspoons tamari
A pinch of cayenne pepper or chilli flakes (optional)
Sea salt and black pepper
1 Cook the buckwheat noodles in a large pan of boiling water according to the packet instructions (about 7 minutes). Use two forks to tease the noodles apart during the first minute of cooking.
2 When they are tender, drain and rinse under cold water for 15 seconds. Drain again and then toss in the EVOO in a large serving bowl to stop the noodles sticking together. Set aside.
3 Using the same pan, after a quick rinse, steam the broccoli (or other vegetable), covered with a lid, in 4 tablespoons of boiling water for 4 minutes until tender.
4 Whisk all the dressing ingredients together in a bowl or shake in a jam jar with the lid on. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then drain.
5 Add the raw vegetables, spring onions and avocado to the noodles with the greens and steamed broccoli. Pour over the dressing and mix everything together. Top with the nuts or seeds, toasted in a dry pan for a minute if you like, and the fresh herbs.
Leftovers and store cupboard staples have become the inspiration for some of our favourite dishes, and quinoa falls into both those categories. We use this protein-rich powerhouse of a seed as a gluten-free alternative to refined grains such as couscous and pasta, as well as white rice (see ‘Going Against the Grain’, here). Cook up a big batch of this versatile pseudocereal as part of your Sunday Cook-Off (see here) to create a base for meals throughout the week – just don’t forget to soak it overnight, or earlier in the day, to get the most from it. Use ‘leftover’ quinoa in salads and soups, and as an alternative to rice in dishes such as vegetarian biryanis and risottos – to stay with ‘simple food combining’.
MAKES ABOUT 700G
250g quinoa, soaked in double the volume of water overnight or for a minimum of 8 hours (see here)
250ml Bone Broth (see here, vegetable stock or water
Sea salt
BASIC COOKED QUINOA
1 Using a fine-mesh strainer, drain and rinse the soaked quinoa until the water runs clear and with no foam.
2 Pour the bone broth, stock or water into a saucepan on a medium-high heat, cover and bring to a medium simmer.
3 Add the quinoa and a pinch of salt and stir. Continue to cook on a medium simmer for 12 minutes until tender.
4 Take off the heat and leave to stand for 5 minutes. Fluff up with a fork before serving.
TIPS
+ Uncooked quinoa roughly trebles in weight when it is cooked, producing about 700g cooked quinoa in this case. Keep in the fridge for up to 5 days to use in all three recipes here and here, or freeze in portions. Red or black quinoa will need an extra 5 minutes of cooking time, so add an extra 25ml cooking liquid.
2 tablespoons dried seaweed (such as wakame or dulse)
400g fresh shiitake mushrooms, sliced
1 tablespoon coconut oil or ghee
2 garlic cloves, diced
1 bunch of spring onions, finely sliced, or 1 small onion, diced
200g cooked quinoa (see here)
300g spinach, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons tamari
2 tablespoons lemon juice, or 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 large handfuls of fresh coriander (or mixed coriander and parsley), leaves and stalks chopped
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil or flaxseed oil
Sea salt and black or white pepper
SHIITAKE AND SEAWEED QUINOA
1 First soak the dried seaweed in water according to the packet instructions (about 10 minutes), then drain and roughly snip with scissors.
2 Fry the mushrooms in the coconut oil or ghee in your widest frying pan (the bigger the better for this dish) over a medium heat for 4 minutes. The mushrooms will release a lot of water as they cook, so keep frying until all the moisture cooks off.
3 Add the garlic and half the spring onions and cook for 1 minute. Add the cooked quinoa with a splash of water and stir into the mushrooms, cooking for 2 minutes until completely heated through.
4 Tip in the spinach, cover with a lid and steam for 3–4 minutes until the spinach has wilted, adding a little more water if the quinoa starts sticking to the bottom of the pan.
5 Remove from the heat, then stir through the tamari and lemon juice or ACV and season with salt and pepper to taste. Divide between warmed plates, then wipe out the pan and return to the hob.
6 Add the chopped seaweed to the dry pan and toast over a medium heat for 1 minute until crispy, removing from the heat as soon as the seaweed starts to turn green.
7 Top the quinoa with the coriander and a drizzle of EVOO or flaxseed oil and crumble over the crispy seaweed.
VARIATIONS
+ If you don’t have shiitake mushrooms, substitute with any mushrooms that you have to hand.
+ Swap the spinach for chard or kale, steaming for a few minutes longer in step 4.
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 medium onion, diced
2cm piece of fresh root ginger (unpeeled if organic), finely diced
2 garlic cloves, diced
2 tablespoons tomato purée
2 medium carrots or courgettes, diced
90ml water or Bone Broth (see here)
1 medium cauliflower or head of broccoli, cut into equal-sized florets and stems chopped (outer layer removed)
1 large handful of green beans (about 200g), trimmed and chopped into thirds
200g cooked quinoa (see here)
2 tablespoons lemon or lime juice
2 large handfuls of fresh coriander (or mixed coriander and mint leaves), leaves and stalks roughly chopped
Sea salt and black pepper
FOR THE SPICES
2 teaspoons garam masala or medium curry powder
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
A pinch of chilli powder or cayenne pepper
1 bay leaf
QUINOA BIRYANI
1 Melt the coconut oil in a medium pan, add the onion and cook over a medium heat for about 4 minutes until the onion begins to soften.
