Mains

Golden roti,curried carrot falafel and masala corn

7th September 2016 by bos.kitchen Leave a Comment

Anyone who knows me knows how much I love Indian food. If I could eat one cuisine for the rest of my life, it would be Indian! I just love the complexity and layers of flavours and the huge variety of vegetarian dishes. Enter these vibrant golden roti with curried carrot falafel and masala corn.

This dish is a fusion of all the things I love, with a healthy twist to celebrate my lovely friend Janine’s carnival on her blog and Instagram page. The idea is to create a healthy version of our favourite ‘fast food’ and this recipe, although it looks quite long is actually very quick to prepare and satisfies all my ‘fast food’ cravings. It’s full of flavour and gives me everything I crave when hunger strikes- veggies, spice and protein. You can prepare the curried carrot falafel and masala corn in advance, so you only have the roti to make on the day, then you can eat this in less than 10 minutes! Check out the details on her blog here or if you’re on Instagram, use #healthyfastfood4 to see all the entries so far. I particularly love Tiina’s sweet potato sandwich with cashew cheese. Drool!

Golden roti, curried carrot falafel and masala corn

If you’re making the whole thing, make the carrot cakes first, then the corn masala and the roti last.

Serve with veggies of choice- I used tomatoes, shredded cabbage and massaged kale. For a speedy meal, prepare the carrot falafel mix in advance, store in the fridge and then shape and fry while you make your roti.

Curried carrot falafel

1 tin chickpeas, drained and dried with a towel to remove any liquid
3 large carrots
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp chili seeds
1 tsp coconut oil

Chop your carrots into small chunks and boil until soft. Drain, allow to cool, then mash in a large bowl with the chickpeas. Stir through the spices.
Heat a skillet over a medium heat and add the coconut oil. Shape into little balls or patties and lightly fry until golden.

Corn masala

2 fresh corn on the cob
1 red onion
1 red chili
thumb size piece of ginger
2 tsp black mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp coconut/avocado oil
2 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp garam masala

Heat a medium pan on medium/high heat with the coconut oil and add corn, onion, chili, ginger and spices. Fry for 7-8 minutes, then add the garlic and garam masala and cook for 5 minutes more, taking care not to let the garlic burn.

Golden roti

200g fine cornmeal
100g plain flour (can sub gluten free)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp turmeric
2 tbsp avocado/coconut oil
1 chili, sliced very finely
3/4 cup hand hot water

Mix cornmeal, flour, salt, turmeric and oil together in a medium sized bowl with your fingers or a fork, until crumbs.
Stir through the chili and add the water a little at a time, until a smooth dough is formed. Knead for a minute or two until soft and pliable. Split dough up into golf ball size pieces.
Heat a frying pan or skillet to a medium/high heat and brush lightly with a little coconut oil. Roll out roti into small disks, around 5mm thick. Lightly fry roti for three minutes each, turning half way through cooking.

Chia and fennel green pizza

31st August 2016 by bos.kitchen 3 Comments

I’ve just realised that this is my third pizza recipe. I must really love pizza! I think what entices me the most is how adaptable it is, you don’t really need to have much in the cupboards to whip up a pizza. I always end up chopping up more veggies than I need for toppings.

I had a craving for a green pizza this week, a herby, summery, savoury affair but with a crisp base that tastes like the real deal. This is honestly so delicious I will be making more houmous at the weekend just so I can have it again next week for lunch. The fennel seeds work really well with the garlic infused pesto. Pesto houmous is also my new favourite thing- SO GOOD. I thoroughly recommend using marinated artichokes on top, because they are just the most delicious vegetable in the world and every pizza tastes better with more artichokes. A good thing about being vegan and asking for a pizza with no cheese when I eat out is that I get to ask for more artichokes instead. I’m all about the artichokes.

