Mains – Page 2 – Nat's Ladle

Vegan Vietnamese Pho {gf}

Published on January 17, 2017 by nathaliejasmin2019Leave a comment

Brace yourself peeps, because here comes one of the most delicious, wholesome and satisfying meals you’ll ever make. I am not exaggerating. If you like Asian cuisine, you are going to love this. And who doesn’t love a good soup? I am a big fan of soups of all kind. They are easy, quick and yummy. They are extremely flexible and versatile and a great way to use up leftover veggies. Take that, limp celery! Which means they are economical and help to reduce food waste. A big win all round! Depending on the ingredients you use, they are also one of the cheapest meals you can make. And this vegan Vietnamese pho ticks all the boxes.

What I love about pho is that it is so filling and yet very low in fat. It is also a great all-year round meal. In winter it warms you up, and in summer it is a nice light and refreshing lunch or dinner that doesn’t weigh you down. I love Asian cuisines (the authentic ones, not the usual greasebomb takeaway places in Western countries) – whenever I eat Asian, I really feel how the food just takes all the bad things out of my body. However, eating out Asian can be a challenge if you are vegan (or vegetarian, for that matter). Especially the Vietnamese cuisine tends to be meat-heavy, and you can be hard-pressed to find something truly vegan in a Vietnamese restaurant.

This is where my vegan pho comes in. Filled to the brim with veggies, cubed tofu for the protein and “zoodles” instead of noodles (although you can use any noodles you like), this is one explosion of flavours that is low in carbs, calories and fat, but does not skimp on the taste and nutrition front. See for yourself!

Vegan Vietnamese Pho

Serves 2

750ml vegetable stock
4 garlic cloves, minced
a handfull of leeks (only white and light green part, washed and finely chopped)
3 stalks of celery, washed and finely chopped
a pound (ca. 500 g) mixed vegetables (I used carrots, broccoli, green beans, capsicum, onions and baby corn)
a teaspoon ground ginger
teaspoon hot curry powder
a teaspoon of black pepper
half a teaspoon ground cinnamon
half a teaspoon of salt
dash of lemon or lime juice
toppings (optional): fresh coriander, fresh chillies, fried shallots, nuts….

For the zoodles:
2 medium zucchini (or equivalent amount of other noodles)
2 tbsp tamari

And also:
300 g firm tofu, cut into cubes

Fry the garlic in a large saucepan until aromatic, add the stock, leeks, celery and vegetables and bring to the boil. Add the spices, turn down the heat and cook until the vegetables are just tender (do not overcook!). Meanwhile, prepare the zoodles, toss in the tamari and divide into two bowls. Top with the veggies, broth and tofu and top with your toppings if using.

Enjoy!

Healthy Pumpkin and Chickpea Curry {vg, gf}

Published on January 4, 2017 by nathaliejasmin2019Leave a comment

There is just nothing quite like curry. It is comforting, nourishing, versatile, flavoursome, filling, easy and inexpensive. It is a great way to use up leftovers and is the perfect candidate for making in batch and then freezing. The only downside is that traditional Indian, Thai and Malaysian curry recipes with their oodles of oil and coconut cream are far from being a “diet food”. While this is not a problem if you indulge once in a while or are not concerned about your physique, there are certainly options to “healthify” a good curry without compromising on taste, and my healthy pumpkin and chickpea curry is one such example.

Curries are especially suitable for creating lower fat and lower calorie versions of. Due to their ample amounts of fragrant herbs and spices, you don’t need to add much oil at all to carry the flavours. Chili, curry powder, pepper and co. satisfy your taste buds without the need for a tin of coconut cream per portion, and also provide a healthy kick for your metabolism. Healthy curries are a reality!

This healthy pumpkin and chickpea curry is not only yummy, it is also easy as. A handfull of ingredients you likely have sitting in your pantry right now and a maximum of 20-25 minutes of your time, of which the actual hands-on time is very little. Sounds good? Go see for yourself!

