Tag: healthy eating

Carrot & Almond Pulp Seed Crackers

Posted in Dehydrator Recipes, Healthy Eating, Raw, Vegan Natural ChefLeave a comment

Click here to jump to the Recipe Raw Food – The Low Down Another of our college lectures focused on Raw Food. Raw food is made up of fresh, whole, unrefined, living plant-based foods such as: fruits, vegetables, leafy greens, nuts and seeds (soaked and sprouted), which are consumed in their natural state, without cooking… Continue reading Carrot & Almond Pulp Seed Crackers

Mixed Bean and Pepper Chilli

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On a Monday evening my daughter comes round for dinner, before she and hubby go to Art class.  They’ve been going for a few weeks now and enjoy the relaxation of doing Art and it’s a release from their hectic jobs.

Faye is a vegan , this is a great excuse for me to try out new recipes or make stuff up and also for me to have ‘Meat Free Monday’!  I also wanted to make something that would be very easy so I wasn’t slaving over a hot cooker when I could also be spending a bit of time with Faye before she goes off with Dad!

For tonight, I fancied making a bean chilli. So when I was doing my food shop I came across a tin of Mixed Beans in a Spicy Tomato Sauce.  I thought that this would be a great base to add to. The sauce itself does have a spicy flavour but I found it needed more ‘oompf’ so I added more chilli.

Waitrose Mixed beans in spicy tomato sauce
Waitrose Mixed beans in spicy tomato sauce

Well it turned out lovely and I would definitely make it again. It made enough for two decent portions and Faye took home the leftovers for her lunch tomorrow.

Ingredients

  • tin of mixed beans in spicy tomato sauce
  • tin of butter beans
  • tin of chopped tomatoes
  • 1 green bell pepper -chopped
  • 1 red bell pepper – chopped
  • 2 green jalapeno peppers – sliced  (mine were home grown and not that hot, so you may want to change depending on the heat of your chilli)
  • 1 onion – chopped
  • 1 large clove garlic – finely chopped or use garlic press
  • 1/4 tsp chilli flakes (or more if you want it hotter)
  • 1 tblsp olive oil
  • salt and pepper to taste

Next

  • heat the olive oil in a large pan and add the bell peppers, jalapeno peppers and onions and cook gently for 5 minutes until soft
  • add the garlic and chilli flakes and cook for a few seconds
  • then add the mixed beans and tinned tomatoes and gently simmer for 10 minutes until it thickens.
  • Add the butter beans and gently heat through for about 5 minutes, being careful that they don’t go mushy
  • season to taste and serve with wholegrain rice with a dollop of mashed avocado mixed with lemon juice and black pepper

I hope you find this recipe useful, even If it gives you some inspiration to make your own version ♥

My home grown chili
My home grown chili

 

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Sunday Brunch

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On Sunday my son Brad and his wife Faye came round for brunch.  They are both into healthy eating and so I thought I would do an alternative to the usual cooked breakfast.  Inspired by a couple of recipes from my Eat Healthy magazine I did roasted sweet potato, butternut squash and red pepper frittata, homemade ‘baked’ beans and grilled gluten free sausages by Heck.  It went down really well and was surprisingly filling.

The baked beans were a combination of two recipes, I just took the flavours I like and the ingredients I had and a little bit of hey presto!

Here is the recipe if you fancy having a go yourselves:

  • coconut oil for frying
  • 1 red onion finely chopped
  • 1 tin of cannellini beans
  • 1 tin of mixed beans
  • 1 tin of chopped tomatoes
  • 200ml passata
  • a large tablespoon of tomato puree
  • 1 tbsp Tamari
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup
  • 1 tbsp coarse-grain mustard
  1. In a small frying pan, gently fry the onions in the coconut oil for about 10 minutes until they are nice and soft
  2. drain and rinse the beans and add to a large saucepan
  3. add everything else and the cooked onions
  4. bring to the boil and simmer for at least 30 minutes, the longer you simmer the thicker the sauce.

They were very simple to make and a lot healthier than the usual tinned baked beans.

They also bought me a beautiful flower arrangement for the table, it’s from their favourite florist  Penny Jane Flowers in Leigh-on-sea.

Beautiful flowers from my lovely son and his wife
Beautiful flowers from my lovely son Brad and his wife Faye

 

Healthy Lunch Week – Well I Tried!

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On Sunday evenings I generally spend half an hour or so thinking about what we will have for dinner for the week so that I can create a shopping list on the Monday.  I find this helps me save money and food waste as I am only buying what I need. … Continue reading

Gluten Free Lunchtimes!

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Just because you are a coeliac or are gluten intolerant, it doesn’t mean your lunch times have to be boring.  Whether you are at work or at home,  you should always treat yourself to something nice and tasty and if it’s healthy too, then all the better.

Here is a gallery of recent lunch time treats I have made for myself, hope they give you the inspiration to treat yourselves too! ♥

avacado and chili
Pasta bowl – gluten free pasta with chopped tomatoes and celery with tuna, mayo and chopped spring onions
Crayfish salad – crayfish tails, baby plumb tomatoes, shredded baby gem lettuce,chopped avocado and seafood sauce
Rice salad – white rice with tuna and mayo, chopped baby plumb tomatoes and chopped yellow and orange pepper
GF Newburn Bakehouse seedy wrap with a spreading of mayo, shredded baby gen lettuce, sliced baby plumb tomatoes, sliced roasted chicken and a spoonful of cranberry sauce
Fish finger sandwich – the ultimate snack
GF Newburn Bakehouse Wrap with chicken and avacado
Tomato and basil bruschetta – toasted Schar brown ciabatta roll
Toasted GF Schar roll with mashed avocado and chopped tomato
tomato and spinach omelette with melted cheese
prawn and avocado wrap
scrambled egg and smoked salmon with toasted Schar roll
toasted Schar roll with cream cheese and smoked salmon

American Sweetcorn Pancakes

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These naturally gluten free and dairy free pancakes are amazing and great for breakfast or brunch.  We had them with scrambled egg and a few mushrooms, but my husband suggested that next time they would taste even better with a few rashers of bacon on top!  I must admit, I added a squeeze of tomato ketchup on top of mine.

Here is the recipe – you will need: … Continue reading