Recipe

Chia and fennel seed pizza crust

1 cup gram(chickpea) flour
1 cup water
2 tbsp chia seeds
5 tbsp water
1 tbsp fennel seeds
Salt and pepper

Kale pesto

5 large handfuls of kale
2 lemons, juiced
1 bunch of basil (large handful)
4 garlic cloves
1 cup of walnuts
2 tsp Organic Burst wheatgrass (optional)
1/4 cup good quality extra virgin olive oil
Salt

Houmous

1 tin of organic chickpeas
1 tbsp tahini
2 garlic cloves
1 lemon, juiced
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 cup of water/liquid from the can of chickpeas

Kale pesto –

Start by blending your garlic cloves in a food processor until finely minced.
Add all other ingredients and blend until smooth.
Store your kale pesto in a jar for up to four weeks in the fridge, covering with a thin layer of olive oil to keep it fresh.

Houmous –

Blend garlic in a food processor until fine.
Add all other ingredients and mix until smooth and creamy, adding more water/chickpea liquid a little at a time if you need to.
If you want to make kale pesto houmous, simply mix equal parts houmous and kale pesto.

Chia and fennel seed crust-

Preheat your oven to 180°c and line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.
To make the pizza crust, mix the chia seeds with 4tbsp of water and leave to form a gel. This should take around 5 minutes.
Add all dry ingredients to a medium sized mixing bowl and stir to incorporate. Now add the cup of water and the chia seed gel. Mix until it’s smooth but still quite thick, you want it to slowly drop of the spoon, like a thick paste.
Spread the base over your prepared baking tray and cook for 20 minutes, until firm.
Allow to cool and then top with kale pesto houmous, courgette ribbons, red onion, fresh oregano, fresh basil, marinated artichokes and sesame seeds.

Beet cucumber and avo maki

18th August 2016 by bos.kitchen Leave a Comment

Sushi is the perfect light summer meal. I love making a batch and snacking on it through the day, it never leaves me too full. It’s actually really easy to make, all you need is a sushi rolling mat, which you can pick up at your local supermarket. The beautiful vibrant pink comes from a little beetroot juice, but you can of course leave it out, or use other natural colourings, turmeric for yellow, red cabbage for purple or spinach for green. I love the earthiness of beetroot mixed with rice wine vinegar though, it really works well with the creamy avocado and refreshing cucumber.

I’ve tried to make the instructions on rolling sushi as simple as possible, but if like me, you prefer to look at pictures, there’s a great diagram here. Next time I will take more pictures I promise!

I was kindly gifted these gorgeous knives by Edge of Belgravia recently (best gift ever, thank you lovely knife people) and they have quickly become my new favourite kitchen toys. Super sharp and incredibly slick, they make slicing, chopping and dicing a sheer pleasure. You really do need a sharp knife to cut sushi, so I definitely recommend checking out these knife sets if you’re in need of one, they’re very reasonably priced for the quality.

Beet, cucumber and avo maki (makes 3 rolls, at least 18 pieces of sushi)

1 cup sushi rice
1 1/2 cups water
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1 tsp coconut sugar (or any other sugar you have)
1/2 tsp salt
3-5 tbsp pure beetroot juice
3 nori sheets
1/2 cucumber, sliced into thin, even strips
1/2 avocado, sliced as above
Black sesame seeds (optional)

Rinse sushi rice well under cool, running water until most of the starch is removed (the water should run fairly clear when it’s ready).
Mix rice vinegar, sugar and salt together in a little bowl.
Add sushi rice and water to a pan and bring to the boil. Reduce to a simmer and put the lid on. Leave to cook for 8 minutes. Check to see if all the water has been absorbed, if not, cook for a few more minutes.
When your rice is ready, immediately stir through your vinegar, sugar and salt mix and add 3 tbsp of beetroot juice. If you want it pinker, add some more beetroot juice. Allow to cool to room temperature before using.
Lay out your nori sheet according to the packet instructions (usually shiny side down) on a sushi mat. Spread a third of the rice on 2/3 of the nori sheet, working from the edge closest to you. Be sure to spread the rice right to the sides. Take your time here.
Layer your sliced veggies lengthways across the rice, about a third of the way in from the edge closest to you. Sprinkle the veggies with black sesame seeds, if using.
Lift the edge closest to you and begin to tightly wrap the rolls all the way to the end, pushing down lightly on the sushi mat with each turn to help it stick together.
Using the sharpest knife you have, chop each roll into inch rounds. Serve with wasabi and tamari soy sauce.