Healthy Pumpkin and Chickpea Curry

Serves 4

3 garlic cloves, minced
4 large carrots, washed, peeled and chopped
1 large potato, peeled and chopped (may be parboiled to speed up cooking time)
250 g pumpkin, peeled and chopped (may be parboiled to speed up cooking time)
125 g cauliflower, washed and torn into florets
125 g green peas, fresh or frozen
1 400 ml tin of diced tomatoes
350 ml vegetable stock
2 tins of chickpeas, rinsed and drained (reserve the brine for chocolate mousse!)
1 cup almond milk or very light coconut milk
half a tbsp mild curry powder
salt and pepper to taste
dash of tomato sauce

Heat the garlic in a large saucepan until aromatic. Add the carrots, potato, pumpkin, cauliflower and peas and cook for a few minutes while stirring. Add the tomatoes, stock and spices and cook until vegetables are tender. Then stir in the chickpeas, milk and tomato sauce and heat until thoroughly warm.

Enjoy!

10-minute Lowfat Vegan Mushroom Alfredo gf, df, soyfree, nutfree)

Published on December 11, 2016 by nathaliejasmin20191 Comment

As promised on my Instagram account, here comes the easiest, healthiest and best 10-minute lowfat vegan mushroom alfredo you’ll ever make.

I don’t say this lightly. This is serious stuff. I am aware that there is no lack of vegan Alfredo recipes, a lot of which involve tofu (which can be an issue for some) or cashew nuts and/or coconut cream, therefore being very heavy. In short, alfredos, whether vegan or not, are not exactly lowfat. I have made alfredo sauces using cauliflower which is a better option to achieve that creamy consistency that we crave but the flavour of the cauliflower (and the smell of your kitchen when cooking it) can be a bit overwhelming when all you are after is mushrooms, creams and garlic. What I wanted was an Alfredo sauce which fulfilled the following criteria:

-relatively low in fat
-takes 10 minutes to make from start to finish
-requires about 5 ingredients
-is economical
-tastes divine

I’m so excited because my mushroom Alfredo does all that! With only coconut oil, garlic, plant milk, mushrooms (duh!), cornstarch and plenty of herbs and spices, there are no obscure or hard-to-get ingredients, no nasties and you don’t need to set aside your precious weekend for meal prepping – all you need is the commercial TV break on a weeknight. Sounds good? Sure does!

You can use any plant milk you like or have on hand. If you are not worried about the soy/nut issue, then soy or nut milk is perfectly fine to use. I like oat milk as it makes the sauce really unctuous, however, it is quite a bit higher in carbs than other non.dairy mylks and also sweeter, so you might want to keep that in mind. I have tried this recipe with both almond and oat milk and love them both! So it’s completely up to you. What’s not up to you is the spice part. There is garlic, sea salt, fresh black pepper and fresh parsley, which is not a lot of spices. They are therefore not negotiable. If you don’t like or can’t have garlic, pepper and/or parsley (seriously???), then you can try to omit them, but it really won’t be the same.

Serves 2

1/2 to 1 tbsp refined coconut oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
250 g button/cup mushrooms
250-350 ml unsweetened plant milk (depending how much water is sweat out by your mushrooms)
1 tbsp cornstarch, mixed with equal amounts water to form a paste
sea salt and fresh black pepper
parsley
any other herbs of choice

Melt the coconut oil in a large saucepan and fry the garlic until aromatic. Add the mushrooms and fry until they start to wither. Add the plant milk, starting with a cup (ca. 250 ml). Whisk in the dissolved cornstarch and keep whisking until no lumps are left and the sauce starts to thicken. Add salt, pepper and spices and some more plant milk until the sauce has your desired consistency. Serve with pasta of choice.

Enjoy!

Healthy Madras Curry with Chickpea Tofu

Published on December 4, 2016 by nathaliejasmin2019Leave a comment

Please, can you please all make this curry? Seriously, it’s soooo good! Like, I-want-to-eat-all-servings-by-myself type good. And guess what? Because this curry is really light and healthy, you can! If you are organised and disciplined (I am neither), you double or triple this recipe and freeze leftovers as it freezes really well and makes for a great stand-by on busy weeknights (I already see you dialling that takeaway number, but you will never again after you have tried this recipe). If you are looking for an alternative to Indian takeaway, enter my healthy Madras curry with chickpea tofu!

What I love about our local Indian takeaway is how you can customise the protein and the degree of spiciness in the dishes. What I am less keen on is the amount of cheap oils, butter and cream in Indian takeaway curries and the feeling that you have swallowed a whale (or turned into one). So I’ve been looking to come up with a good alternative that is healthy, easy, quick, inexpensive and, most of all, tasty. It seems like I nailed all these briefs at the first time! This stuff is hearty, satisfying, exotic, just the right amount of spicy, filling without sitting like a rock in your stomach, nourishing and comforting!

