Tasty, Delicious Plant Based Meals To Enjoy This Week.....And Beyond!
Whether you're a meat eater or already adopt a vegetarian/vegan diet, you can all get involved. Many people already have adopted the "Meat Free Monday" method into their diet but why not try incorporating a few more vegetarian meals into your week. There are so many great vegetarian/vegan foods available nowadays & it's so easy to make vibrant, delicious meals from scratch at home too, so why not give it a go.
RECIPES
Asparagus, Spring Onion And Mint Tart
You will need:
350g asparagus
2 tbsp olive oil
1 bunch spring onions, trimmed and thinly sliced
1 x 375g pack ready rolled puff pastry
200ml double cream
2 medium eggs
40g Parmesan/vegan cheese, finely grated
1 garlic clove, crushed
handful of mint leaves, finely chopped
Method:
Preheat the oven to 200°C, fan 180°C, gas 6. Trim off the woody ends of the asparagus. Bring a pan of water to the boil, then add the asparagus and cook for 4-5 minutes/until just tender. Drain into a colander & run under cold water . Leave to drain.
Heat the oil in a small frying pan & add the spring onions as well a pinch of salt. Cook for around 5 mins until soft. Take off the heat & set aside.
Unroll the pastry and put it onto a large baking sheet. Use the tip of a knife to score a line all the way around,1.5cm in from the edge.
Prick the centre with a fork & then place in the oven for 20 minutes. Remove and press down the centre, leaving a raised rim around the outside of the tart. Turn the oven down to 160°C, fan 140°C, gas 3.
Beat the cream, eggs and grated cheese with the garlic and a sprinkle of seasoning. Add the chopped mint and cooked spring onions.
Pour the filling into the prepared pastry case. Arrange the asparagus in lines on top and drizzle with olive oil.
Bake the tart in the oven for around 25-30 minutes/until the top has puffed up. Once ready, remove from the oven and leave to cool for a few minutes before placing on a serving tray/plate and scattering with a few small mint leaves. Cut into slices and serve.
Red Pepper Falafels With A Smoky Yogurt Dip
You will need:
150g chickpeas
1 small onion, roughly chopped
1 garlic clove, roughly chopped
1 red pepper, deseeded and roughly chopped
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 tsp sweet smoked paprika
1 tsp tomato purée
75g self-raising flour
FOR THE DIP
½ cucumber, peeled
250g natural yogurt
1 small garlic clove, crushed
juice of ½ lemon
¼ tsp sweet smoked paprika
a pinch of chilli flakes (optional)
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Method:
Coarsely grate the cucumber and squeeze out any excess liquid. Transfer to a bowl. Add the remaining dip ingredients and ½ teaspoon of salt. Mix well to combine.
Chill the dip until you're ready to serve the falafels.
Heat you oven to 180°C
Place the chickpeas into a food processor with the onion, garlic and red pepper. Blitz together until it becomes a rough mixture with some texture.
Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl and add all the spices, tomato purée, flour, ½ teaspoon salt and a good grind of black pepper; mix well.
Shape the falafels into small balls (about the size of a large cherry tomato). Place the falafels onto a lined baking tray & cook for 12-15 minutes/until the outside has started to turn slightly crispy.
Serve on a plate with salad & your smoky dip
Halloumi With Tomato, Runner Bean And Mint Couscous
You will need: (Serves 2)
75g giant couscous
½ x 185g pack ready sliced runner beans
1 x 225g pack light halloumi
A little olive oil, for frying
2 spring onions, trimmed and sliced
100g cherry tomatoes, halved
A large handful of mint leaves, roughly chopped, plus baby mint leaves to serve
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Method:
Pour the couscous into a medium pan, add a large pinch of salt and cold water to cover. Put on the lid & bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 4 minutes. Add the beans and cook for a further 2 minutes, until the couscous is tender and the beans are just cooked.
For the dressing: whisk the oil & lemon together. Season with black pepper only, NO SALT!
Drain the couscous & beans then leave to cool for a few minutes before tossing with half the dressing in a bowl.
Put a frying pan over a medium heat, cut the halloumi into 8 slices and rub with a little olive oil. When the pan is very hot, fry the halloumi for a minute each side, until golden.
Add the spring onions, tomatoes and mint to the couscous. Serve the halloumi with the couscous salad. Drizzle over the remaining lemon dressing and scatter with baby mint leaves.
Chocolate, Peanut Butter & Avocado Pudding
You will need:
2 large, ripe avocados, halved and stoned
1 large banana, chopped
5 soft prunes
6 tbsp unsweetened almond milk/coconut milk
2 tbsp smooth peanut butter
3 tbsp cacao powder (or good quality cocoa powder)
100g coconut milk yogurt
2 tsp maple syrup or honey
Dark Chocolate (80% cocoa, if possible), to decorate
Method:
Scoop the avocado flesh into a food processor. Add the chopped banana, prunes, milk, peanut butter and cacao powder. Blend until smooth, adding a little more milk if the blade gets stuck.
Scrape down the sides once or twice and blend again.
Divide the mixture between 4 small glasses/bowls.
Mix the coconut yogurt with the maple syrup/honey and top each pudding with a generous spoonful.
Finely grate a little dark chocolate over the top and chill for at least 1 hour.
@GWTFNutrition
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