Sweet and spicy golden chia pizza

27th July 2016 by bos.kitchen 6 Comments

When I have a sudden urge for pizza (which often happens, at about 11am..) I can rest easy in the knowledge I can whip up a gluten free pizza in time for lunch….

Mini sunshine pizzas

25th May 2016 by bos.kitchen 4 Comments

Gluten free, vegan and full of superfoods. Not something we generally associate with pizzas, but this recipe is a game changer. It takes less than half an hour to whip up these mini sunshine pizzas. Containing maca, chia seeds and turmeric, they pack a real nutritional punch. I topped mine with humous, but use whatever you have on hand, I’m sure tahini or tomato sauce would work well too. If you’d like the recipe for the pretty pink humous, take a peek here. I had these for lunch yesterday and they kept me going right through the afternoon.

Recipe (makes 6-7 mini pizzas)

For the crust –

3/4 cup gram flour
3 tbsp Organic Burst chia seeds mixed with 6 tbsp water
3/4 cup water
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp Organic Burst maca powder
Himalayan pink salt and black pepper

Pre heat oven to 180 degrees and lightly grease a large baking tray or line with greaseproof paper.
In a mixing bowl, mix chia seeds and 6 tbsp water to form a gel.
Add gram flour, water, turmeric, maca powder, pink salt and pepper to the bowl and mix well until it comes together as a sticky dough. Add a little more water if you need to. It should be thick, but still drop slowly off a spoon.
Drop a tablespoon of the mix on to your greased or lined baking tray. Shape into mini pizza bases with as spoon. Bake for 20 mins or until firm.
While the pizza is cooking, prepare your toppings, I used humous and veggies.
When firm and golden, remove from oven and decorate.

Spicy & smoky wedges with guac

20th May 2016 by bos.kitchen 1 Comment

Is there anything more rewarding than eating a plate of perfectly crispy potato wedges with fresh, zingy guacamole? I don’t think so. Here’s my step by step guide to one of my favourite meals ever. It’s worth taking extra care when making wedges, little changes can make such a big difference. Feel free to play around with the spices and make your own bespoke blend.

I’d love to hear what you think if you try this super simple recipe!

Recipe

Wedges –

800g-1kg potatoes (bigger ones are best for finger sized, even wedges)
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp hot chili powder (use a tsp if you only have regular chili powder)
1 tsp dried oregano
3 tbsp olive oil
Sea salt and pepper

Guacamole –

2 avocados
Big handful of parsley or coriander
Handful cherry tomatoes, sliced
Juice of one lemon or lime
Sea salt and pepper

Put a large pan of water on to boil. Heat oven to 200 degrees and put two large baking sheets in the oven.
Wash your potatoes well and slice into wedges- leave the skin on. The best way to slice them is to slice them in half length ways, then half again, the same way, keep going until you get even wedges. Long potatoes work best here!
Boil your wedges for about 10-15 minutes, until you can pierce them with a fork. Depending on the potato, you may need longer here, but just keep testing. You want them to stay together so don’t over boil them.
Drain the wedges and leave to rest in the colander.
Make your spice mix by mixing smoked paprika, oregano, chili powder and salt and pepper in a small jar or cup.
Gently tip wedges into a bowl and cover with the olive oil and spice mix, stir briefly until wedges are roughly coated. It’s okay if some parts aren’t quite covered, it all adds to the flavour party!
Tip onto your hot baking sheets in a single layer (try not to have them on top of each other) and roast in the oven for about 20-25 minutes until evenly browned, turning half way through.

While the wedges are cooking, make your guacamole.

Roughly mash avocados in a bowl. I like to leave it quite chunky, so only mash briefly.
Add herbs, cherry tomatoes, lemon/lime juice and salt and pepper. Don’t hold back on the pepper.