Using light coconut/almond milk, this dish is a lot less heavy than traditional Indian dishes and very low in fat, with the fat mainly coming from healthy coconut oil. If you like things extra creamy, you could use full-fat coconut milk or cashew cream although I really prefer the lightness of my recipe. I love my carbs so I tend to serve brown rice on the side with also lends this meal a nice crunch, but if you limit your carbs, you could try cauliflower rice. As a protein, I used Burmese chickpea tofu to create a soy-free vegan meal. I don’t mind soy anymore but I try to not go overboard with it. You can of course use “normal” tofu, tempeh, paneer or whatever protein suits your taste buds and dietary requirements.

If you aren’t familiar with chickpea tofu though, I’d definitely recommend trying it. I made mine using the recipe by the incredibly talented vegan Richa. I looked at several recipes for no-soy tofu, and hers was by far the most straightforward one. It literally comes together in ten minutes and is set in the fridge in under an hour. I was so pleased to have found a cheap, easy, healthy and lowfat alternative to regular tofu! The texture is almost the same as tofu and it has a subtle, not overwhelming earthy chickpea flavour which I love. I actually make a big batch and munch on it as a snack. With its gooey, slightly rubbery consistency, it feels like having naughty cheese, only that due to the chickpea flour, chickpea tofu is low in fat while boasting fiber, iron, potassium, manganese, copper, zinc, phosphorus, magnesium, folate, vitamin B-6 and thiamine!

Sounds too good to be true? Then get cooking!

Healthy Madras Curry with Chickpea Tofu

Makes 3 servings

1 tbsp coconut oil
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped (optional, leave out for low FODMAP)
3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 tbsp ginger powder
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp dried coriander
1 tsp curry powder or garam masala
a pinch of turmeric
chili powder or fresh chilis, to taste
1 recipe chickpea tofu, chopped
1 tin (400g) tinned tomatoes
sea salt and pepper to taste
dash of lemon juice
dash of light coconut milk or almond milk
500 g steamed vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, peas
brown rice or cauliflower rice, to serve

Heat the coconut oil in a deep saucepan and add garlic, onion if using, ginger, cumin, coriander, curry powder, turmeric and chili powder. Fry the spices until they are aromatic. Add the chopped chickpea tofu and fry until lightly browned, then add the tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Leave to simmer for 15 minutes, adding a little bit of water as necessary. Stir in lemon juice, coconut milk and vegetables and serve immediately with rice.

Enjoy!

Healthy Asian Broth with Zoodles (low fat, low carb, gluten free, vegan)

Published on October 13, 2016 by nathaliejasmin2019Leave a comment

I’ve always liked Asian cuisines for their explosion of flavours, but since transitioning to a largely plant-based diet, I really appreciate curries, stir-fries, and Asian-style soups! The variety of fresh herbs, spices and vegetables in combination with rice or noodles and potentially some tofu or tempeh (if you tolerate soy) or quorn (if not strictly vegan) ensures maximum satisfaction sans meat and is a great option for when herbivores and omnivores get together as it will please to all tastebuds. Enter my healthy Asian broth.

This is my express version of a Vietnamese pho as it were. Of course, this is not a traditional pho, but it’s the quickest and easiest and -dare I say, healthiest- pho you’ll ever make. You can also just call it a broth. Depending on size and add-ons, this could be a quick lunch, afternoon pick-me-up, small starter or a bigger, comforting meal. For this particular version, I used “zoodles” (spiralized zucchini) to ramp up the veggie content ~~and save my carbs for something else~~. But if you crave carbs, you could easily use rice or soba noodles. When it comes to the protein, I used quorn, but depending on your preferences and dietary requirements, you can of course use tofu, tempeh, chicken, beef, seafood or simply add more of your favourite vegetables. When it comes to cooking, recipes are generally just a matrix – you can mix and match!

Serves 2-4

oil for frying (can use water, tamari or stock instead if oil-free)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 inch piece ginger, grated (can be omitted)
1 l organic vegetable stock
400 g vegetables of choice
2 celery stalks, chopped
200-400 g protein of choice, cooked, prepared and cubed (quorn, tofu, tempeh, meat, fish….)
dash of lemon juice
zoodles/rice noodles/soba to taste, prepared
fresh chili, to serve
fresh coriander, to serve

Heat the oil, if using, in a nonstick frying pan, and add the garlic and ginger if using. Turn the heat down and fry spices until soft and aromatic. Add stock, bring to a simmer, then add vegetables and zoodles/noodles. Simmer for a few minutes, then add your prepared protein. Finish with lemon juice and serve with chilli and coriander.

