Monthly Archives: June 2015

Roasted Red Pepper & Sun Dried Tomato Dressing

Posted in Dips & Sauces by

zoodle with red pepper sauce1

Right now I seem to be going through a phase of eating sun dried tomatoes, olives and sauerkraut, which is strange as I never used to like any of these foods!  I do think, however, as we get older, our taste buds change and we like different flavours we may have not liked previously.

I had a red pepper which needed to be used and instead of doing a red pepper hummus like I would normally do, I tried this dressing and it turned out really well.

I’ve had this dressing on courgette ‘noodles’, over homemade gnocchi and regular gluten free pasta and it works well with all.  The dressing can also be made in to a nice spread by reducing the amount of water, it’s lovely spread on gluten free oatcakes.

Ingredients

-1 roasted red pepper, seeds removed (if using jarred red pepper, rinse off oil)

-1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes, oil drained & rinsed

-2 Tbsp. sunflower seeds

-1/2 red chilli, seeds removed

-1/2 cup water

-1 tsp. lemon juice

-salt & pepper to taste

gnocchi with red pepper sauce

How To Make

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

Stores well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.

Enjoy 🙂

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Kale & Pineapple Smoothie

Posted in Juices & Smoothies by

Kale & Pineapple smoothie

My Dad got me a fab gadget when he was over visiting last year that makes slicing up a pineapple so easy!  The best bit too is you’re left with the shell of the pineapple and some of the delicious juice to drink.

As pineapples always remind me of hot Summer days I was waiting for a hot spell before I stocked up on them and created some recipes.  However,  I think the two days of sunshine we had here in Scotland was Summer this year, eager as I was to use my new gadget I’ve stocked up on pineapples – sliced them up with said gadget and filled the fridge and freezer!

I made this smoothie the other morning after my workout and it is delicious with the heat of the ginger coming through.  It is a thick smoothie so if you prefer a thinner consistency add more milk.

Kale & pineapple smoothie2

Serves 1

Ingredients

-2 large handfuls of kale, cleaned and tough stalks removed

-1 heaped cup chopped pineapple

-1″ piece of ginger, peeled

-1 stick of celery

-1 Tbsp. ground flaxseed

-3/4 cup brown rice milk, or your preferred milk

How To Make

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

Pour into a glass and serve.

Enjoy 🙂

 

 

Ginger & Lime Tahini Dressing

Posted in Dips & Sauces by

Ginger, lime tahini dressing

Well we had two glorious days of sunshine last week and me being ever so positive decided to finally put all my Winter clothes away, bring out my Summer clothes and started trying some Summer inspired recipes I have planned.  It is now cold, grey and raining and I’m wearing a jumper!  I’m hoping this is just a temporary blip in the Scottish Summer.

I love all the fresh fruits and vegetables during the Summer months.  I like trying different ways to incorporate the various foods available into my diet, not all salads have to be limp lettuce, a tomato, cucumber & grated carrots as I have learned!

This dressing gives a lovely punch from the lime and a bit of heat from the ginger.  Ginger is great to help digestion and also is anti-inflammatory so an excellent addition to your diet.  I use lots of ginger in this dressing but if you’re not overly keen use less and adapt to your taste.

salad with tahini dressing

Ingredients

-2 Tbsp. tahini

-1 Tbsp. tamari

-juice of half a lime

-zest of one small lime

-large piece of ginger (approx. 2″-3″ ) peeled & finely grated

-2-4 Tbsp. cold water

How To Make

Place all the ingredients except the water into a small jar.  Add two tablespoons of water first, secure the lid on the jar and give it a good shake.

Check consistency of dressing and if you prefer a thinner dressing add more water.

Stores well in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Enjoy 🙂

 

Oven Roasted Chickpeas

Posted in Snacks by

Roasted chickpeas

I love chickpeas and any dish that contains them or is made with them.  I’ve always got some in the house, tinned or dried.

I cannot believe I haven’t tried roasting chickpeas before now, they are utterly delicious and very, very moreish (be warned!).  I was developing recipes the other weekend and instead of making hummus I thought I’d try these and now making them weekly, I’ve even got my friend hooked on them.  So now I’m wracking my brains thinking of other recipes I could incorporate chickpeas in – baked goods?  Who knows? But I’m sure I’ll have fun trying.

I use Ras El Hanout on these chickpeas but you could use any spice you like.  Ras El Hanout is a Moroccan seasoning with cinnamon, lavender, rose petals and cloves among some of the spices and herbs used to make it, which makes it lovely and fragrant.

These are lovely enjoyed warm but be sure to allow them to cool enough when you take them out of the oven.  I didn’t the first time making them and ended up with a sore tongue!

Ingredients

-1 X 400g tin of chickpeas, drained and thoroughly rinsed

-1 Tbsp. olive oil

-1 Tbsp. Ras El Hanout or spice of your choice

Roasted Chickpeas2

How To Make

Pre-heat oven to 180C and line a baking sheet with tin foil.

After you have rinsed the chickpeas pat them dry with kitchen towel and put in a bowl.

Pour over the oil and seasoning, mixing well so all chickpeas are covered.  Pour onto the lined baking sheet spreading out the chickpeas.

Put in the oven for 25-30 minutes, giving a stir halfway through cooking time.

Remove when golden and crispy.

Allow to cool slightly before enjoying.

These store well in an airtight container for 2-3 days (although once you start eating them it’s hard to stop!)

Enjoy 🙂

Creamy Cashew ‘Cheese’ Sauce

Posted in Dips & Sauces by

Spaghetti with cashew cheese

So there’s no cheese in this but I didn’t know what else to call it! Although,  I do use nutritional yeast to add a cheese-y flavour .  I’ve been making this for quite a while now and it’s lovely over pasta, spread on crackers or as a dip.

It’s best to soak the cashews overnight as the longer they soak the smoother the sauce, however I’ve tried making the sauce and soaked the cashews for about 6-8 hours and it still worked well.  It’s not a quick recipe that you can decide on the spur of the moment to make but once your cashews have been soaked it literally takes minutes to throw together.

If you find the sauce too sour for you I’d suggest using less apple cider vinegar.

Cashew cheese dip

Ingredients

-1 cup raw unsalted cashews, soaked in water overnight or at least 8 hours

-1/4 cup nutritional yeast

-2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar

-1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard

-juice of 1/2 lemon

-1/4 to 1/2 cup water

-salt to taste

How To Make

Drain the cashews and place in a blender with all the ingredients except the water.

Blend until the cashews are starting to break up then add 1/4 cup of water and blend on high-speed.

If you prefer a runnier consistency add more water and continue to blend.

This stores in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Enjoy 🙂