Smoky chickpea tortillas with tahini sauce

13th April 2016 by bos.kitchen Leave a Comment

When the weather starts warming up, I always want to eat more wraps and dips, they just remind me of summer. Who wants to spend time over a hot stove when the sun’s out? These smoky chickpea wraps with tahini sauce are quick to prepare (less than 45 minutes, which includes prep time), full of flavour and great for a party or summer lunch.

Recipe (serves 4, enough for 2 wraps each)

Smoky chickpeas –

2 tins organic chickpeas, drained
3 tbsp olive oil
Generous pinch of salt and pepper
1 1/2 tsp paprika
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp hot chili powder
1/2 tsp smoked paprika (optional, still delicious without it)
1 large handful of rinsed, roughly chopped leafy greens (I used rainbow chard)
2 cloves of garlic
1 fresh chili, deseeded if you prefer a mild heat
1 lime (for final garnish)

Tortillas –

2 cups of plain flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 tsp vegetable oil
3/4 cup non dairy mylk, lukewarm (I used organic soya)

Tahini sauce

3 tbsp tahini
3 tbsp hot water
Salt and pepper
Juice of 1 lemon

Preheat oven to 180°c.
Start by making your tortillas. Stir flour and baking powder together in a large bowl. Add salt and vegetable oil to lukewarm milk and whisk briefly to incorporate. Gradually add mylk to flour and work mixture into a dough.
Turn onto floured surface and knead for 2 minutes. Transfer dough to a bowl, cover with a damp cloth and rest for 15 minutes.
While dough is resting, add chickpeas, 2 tbsp of oil, salt and pepper, paprika, cumin, chili powder and smoked paprika to a large roasting tin and mix until chickpeas are coated all over. Roast in oven for 30 minutes, or until golden all over.
Back to your rested tortillas. Shape into 8 equal portions of dough. Flour your work surface and pat each ball into a 5 inch circle and roll out to 7/8 inch tortilla a little less than 1/4 inch thick. Cook in a dry hot skillet or frying pan. Fry for 30 seconds on each side until you see it blister.
Cover tortillas with a clean tea towel to keep them warm. Add 1 tbsp olive oil, minced garlic and chopped chili to a pan and cook gently, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the leafy greens and stir through until just wilted.
Make your tahini sauce by mixing all ingredients in a jar with a fork. Add hot water little by little, until the sauce drops in runny dollops of a spoon. Mmmm.
Now squeeze your lime over the chickpeas and serve alongside tortillas, leafy greens and tahini sauce on your finest table and devour immediately!

Spicy plantain with rice and peas

8th April 2016 by bos.kitchen 2 Comments

I really love caribbean food. The flavours pack a real punch and always taste so fresh. I’m lucky enough to have a caribbean stall at my local market and the friendly lady there always has everything I need to whip up a proper jerk with all the trimmings. Scotch bonnets are key to this recipe, but if you can’t find them, just use the hottest chili you can get your hands on. Scotch bonnet peppers are an excellent source of phytochemicals and vitamins such as vitamin A, vitamin C (ascorbic acid), iron, vitamin B, carotenoids, niacin, riboflavin, dietary fiber, flavonoids and magnesium. They also contain capsaicin, which is not only a powerful pain killer, but is also said to reduce the build up of excess fat.

The spice of a scotch adds a fruity heat that you won’t find in a regular chili, so it’s worth hunting them down. I actually made this dish with some jerk carrots and courgette, but I ate them all before I had chance to snap them! I’ll save that for another recipe though. This was a delicious, yet simple lunch. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do, I’d love to hear what you think if you try it!