Enjoy!

Vegan Lentil Bolognese

Published on September 7, 2016 by nathaliejasmin20194 Comments

The idea of making a vegan “Bolognese” with legumes has been at the back of my mind for some time, and while the concept is not exactly new, I think I have come up with quite a cracker vegan lentil bolognese recipe which will convince even the most ardent meat lover! At the point of making this, I had run out of diced tomatoes in my pantry (yes, it happens). I had neither the time nor the inclination to run out to the shops and get some so I used the last bit of Maggie Beer tomato sauce we had in the fridge.

The result was divine, which is the best proof that you don’t need a tin of tomatoes or a jar of marinara sauce if you make bolognese (you’ll be hard-pressed to find a recipe for bolognese on the net, vegetarian or not, which doesn’t include a tin of tomatoes or a jar of marinara sauce).

Back to the vegan bolognese – you won’t miss anything in here. My husband, an avid meat eater, loved it and simply couldn’t believe there was no meat in it. This is comfort food at its best, and at the same time full of goodies while being very low in fat. Your vegan/vegetarian and omnivore friends will be raving alike. Serve it with gluten free pasta like I did (photo) or “voodles” (spiralised vegetables) and it’s gluten free as well. So what inspired me to make a lentil bolognese?

While mushrooms or quorn mince would be an obvious choice, there had to be a more cost-effective solution. I love the effect legumes have on my blood sugar and satiety levels – I don’t so much love their effect on my gut. However, I found the “smaller” the legume the more easily digested, hence lentils are usually my legume of choice. (They taste friggin’ delicious too.) I love kidney beans and chickpeas, but if I have too much of them, they just about kill me (or rather, my bowels). Of course I know the spiel about soaking and phytic acid and blabla, but I couldn’t find a huge difference between soaking dry lentils and just rinsing organic tinned ones very well, and if in doubt, I always opt for the easier and quicker option but it is of course up to you if and how you prepare your lentils.

With all this being said, you would assume that lentils are the hero of this dish, but they are actually not…it’s celery! What the…? Well, I have to admit I’ve never liked celery all that much, especially in its raw version. In fact, celery is probably the only vegetable I couldn’t eat raw to save myself (something I inherited from my mum). So while I have recently found a new organic box delivery service which I really like, their inclusion of celery in the last box was a bit of a letdown for me at first. But an unknown vegetable for the amateur chef is like a new country to the devoted adventurer, so I knew I had to experiment. My internet search about the uses of celery only yielded raw salad recipes – three strikes, I was out. Had to do it without the help of Uncle Google.

Soups and stocks usually contain traces of celery. I figured if I just cooked it long enough, maybe it would act a bit like vegetable stock without imposing the (imho yucky) raw flavour of celery. Bingo! This bolognese tasted so rich and just had this certain “je ne sais quoi”, and since I don’t cook with onions, I knew it had to be the celery which lended this dish “a depth of flavour”, according to my hubby.

So I’ll be sure to include celery more often in my creations. You never stop learning, do you?

Vegan Lentil Bolognese

2 generous portions

1 garlic clove, minced
2 carrots, grated or finely sliced
2 celery stalks, very finely sliced
1 tin organic brown lentils, drained and rinsed very well (or sub other legumes)
a dash of tomato sauce or tomato paste or diced tomatoes (amount depends on your preferences)
250-350 ml good vegetable stock
basil, oregano, salt, pepper and any other herbs and spices of choice
other vegetables of choice (optional) (mushrooms are a great choice)
nutritional yeast (optional)

Make sure to have all the ingredients readily prepared. You don’t want your garlic to burn while you are still slicing the celery! Heat the oil in a large saucepan, add the garlic and fry for a few minutes until soft. Add carrots, celery and lentils and heat through for another few minutes, than add the tomatoes and stock, bring to the boil and simmer until the desired consistency is reached. Adjust the amount of stock according to your preferences. Stir in the nutritional yeast for a lovely cheesy flavour. Season to taste and serve with gluten free pasta or voodles. (I’ve got no idea how long this stuff lasts and if it tastes better the next day – we finished it in one sitting!)

