Orange a la Cannelle (v)

All we seemed to eat in Morocco for pudding was orange a la cannelle. It's one of Lex's favourite dishes, and he's currently scoffing a couple of oranges with cinnamon for breakfast!

For one portion you need:
1 orange
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Peel the orange with a knife to remove the skin, pith and outer membrane of the orange segments. Either slice thin slices or segment the orange and place the slices/segments in a bowl and squeeze the juice on top. Sprinkle over the cinnamon and eat. Preferably outside in the sunshine in the shade of an orange tree and within earshot of a qsbah.

Sour Cream and Corriander Dip

This works well as a dip for lots of things but was particularly good with the spiced sweet potato wedges I had earlier today.

For 1-2 servings you need:
1/2 pot sour cream
1/2 red onion, very finely diced
large handful corriander, chopped finely

Mix together. Use as required. Simples.

Roasted Sweet Potatoes, Carrots and Onions with Chilli and Smoked Paprika (v)

This was a twist on my usual store cupboard standby of Moroccan spiced roasted vegetables. I fancied doing them with smoked paprika after buying some really nice powder from 8th day. It worked really well and Lex enjoyed them too. Bonus.

For 2-3 people you need
2 sweet potatoes, cut into wedges/fat chips
2 large carrots, cut in to fat batons
2 red onions, cut into 6ths
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp smoked paprika powder
salt and pepper

Toss the vegetables in the oil. Season and add the chilli and paprika. Turn out on to a baking sheet and roast in a hot oven for 20 mins or so till tender and slightly charred. Serve with sour cream and corriander dip.

Cheat's Curry with Random Ingredients (v)

I love the Shana brand of ready meal packet curries. They are authentic Indian curries which are probably dreadful on the ethical scale as they'll be air freighted :/ but they are as good as a takeaway on a night where you have no time. Last night was one of those nights...

For one person you need:
1 packet Shana Madras curry sauce
1 leftover cooked vegan sausage, cut into slices
1 cup random cooked vegetables (I had broccoli, brussels sprouts, frozen peas and sweetcorn)

Place the sauce in a pan and add everything else along with a dash of water. Heat. Serve with oven chips (waaaaay classy bird. That's me :D). Dinner in 10 mins.

Noodles with Tofu, Mushrooms and Watercress in Blackbean Sauce (v)

I love watercress and think it's highly underused as a cooked vegetable. Use it like spinach but appreciate the peppery bite of it more than metallic spinach. This was very quick to throw together and tasted lovely.

For one hungry person you need:
1 bundle noodles
1/2 packet watercress
1 onion, sliced
3-4 mushrooms, sliced
1/2 jar waitrose cooks ingredients blackbean sauce
1 marinated tofu steak, cut into bite sized pieces
1 tsp vegetable oil

Cook/soak the noodles and leave to drain. Fry the onion and mushrooms in the oil for 4-5 mins. Add the tofu pieces and cook for a further 5 mins till lightly browned. Add the blackbean sauce (and a little extra water to get it all out of the jar). Heat through. Turn off the heat and add the watercress. Allow to wilt. Serve on top of the noodles and scoff. Yummy.

Chocolate Cake (v)

I had some sweetened soya milk to use up and found this recipe in a Suma cookbook I picked up at the brilliant 8th day co-op in Manchester. It went down a storm with friends on Sunday, especially served warm with some fresh strawberries.

***warning*** this makes a HUGE cake so either scale back the ingredients, or freeze some for another day!

For 12-14 slices you need:
390g plain flour
440g vanilla sugar
6 tbsp cocoa powder
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
500ml sweetened soya milk
185ml vegetable oil
2 tbsp cider vinegar
2 tsp vanilla extract

Mix the dry with the wet and pour into a 23cm cake tin. Bake in a moderate (170 degrees) oven for about 45-60 mins. Leave to cool a little before slicing.

Blackbean Fried Rice with Peas (v)

I left my lunch on the counter in my flat today. And had back2back meetings all day so didn't have time to eat much. Cue being starving like a starving thing as soon as I got home... This was super speedy thanks to there being some leftover rice in the fridge.

For one person you need:
1/2 jar blackbean sauce
1 cup cooked rice
1/4 cup peas
1 onion chopped
1/2 red chilli, chopped
1 tsp oil

Fry the onion in the oil for 3-4 mins. Add everything else and cook for a further 5 mins till piping hot. Scoff. Feel better.

Creamy Sweet Potato, Spinach and Chickpea Curry (v)

Yes another curry. I like curry...

