New Beginnings

21/12/2021

Cabbage Diet Soup

Ingredients;

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 medium carrots, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 ½ teaspoons Italian seasoning
½ teaspoon ground pepper
¼ teaspoon salt
8 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1 medium head green cabbage, halved and sliced
1 large tomato, chopped
2 teaspoons white-wine vinegar

Directions;

Step 1
Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrots and celery. Cook, stirring, until the vegetables begin to soften, 6 to 8 minutes. Add bell pepper, garlic, Italian seasoning, pepper and salt and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.

Step 2
Add broth, cabbage and tomato; increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer, partially cover and cook until all the vegetables are tender, 15 to 20 minutes more. Remove from heat and stir in vinegar.

20/12/2021

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20/12/2021

White Bean & Portobello Stew

INGREDIENTS;

2 leeks (white part only), halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 carrot, chopped
1 celery rib, chopped
4 portobello mushrooms, sliced into ½-inch wide strips
1 tablespoon liquid aminos
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
3 cups cooked great Northern beans or two 15-ounce cans, rinsed and drained
4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth (chicken-flavored vegetable broth is best here; see tip)
1 cup water
1 teaspoon white miso
1 teaspoon liquid smoke
Salt and black pepper to taste
3 cups roughly chopped kale
Crusty French bread

INSTRUCTIONS;

1. Place leeks and garlic in a large pot over medium heat. Sauté for 2 to 3 minutes, until fragrant. While sautéing, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water at a time to keep vegetables from sticking. Add the carrot and celery and sauté for another 2 to 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms, liquid aminos, rosemary, thyme, sage, and fennel seeds. Sauté for 3 to 4 minutes.
2. Add the beans, broth, water, and miso. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and cover, leaving the lid open a crack. Simmer for 25 to 30 minutes.
3. When some of the liquid has reduced and the vegetables are tender, add the liquid smoke, salt, and black pepper. Fold in the kale and cook just until the kale begins to wilt, then remove from the heat.
4. Serve warm, with bread, if desired. Leftovers can be chilled in an airtight container up to 5 days.

19/12/2021

19/12/2021

Middle Eastern Chicken & Chickpea Stew

This quick, protein-rich chicken stew recipe gets great flavour from cumin, lemon juice and garlic. Make a double batch and freeze it for a quick healthy dinner. Serve the stew with couscous and steamed broccoli.

Ingredients;

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
¾ teaspoon salt, divided
¼ cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon ground pepper
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 14-ounce can no-salt-added diced tomatoes
1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed
¼ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

Directions;

Step 1
Mash garlic and 1/2 teaspoon salt on a cutting board with the back of a fork until a paste forms. Transfer to a medium bowl and whisk in lemon juice, cumin, paprika and pepper. Add chicken and stir to coat.

Step 2
Heat oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to the pan (reserve the marinade) and cook, stirring occasionally, until opaque on the outside, about 4 minutes. Add tomatoes with their juice, chickpeas, the reserved marinade and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes more. Serve sprinkled with parsley.

Nutrition Facts;

Per Serving: 267 calories; protein 28.2g; carbohydrates 21.5g; dietary fiber 5.7g; sugars 4.1g; fat 7.9g; saturated fat 1.4g; cholesterol 62.7mg; vitamin a iu 1068.6IU; vitamin c 27.2mg; folate 48mcg; calcium 91.9mg; iron 2.5mg; magnesium 52.3mg; potassium 553.7mg; sodium 613.4mg; thiamin 0.7mg.

18/12/2021

Lentil, Chard & Sweet Potato Curry

INGREDIENTS;

1 small onion, chopped
3 to 4 garlic cloves, finely minced
½ jalapeño, finely chopped
1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
1 tablespoon curry powder
1½ teaspoons garam masala
½ teaspoon turmeric (optional)
4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
3 cups peeled and chopped sweet potatoes (about 2 medium)
1½ cups yellow lentils (toor dal), rinsed and picked through
¾ cup plain vegan yogurt
Juice of ½ lime
1 bunch Swiss chard, center stems removed, leaves roughly chopped
1 teaspoon black salt (kala namak) or sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS;

1. Place the onion in a large, shallow saucepan, and sauté over medium heat until translucent (about 3 to 4 minutes), adding water 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time to keep the vegetables from sticking. Add the garlic and continue to sauté for about 1 minute. Add the jalapeño and sauté for about 2 minutes. Add the ginger, curry powder, garam masala, and turmeric (if using). Stir to fully combine and cook for about 2 minutes more, adding water as necessary.
2. Add the broth, sweet potatoes, and lentils. Stir to combine. Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and cover again, this time leaving the lid open a crack. Simmer for about 20 minutes.
3. When the lentils are tender and the liquid has decreased, add the yogurt, lime juice, and chard, and cook until the chard is just starting to wilt. Add the salt and the pepper to taste, stir to combine, and remove from the heat. Serve warm.

17/12/2021

Sweet Potato Brownies

Gooier, richer, more chocolaty and all round more indulgent. I promise you’d never know there was any veg in here at all.

Ingredients;

Makes 10–12 brownies

For The Brownies;

2 medium-large sweet potatoes (about 10 ounces each)
12 Medjool dates, pitted
6 tbsp pure maple syrup
3.5 oz (100g) of ground almonds
2 tbsp of melted coconut oil
Pinch of salt
3.5 oz (100g) of ground oats
6 tbsp of raw cacao powder

For The Icing:

2 tbsp coconut oil
2 tbsp of almond butter
1 tbsp of maple syrup
2 tbsp cacao powder or Food Matters Superfood Chocolate
Method
1. Start by pre-heating the oven to 350°F (180°C), then peel the sweet potatoes. Cut them into chunks and place into a steamer for about twenty minutes, until they become really soft.
2. Once they are perfectly soft and beginning to fall apart remove them and add them to a food processor with the pitted dates.
3. Put the remaining ingredients into a bowl, before mixing in the sweet potato date combination. Stir well.
4. Place into a lined baking dish and cook for about forty-five to fifty minutes, until you can pierce the brownie with a fork and bring it out dry. Remove the tray and allow it to cool for about ten minutes – this is really important as it needs this time to stick together!
5. While the brownies are cooking make the icing by simply melting all the ingredients together and stirring well, then place in the freezer for 15 minutes and then the fridge for 15 to firm up a bit.
6. Remove the brownies from the tray and leave to cool completely before icing otherwise your icing will melt! Spread the icing on top, cut into squares, dig in and enjoy!

16/12/2021

Creamy Garlic Pasta with Shrimp & Vegetables

Ingredients;

6 ounces whole-wheat spaghetti
12 ounces peeled and deveined raw shrimp (see Note), cut into 1-inch pieces
1 bunch asparagus, trimmed and thinly sliced
1 large red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 cup fresh or frozen peas
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 ¼ teaspoons kosher salt
1 ½ cups nonfat or low-fat plain yogurt
¼ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts (see Tip; optional)

DIRECTIONS;

Step 1
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add spaghetti and cook 2 minutes less than package directions. Add shrimp, asparagus, bell pepper and peas and cook until the pasta is tender and the shrimp are cooked, 2 to 4 minutes more. Drain well.

Step 2
Mash garlic and salt in a large bowl until a paste forms. Whisk in yogurt, parsley, lemon juice, oil and pepper. Add the pasta mixture and toss to coat. Serve sprinkled with pine nuts (if using).

To toast pine nuts, place in a small dry skillet and cook over medium-low heat, stirring, until fragrant, 2 to 4 minutes.