Enjoy!

Tempeh Curry (vegan, gluten free, low carb, low fat)

Published on September 3, 2016 by nathaliejasmin20191 Comment

There’s something about curries on a Friday night, isn’t it? I know so many folks – us included – for who Friday night means snuggling up on the couch with a favourite Thai or Indian takeout and a good bottle of wine. It is as if all the stress of the week just disappears with a bowl of steaming, fragrant curry. So warm, comforting and satisfying! I have to admit, I love our local Thai (and judging from the Menulog reviews, I’m not the only one), but I also love to know what’s in my food and while takeaway-wise you can certainly do worse than Asian, it doesn’t hurt to make your own version of it once in a while – which is also more cost-effective.

While this recipe is by no means traditional and doesn’t claim to be, it is nonetheless yummy, filling, and very easy, quick and cost-effective to prepare. I don’t know about you, but that’s big ticks in my book! In any case, it is prepared more quickly than the arrival time of the average takeaway so if you are like us and starving on a Friday night, here we go! Granted, you don’t get a free can of soda like you get with our Thai, but maybe it’s better that way (it goes much better with a glass of good red, preferably organic, of course). Plus, you can rest assured that there’s no nasties in there, and that it will please herbivores and omnivores alike. It is low carb if you serve it with my new discovery that is cauliflower rice, and it is also very low in fat if you use almond or other plant milk instead of coconut milk. Needless to say, it is gluten free like anything on this blog, and it is also vegan (although you can use meat or fish instead of the tempeh).

Which leads me to the next topic – yes, tempeh is soy. Yes, this blog is meant to be soy free and I generally advise to stay away from soy. BUT – tempeh is actually fermented soy, which along with miso and natto is soy as it is meant to be (and how Asians consume it). The fermentation improves the digestibility of soy and according to a study the bioavailability of calcium in tempeh is higher than in cow’s milk! So how about telling that a dairy-proponent when they ask “But where do you get your calcium from?” While popular soy products such as tofu and soy milk give me terrible digestive distress, I never have any issues with the underrated tempeh, so I would recommend trying it if you usually have problems with soy. I just love that it is so versatile. Just pan-fry it for a few minutes and it is ready to go. Due to its neutral flavour, it absorbs other flavours easily, meaning you can marinate it in your favourite sauce, and it is a great filler for soups, salads and sandwiches to bulk up the protein.

Now, given that I’m a health nut, I am admittedly quite late to jump on the cauliflower rice bandwagon. But after trying this recipe, I am hooked! I’d highly recommend trying for yourself. The best thing for me – almost better than the calorie saving and the health benefits – is that cauliflower rice is quicker to prepare than traditional rice! And while we’re at it, did you know you can use cauliflower to make cauliflower mash to replace potato mash? Have you tried roasting the florets and having them as a much healthier, tastier and more easily digested snack alternative to nuts? You can try roasted cauliflower as a delish addition to your favourite salad, and if you are into creamy pasta sauces, there is this absolutely cracking recipe for a vegan paleo alfredo sauce that doesn’t call for cream, coconut, bucket loads of cashews or silken tofu, simply by achieving a creamy “alfredo” style sauce with cauliflower, plant milk and nutritional yeast! I used verjuice instead of the wine and added some mushrooms – yum! So the question is – what CAN’T you do with cauliflower? (It doesn’t drive you to work, I suppose)

Please don’t get me wrong – this is not a crusade against carbs! I don’t advocate a very low carb diet, and you can do this recipe great justice by adding your usual rice. But one cup of cauliflower provides 90% of your daily vitamin C, along with vitamin K, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, magnesium, phosphorus, fiber, vitamin B6, folate, pantothenic acid, potassium, and manganese. Not shabby! Especially now in the shoulder season where an extra dose of vitamins and minerals never goes astray. Add to that a heap of fresh vegetables, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant spices and antiviral coconut oil, and you know why this curry makes you feel so good!