For 3-4 portions you need:
4 sweet small potatoes
1 can chickpeas, drained
1 can coconut milk
1/2 jar curry paste
1 onion, chopped
1/2 bag baby leaf spinach
1 tbsp oil

Begin by frying the onion in the oil till soft. Add the sweet potatoes and curry paste and cook out for about 5 mins. Add the coconut milk and chickpeas and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 15 mins till the sweet potatoes are tender. Add the spinach and cover with a lid. Cook for 2-3 mins till the spinach is wilted. Serve with rice.

The Best Vegan Sandwich Ever... (v)

This was described by someone as food a martian would eat. I disagree. It's basically a satay in a sandwich. What's not to like?

For one hungry person you need:
2 slices bread, preferably granary
smooth peanut butter
hot sweet chilli sauce
cucumber, sliced
1 carrot, grated or thinly sliced
handful fresh corriander, roughly chopped
large handful watercress/alfafa/other green stuff

Spread the both bits of bread with peanut butter (this prevents the sandwich from going soggy if making the night before). Top with sweet chilli sauce. Layer up sliced/grated carrot. cucumber slices, the corriander and top with the alfafa/watercress. Press shut. Eat.

Feta, Spinach, Olive and Tomato Muffins

This recipe is courtesy of @Goze01 who shared a pic of some amazing looking muffins on instagr.am and then sent me the recipe. I have tweaked it according to what I had available. And now I can't stop eating them. Lush indeed.

For 12 muffins and a loaf tin of mix you need:
2 tbsp olive oil
1 red onion, finely chopped
360g self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp hot chilli powder pepper
125g grated cheddar cheese
220ml milk
1 egg
130g baby spinach leaves
1/2 tub semi dried tomatoes in olive oil
1 small tub chilli olives, cut into quarters
1 packet feta, crumbled into chunks.

Fry the onion in the oil till done. Meanwhile put everything else in a bowl. Add the onions and mix well.

Spoon the mixture into the paper cases/loaf tin. Bake in medium (170 degree) oven for 30-35 minutes. Leave the muffins to cool slightly before turning out on to a wire rack to cool completely. I topped the loaf tin with some quartered tomatoes that needed to be used up. A meal in a muffin!

Quick Lentil and Vegetable Curry (v)

This is very quick and makes good use of those veggies left languishing at the bottom of the fridge/cupboard...

For 4 portions you need:
100g red lentils
750ml stock
1/2 jar curry paste
2 onions, chopped
2 cups new potatoes, roughly chopped
2 sweet potatoes, cubed
2 carrots, thickly sliced
2 tbsp oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed

Fry the onion in the oil for 5 mins then add the curry paste. Cook out for 2-3 mins. Add everything else and bring to the boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15-20 mins till the veggies and lentils are done. Serve with Indian Salad and bread. Yum.

Ginger and Garlic Teryaki with Sticky Rice (v)

This is stupidly healthy, very easy and delicious. What more could you ask for...

For 2-3 portions you need:
1 pack tofu
1/2 cup dark soya sauce
1/2 cup medium sweet sherry or mirin
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 inch piece of ginger, grated
2 carrots, thinly sliced
3 leave chinese leaf, shredded
1 leek, sliced

Cut the tofu into chunks and place in a bowl with the soya sauce, sherry/mirin, garlic and ginger. Leave to marinate for as long as you can, but at least 30 mins.

Place the tofu et al into a pan and heat to boiling, reduce the heat and simmer for 10-15 mins, allowing the sauce to reduce by 1/3. After 5 mins add the carrots and cover. After 10-15 mins add the leek and chinese leaf and cook for a further 5 mins. Serve with sticky rice.

Pan Fried Haloumi with Garlicky Tomatoes

This is quick, easy and oh so good! A perfect store cupboard/fridge staple to keep in for those days when you just can't think of anything else to cook...

For 2-3 people you need:
1 pack haloumi, cut into thick slices
1 tin chopped tomatoes
3 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic
salt and pepper
a little sugar
1/2 cup cous cous
1/2 tsp vegetable stock powder
1 cup boiling water

Place the tomatoes, 2 tbsp olive oil and the garlic in a pan. Bring to the boil then reduce and simmer for 5-10 mins till thickened.

Meanwhile put the cous cous and stock in to a bowl and cover with the boiling water. Leave to soak.

Fry the haloumi in the remaining oil till browned and crispy. Serve with a green salad if you can be bothered.

Hazlenut Tofu with Japanese Broth and Sticky Rice (v)

This was lush. Really lovely and stupidly healthy too. I am a culinary genius. Just, please, don't try making this whilst intoxicated like I did. Muchos ouchos.