Recipe (serves two as a main, or three as a light lunch)

Rice and peas –

100g basmati rice
1/2 can coconut milk
1 bunch spring onions, sliced
2 large thyme sprigs
2 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 tsp ground allspice
1 x 400g can of kidney beans, drained
1 small handful of fresh parsley

Spicy plantains –

2 large plantains, sliced in half and then half again (see picture)
1/2 tbsp coconut oil
1 scotch bonnet, chopped finely (seeds in if you want the extra heat)
2 cloves garlic, minced

Rinse the rice in plenty of cold water, then tip it into a large saucepan with all the remaining ingredients except the kidney beans. Season with salt, add 150ml cold water and bring to the boil. Turn it down to a medium heat, cover and cook for 10 mins.
Quickly add the beans to the rice (just tip the can on top), then cover with a lid. Leave off the heat for 10 mins until all the liquid is absorbed.
While you’re waiting for the rice, make your spicy plantain. Heat up coconut oil in a skillet or frying pan. When it’s nice and hot (but not smoking) add the plantain and cook lightly on each side for about 4 mins (8 mins in total). When the plantain is golden brown on both sides, add the chopped scotch bonnet and minced garlic and cook briefly for another two minutes, taking care not to burn the garlic.
Fluff up your rice with a fork and serve up with your fried plantain. Garnish with more spring onion and the fresh parsley.

Baked kale falafel

18th March 2016 by bos.kitchen Leave a Comment

I got the falafel craving today and decided to test out a new recipe. I usually lightly fry my falafel, but I decided to bake them this time round and add some kale to give them a healthy boost (not that they need one anyway, but kale ). These pair beautifully with my beet humous, tortillas and a fresh salad. Or just dipped into the beet humous if you’re feeling a sudden falafel urge come on.

Recipe (makes about 16 falafel)

2 tins chickpeas
1 large handful kale (stalks an all, roughly chopped)
1 large handful of fresh coriander (as above)
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp harissa paste (optional)
1 small onion, diced
1 red chili
2 cloves garlic
2 tbsp spelt or gluten free flour
Juice of half lemon
2 tbsp olive oil

Preheat your oven to 200 degrees. Grease a muffin or cupcake tin with the olive oil.
Rinse your chickpeas and spin dry in a salad spinner or pat dry with a clean towel.
Add everything but the olive oil to a food processor, or to a bowl if you’re using an immersion blender. Pulse until sticky and mixed, but with some chickpeas still remaining.
Shape into little balls and place into your greased muffin tin. Bake for 20-30 minutes until golden brown at the edges.
Serve with tortilla, salad and beet humous.

Easy Pho

18th January 2016 by bos.kitchen 3 Comments

This has to be one of my favourite meals. Light and nourishing yet still tasty and comforting enough to feel like a real treat. The recipe is really flexible too, so feel free to chop and change ingredients as you go if you want to. The only essentials really are the noodles, some stock and the chili, coriander and lime. I don’t think I’ve ever made the same bowl of pho once and that’s part of its beauty. If you’d like to recreate this exact bowl, read on for the recipe.

Prep time – 5 mins

Cooking time – 20 mins

You’ll need –

1 tsp coconut oil
1 onion, diced
1 cup of shredded cabbage
Half a fennel bulb, finely chopped
1 cup of kale (stems chopped up finely and leaves shredded)
6-8 white mushrooms, sliced
Thumb size piece of ginger, chopped into matchsticks
3 garlic cloves, sliced thinly
1 cinnamon stick
2 star anise
1 pack of noodles (I used brown rice noodles)
1/4 cup of enoki mushrooms
1 sachet or tbsp of miso paste
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 bunch of coriander
1 lime
1 chili pepper, sliced thinly (remove the seeds if you don’t want it too hot)

Heat your coconut oil in a medium sized saucepan. Lightly fry your onion, cabbage, fennel, kale stems (save the kale leaves for adding at the end) and mushrooms. Fry for 5-7 minutes until soft. Set aside in a bowl.
To the empty pan, add your ginger, garlic, cinnamon, star anise, miso, rice wine vinegar and maple syrup. Add about four cups of water and bring to a gentle simmer for 15-20 minutes.
While all those delicious flavours are developing in your stock, make your noodles.
After 15-20 minutes, strain your stock using a sieve. Add the stock back to the pan with the fried veggies and noodles. Add in kale leaves and cook briefly until wilted.
Garnish with fresh chili, lots of a coriander and a big ol’ squeeze of lime.