Serves 4-6

1 tbsp coconut oil
1 onion, finely chopped (leave out for low FODMAP)
1 tbsp minced garlic (great against candida, but leave out for low FODMAP)
half a tbsp turmeric
half a tbsp chili powder
half a tbsp curry powder (feel free to add any other spices you like – this is what I had in the cupboard and it goes a long way)
2 400 g tins diced tomatoes, not drained
250 ml vegetable stock
100 ml plant milk of choice
half a head of cauliflower, chopped into small florets (you can use the other half of the cauliflower for your rice)
500 g vegetables of choice (broccoli, green beans, peas, carrots, capsicum…), all cut into 1 inch pieces
300 g tempeh, cut into half inch pieces

Melt the oil in a large heavy-bottom saucepan, add the onions and garlic if using as well as the spices and fry for a few minutes until the onion and garlic are soft and the spices are fragrant. Add more oil or water if necessary. Add the diced tomatoes and stock, bring to the boil, then turn the heat down and stir in the milk once it has cooled slightly. Throw in all the veggies and simmer until the veggies are cooked to your liking. Double check the sauce and correct the spices if necessary – add more if too bland or tone it down with some milk if too spicy.

Meanwhile, prepare your rice and the tempeh. Marinate the tempeh in your favourite sauce such as tamari, then pan-fry (no oil needed) from all sides until golden brown, about 4-5 minutes. Serve the curry with your choice of rice (I recommend cauliflower rice!) and add the tempeh on top or mix it all in. Tatses great straight away and even better the next day!

Enjoy!

Buckwheat and Silverbeet Stew (vegan, gf)

Published on May 24, 2016 by nathaliejasmin2019Leave a comment

I’d like to call this an “anti flu stew”. It’s got all you need to make you feel just that little bit better when you are fighting those viruses – and even when not. Lots and lots of fresh organic vegetables, beautiful spices, wholesome broth, supergrain buckwheat and antiviral coconut oil. Throwing this stew together was about as much as I was able to while succumbing to the childcare winter germs, but it was well worth it and kept me going for a few nights. If you are lucky, you might even have someone who does it for you. Envy!

This stew is of course not only for the cold and flu, but I was so amazed how I felt after having it compared to before that I stick to anti-flu stew. Actually, as the title suggests, the two stars are buckwheat and silverbeet, but I think it would work with any types of vegetables and grains. It somehow happened that I had a delivery of organic vegetables that day, and half the box was filled with silverbeet. Turning it onto a stew was more an experiment than anything else, but here we go. The silverbeet works a treat but, again, you can sub your favourite vegetable if you haven’t got an organic vegetable delivery with silverbeet in.

I tend to avoid garlic and onions as much as possible due to FODMAPS which are not my tummy’s friend, but since those organic vegetable people like to fill up the boxes with onions, I had quite a bit of onion and garlic, and as both have great antibacterial and antiviral properties, I set priorities and chose to fight those germs (and put up with a bit of bloat). But as always, you can omit garlic and onions even though that might slightly impair the flavour.

This stew freezes very well and tastes great even after days.

1 tbsp organic coconut oil
1 organic onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 organic garlic cloves, minced
spices and herbs of choice (great options are cayenne pepper, chili powder, curry powder, paprika, cinnamon, coriander, ginger, bay leaves, parsley…)
1 bunch organic silverbeet, chopped (or other vegetable)
1 bunch organic broccoli, chopped (or other vegetable)
250 g organic carrots, peeled and chopped
1l vegetable stock
2 x 400 g cans diced tomatoes
1 x 400 g legumes of choice (I used butter beans)
1 cup raw buckwheat kernels
salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste

Heat oil in a cast iron pot over low heat. Stir in garlic and onions and fry well until the garlic is soft and the onion translucent. This can take up to ten minutes. You can fry them for less than that, but the longer you fry them, the more easy on your tummy.

Add vegetables and give them a quick stir until the fragrances are released. Add the prepared vegetables and cook for a few minutes.

Deglaze with tomatoes and stock, add the buckwheat and legumes. Bring to the boil, then turn down the heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes, stirring regularly. Season to taste with salt, pepper, lemon juice and fresh parsley and serve. Due to buckwheat, this stew is very filling without the need of an additional starchy side dish.

Enjoy!

Vegan lentil eggplant and sweet potato stew

Published on April 23, 2016 by nathaliejasmin20192 Comments

mouthful. But believe me, you will want to take many mouthfuls of this stew! Imagine you have a dinner party with one friend who is paleo, one vegan friend, one gluten-intolerant friend, one friend with a nut allergy and one friend who needs to follow a low FODMAP diet. What do you do? Scroll down!