For 2-3 people you need:
1 packet hazlenut tofu (available from the rather marvellous 8th day in Manchester) cut into thin 1" square slices
1 leek, finely sliced
2 carrots, sliced on the diagonal
1 packet pok choi, shredded
1/2 packet snow peas, cut in half
4 florets of cauliflower, cut into slices the same size as the tofu
1 cup sherry
1/2 cup soya sauce
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1" piece ginger, grated
about 1/2 cup boiling water
1 cup sushi rice

Begin by cooking the rice - place in a pan with 1.5 cups boiling water. Bring to the boil, cover with a lid and simmer for 10 mins. Turn off the heat and allow to steam cook.

Meanwhile place the sherry and soya sauce into a pan. Add the garlic, ginger, leeks, carrots and tofu and bring to a gentle simmer. Add the water to taste to make sure the broth isn't too overpowering with the soya sauce etc. Once the rice has finished cooking add the remaining veggies and heat through briefly. Serve with the rice and feel disgustingly healthy.

Carrot and Corriander Salad (v)

This is a zingy, fresh salad which is nice as a side to something spicy.

For 2-3 people you need:
1 large carrot, peeled and grated
1/4 cucumber; diced
4 spring onions, sliced
small pack corriander, roughly chopped

Place everything in a bowl and mix. Scoff.

Minted Yogurt Dip

This goes well with the Butterbean, Cashew and Almond Patties along with lots of other things too.

For 4 people you need:
200g plain yogurt
1 tbsp mint sauce or 2 tsp dried mint or 2 tbsp fresh chopped mint

Mix together and dollop as necessary.

Spiced Butterbean, Cashew and Almond Patties

These are quick to make but taste delicious. You can vary the contents depending on what beans you have in the cupboard and what nuts you fancy.

For 4 people you need:
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 heaped tbsp curry paste
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tin butterbeans, drained
75g spicy cashew nuts, chopped
125g ground almonds
1 egg

Sautee the onion in the oil for 5 mins. Add the garlic and curry paste and cook out for a further 2-3 mins.

Blitz the beans till smooth then mix everything else in. Divide the mixture into 8 and form into patties. Lay on a baking sheet and bake in a moderate oven for 15-20 mins till lightly cooked.

Serve with roti and something like a minty yogurt dip.

Pasta with Rocket and Watercress Pesto

O. M. G. (as it were...). This is delicious. Am very impressed that something can taste so amazing with so few ingredients and take such a short time to make.

For two people you need:
1/2 cup pine nuts
handful each watercress and rocket
1 clove garlic
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/8 cup grape seed oil
200g pasta

Cook the pasta. Meanwhile toast the pine nuts (yes I know Jamie says don't bother but I like them toasted and think the heat helps to make the sauce too. So there.). Place the garlic, cheese, watercress, rocket and pine nuts into a mini blender and pulse, shaking it to ensure everything gets done. Add the oil and blend again. I used grapeseed oil as I wanted the individual flavours to come through rather than be drowned out by olive oil.

Drain the pasta and toss through the pesto. Serve with a little extra cheese on the top. Like I said, O. M. G.

Chick Pea and Garlic Sauce (v)

This is a sort of houmous but it's not really houmous per se. I had it with moroccan roasted vegetables, cous cous and haloumi tonight. It worked as a sort of wet sauce to balance the dryness of the vegetables and cous cous.

For 2-3 servings you need:
1 can chickpeas, drained
2 cloves garlic, crushed
juice 1 lemon
1/3 cup water
3 tbsp light olive oil

Place everything in a blender and blitz till it's the consistency you want (I like mine slightly chunky). Eat as you wish.

Coconut Broth with Citrus and Noodles (v)

Yes, another variation on the theme but this was delicate and spicy and sour and hot and basically delicious which is why it deserves being blogged. The addition of frozen kaffir lime leaves and lemon grass helped to lift the flavours more than freeze dried.

For 2-3 portions you need:
1 bundle ramen noodles
1 can coconut milk
1 small can cocomut cream
1 litre vegetable stock
4 cloves garlic, sliced
3 inch piece of ginger, grated
2 red chillies, sliced
small bunch corriander, roughly chopped
2 tbsp mirin
2 tbsp soya sauce
1 onion, sliced
1 large carrot, sliced
1/2 cup peas
2 pak choi, shredded
1 tbsp frozen kaffir lime leaves
4 pieces frozem lemon grass
juice of 2 limes
6 spring onions, chopped

Place everything apart from the spring onions in a large pan and gently heat. Cook for 1-2 mins and then serve topped with the spring onions.