2 Add the ginger, garlic, tomato purée and spices. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring from time to time, until the ginger starts sticking to the bottom of the pan.
3 Add the carrots (if using) and pour in the water or broth. Pop a lid on the pan to steam for 4 minutes, stirring halfway through.
4 Add the courgettes (if using) with the cauliflower or broccoli and green beans and steam for a further 3 minutes until all the vegetables are tender.
5 Stir through the cooked quinoa with a couple of tablespoons of water (to stop it sticking) and place the lid back on the pan. Cook until the quinoa is warmed through, then remove from the heat.
6 Stir in the lemon or lime juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste and top with the coriander to serve.
SERVES 2
2 large Romano red peppers (or red peppers)
200g cooked quinoa (see here)
1 handful of pitted green olives in oil, drained and diced
1 small red onion, finely diced
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves or 1 large pinch of dried
2 large handfuls of fresh parsley (or mixed mint, dill and coriander), leaves and stalks finely chopped
½–1 teaspoon finely diced fresh red chilli (to taste)
Juice of ½ lemon, or 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 small handful of crumbled feta
Sea salt and black pepper
QUINOA-STUFFED ROMANO PEPPERS
1 Preheat the oven to fan 200°C/Gas mark 7.
2 Slice the red peppers in half lengthways. Remove and discard the seeds and then roast, cut side up, on a baking tray in the oven for 12 minutes.
3 Combine all the other ingredients together (except the feta), adding salt and pepper to taste (bearing in mind that the feta is already salty). Preheat the grill to high.
4 Stuff the pepper halves with the quinoa mix, top with crumbled feta and cook under the grill for 3–5 minutes until golden and bubbling. (Serve any leftover quinoa mix on the side.)
TIP
+ A stuffed pepper half makes a pretty starter. Just add a sprig of watercress or some fresh parsley to finish.
We are serious advocates of the humble mung bean! Nutritious, cheap and easy to cook, this is our salad version of an Indian-spiced dahl. A wholesome meal in itself, it’s perfect for packed lunches or with a selection of other salads as part of a mezze spread. You could also bulk it out more with roasted vegetables from your Sunday Cook-Off (see here). Mung beans absorb different flavours really well, so if you play around with the spices you can skip the caramelised onions, and just replace with chopped spring onions or chives at the end if you like, but they do make this extra-special. The diced vegetables are all raw, so finely dicing is a must – as is chewing properly!
SERVES 4
250g dried mung beans, soaked in double the volume of water overnight or for at least 8 hours (see here)
4 large handfuls (about 500g) of raw, finely diced vegetables (such as French beans, fennel, carrots, red pepper, courgettes, cabbage or kale)
3 medium onions, halved and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon coconut oil or ghee
3 garlic cloves, grated or diced
3cm piece of fresh root ginger (unpeeled if organic), grated or finely diced
2 large handfuls of fresh coriander (or mixed coriander and mint leaves), leaves and stalks roughly chopped
Sea salt and black pepper
FOR THE SPICES
1 tablespoon ground turmeric
1 tablespoon garam masala or medium curry powder
A pinch of chilli powder or diced fresh red chilli
FOR THE DRESSING
120ml extra-virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons lemon or lime juice, or 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon tamari (or sea salt to taste)
1 Drain and rinse the soaked mung beans, place in a medium saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil and then reduce the heat and gently simmer for 20–25 minutes until the beans are soft but still retain a little bite.
2 Meanwhile, whisk all the dressing ingredients together in a large mixing bowl until well combined, then add all the raw diced vegetables to the bowl.
3 Drain the mung beans once they are tender and add to the bowl, then mix everything together so that the hot beans soak up the dressing.
4 Using the same pan, fry the onion slices in the coconut oil or ghee over a medium heat for 10 minutes until softened and caramelised. (Stir only when you need to so that they caramelise but don’t burn.)
5 Add the spices with the garlic, ginger and a pinch of sea salt, and cook for 2 more minutes, then tip half the spiced onion mixture into the bowl. Toss everything together with the fresh coriander and season with salt and pepper, then scatter over the remaining spiced onions to serve.
VARIATIONS
+ Swap the raw veggies with leftover cooked vegetables and add with the herbs in the final step.
+ Make your own spice mix: combining 2 teaspoons ground cumin, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground coriander and ½ teaspoon of fennel seeds and a pinch of chilli.