But you should also scroll down if you just want to eat the most delicious stew evaaa…with lentils, eggplant, sweet potato, tomato and kidney beans it is health in a bowl, but that doesn’t mean compromising on flavour! Curry powder, ginger and turmeric makes this stew an explosion of flavours on your tongue – the best proof that tasty and filling dishes do NOT require meat, onions or added fats!

With its “meaty” consistency, this stew will satisfy herbivores and omnivores alike, and with its rich flavours simply from vegetables, herbs and spices, it is an indulgent treat without having to worry about fat. The “good” carbs in the legumes and spuds make you fell fuller for longer – needless to say, the lentils and beans pack a decent amount of protein and fibre. You could always add extra protein from quorn, tempeh or – if you are not vegetarian or vegan – chicken or any other meat or fish. And feel free to have it as spicy or as mild as you want! I did not add any salt; all the sodium comes from the stock, so if you use a low-salt stock or broth, this can even be a low-sodium stew.

This stew is gluten free, dairy free, soy free, paleo, vegan and vegetarian, nut free and low FODMAP. I try to avoid onions and garlic as much as possible as they are not my friends. If you can, frying garlic and onions before adding the other ingredients would add even more flavour (if that is possible!). This stew was born out of the need to make use of an eggplant and a sweet potato. Adding the legumes was kind of a lightbulb moment, and I don’t regret having thrown all these ingredients together. Eggplant naturally takes a bit longer to cook than other vegetables so it is not instant but delayed gratification. It will taste even better the next day and is the perfect candidate for dinner parties. You wouldn’t even have to ask your guests for dietary requirements as this stew covers them all!

This stew tastes so good, it is almost an insolence that it is so super healthy and allergy-friendly as well! Try for yourself!

Vegan Lentil Eggplant and Sweet Potato Stew

Makes approx. 8 serves

1 tbs coconut oil
1 large eggplant, diced in 1cm pieces
1 large sweet potato, cubed (I leave the peel on as I’m lazy but feel free to peel it beforehand!)
1 l vegetable stock
1 tin (400ml) diced tomatoes
1 tin (400ml) lentils
1 tin (400ml) kidney beans
spices (I used Madras curry powder, ginger and turmeric)

Melt the oil in a large stockpot, add the spices and cook until fragrant. Add the eggplant, sweet potato, stock, tomatoes and legumes. Cover, bring to the boil, then open the lid a crack, turn down the heat and simmer until all the eggplant and sweet potato are tender (30 minutes). Give the stew a good whiz with a stick blender until you reach a coarse consistency. Serve as is or with fragrant jasmine rice or freshly toasted gluten free bread.

Enjoy!

Easy Healthy Carrot Soup {vg, gf, lf}

Published on January 25, 2016 by nathaliejasmin2019Leave a comment

Nothing beats a good soup. And in my mind, you don’t need to wait for winter to enjoy soup! Whether as an elegant entree or healthy main meal, soup never fails to hit the spot. Soup is versatile, filling, and an easy and -yup- cheap way to fill your tummy while keeping your calorie budget low. It is great for entertaining as you can create an impressive meal with minimum effort as you can prepare it days in advance and it keeps well. It is also a fantastic way to use up leftovers. Enter my easy healthy carrot soup.

When I discovered that my organic Tasmanian carrots were losing their mojo, I decided to breathe new life into them by turning them into a delicious soup. This one is really really easy to make and you should have all the ingredients ready in your cupboard! By first steaming the carrots and then blending them with hot stock you allow the precious minerals and vitamins in carrots to be largely preserved, rather than when you cook the carrots for a long time in the stock, although you can perfectly do that too. The cooking time will be slightly longer then.

Easy Healthy Carrot Soup

Serves 4

750g carrots, washed, peeled, chopped
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
1l vegetable stock
salt and pepper
Plant milk to finish (lite coconut milk is great)

Steam the carrots until tender. Cover the bottom of a large stockpot with just enough stock and heat up. Add the chopped onion, garlic and ginger and cook until they start to soften and release their aromas. Add more stock when the first batch has dried up. Add the steamed carrots and some salt and pepper and cook for a few minutes, then add the remaining stock, bring to the boil, turn down the heat and simmer for couple of minutes. Turn off heat, let cool slightly, then process with a stick blender, add a bit of plant milk for a creamier texture. Serve with roasted pepitas or pomegranate seeds.

Enjoy!