Dried lentils come in a wide variety of forms and they store well, so we like to keep a selection in our store cupboard, ready for action. Smaller than most beans, they cook more quickly, so for ease we tend to rely on a combination of dried lentils and tinned beans – just don’t forget to soak lentils (except red ones) before cooking! What’s more, they’re inexpensive and great for bulking out a whole host of dishes, from stews to salads. This lentil and mushroom mix can be easily made into burgers or balls – great for stockpiling your freezer. While they’re vegetarian-friendly, even the most avid meat eater will find the dense, chewy texture and nutty taste hard to resist. Serve the burgers in our Flaxseed Buns (see here) with any of our dips (see here).
MAKES 12 BURGERS OR 20 BALLS
250g dried brown or green lentils, soaked in double the volume of water overnight or for a minimum of 8 hours (see here)
400ml water
1 large onion, diced
1 tablespoon ghee or coconut oil
250g mushrooms, roughly sliced
4 garlic cloves, diced
1 tablespoon mixed dried herbs (such as oregano, basil, thyme and rosemary)
A pinch of chilli powder or cayenne pepper (to taste)
2 tablespoons tomato purée
2 large handful of fresh parsley leaves, roughly chopped
1 egg
80g ground almonds
Sea salt and black pepper
1 Rinse and drain the soaked lentils and place in a saucepan with the water. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes until the lentils are just cooked. Drain any excess liquid, then pour two-thirds of the cooked lentils into a food processor, setting the rest to one side.
2 In the same pan, fry the onion in the ghee or coconut oil over a medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms, garlic, fresh and dried herbs, chilli powder or cayenne pepper and tomato purée and fry for about 7–8 more minutes until the liquid released by the mushrooms has evaporated.
3 Add this mix to the food processor with some salt and pepper. Blend until the mixture is pretty well pulverised but still has some texture, then stir in the reserved lentils and the parsley.
4 In a big bowl, beat the egg and add the lentil mixture and almonds. Combine and taste for seasoning. Use your hands to scoop up a small handful of the mixture at a time, shaping it into 20 golf-ball sized balls, or scoop up larger amounts and shape into 12 burgers. Preheat the oven to fan 180°C/Gas mark 6 and line a baking tray with baking parchment.
5 Place each ‘meatball’ or burger onto the baking tray, leaving space around each one. Bake the balls for 20 minutes, the burgers for 35 minutes or until golden brown. Or fry in batches in a frying pan in ghee or coconut oil over a medium-high heat for 2 minutes on each side for burgers, or 4–5 minutes all over for balls, to let them get a nice crust.
TIP
+ Any leftover cooked lentils can be turned into a dip or blended into a creamy dressing with garlic, extra-virgin olive oil, lemon juice and a pinch of sea salt and black pepper.
This recipe calls for a homemade sweet and sticky teriyaki sauce. We don’t think we’ve met anyone who doesn’t find it irresistible! Whether teamed with chicken, fish, beef or an assortment of vegetables, the sauce lends a deep flavour with just the right level of tang. There are lots of great grain- and gluten-free noodles available. We’ve used buckwheat here, but look out for chickpea, mung bean or seaweed spaghetti (seaweed that naturally grows like noodles). Or spiralize celeriac, butternut squash (see here and here) or beetroot (see here) to make noodles, then steam in a saucepan with 4 tablespoons of water with the lid on for 4 minutes until tender.
SERVES 4
300g buckwheat (soba) noodles
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
300g raw diced vegetables (such as carrots, courgettes, red peppers, fennel or radishes)
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 small cabbage or 2 big heads of pak choi, shredded
4 spring onions, finely sliced
1 large ripe avocado, sliced
1 handful of flaxseeds
1 large handful of fresh coriander (leaves and stalks) or fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped
FOR THE TERIYAKI SAUCE
4 tablespoons tamari
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 garlic clove, finely grated or diced
1 teaspoon fresh root ginger (unpeeled if organic), diced
A pinch of white or black pepper or diced fresh red chilli or chilli flakes (optional)
1 tablespoon tahini or other nut or seed butter
1 Cook the buckwheat noodles in a large pan of boiling water according to the packet instructions (about 7 minutes). Use two forks to tease the noodles apart during the first minute of cooking.
2 When tender, drain and rinse in cold running water for about 15 seconds to stop them cooking further. Set aside to drain, then toss with the EVOO in a large serving bowl to stop the noodles sticking. Set aside.
3 Rinse the noodle pan and add all the teriyaki sauce ingredients. Bring to a medium simmer and cook for 10 minutes until the sauce reduces and thickens.
4 Meanwhile, stir-fry all the diced vegetables in the coconut oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. If using carrots, fry these first, giving them a 2-minute head start, then add the rest of the diced veg and stir-fry for 4 minutes until tender.
5 Once the diced vegetables are just tender, add the cabbage or pak choi to the pan with the teriyaki sauce and heat through for 1 minute.
6 Tip the contents of the pan into the serving bowl and mix well with the noodles. Garnish with the spring onions, sliced avocado, sesame seeds and chopped fresh herbs and let everyone help themselves.
