'Power parfait'... with chocolate, quinoa, banana, peanut butter...

The chocolate power pudding has now been made with various toppings on a number of occasions. I just love the warm comforting feeling of an 'oatmeal-esque' bowlful but with a protein powered alternative texture to change things up from time to time.

One morning when I had made a big batch of chocolate 'base mix' to keep in the fridge for a couple of days, I layered it up in glasses for a 'power parfait' (having too much fun with aliteration today!)  The youghurt topping was simply soy yogurt mixed with peanut butter and a drizzle of maple syrup. I mashed some banana through the chocolate base mix and sliced the remaining on top.

It made the perfect mid morning snack (after my early morning green smoothie) and once again since the quinoa mix was pre-made it only took mere minutes to throw together, this could easily become a dessert with a little extra sweetness thrown in.
Oh, on a quick side note, I also tried blending up the mix in a processor to get a smooth and creamy base, but it didn't really work that well and the texture didn't change much, but that's cool with me as I love the texture- just saying in case you had wondered...

Recipe: Power Parfait

Serves 2 

Ingredients:

I cup of this chocolate power pudding (chocolate quinoa)

2 small or 1 large bananas

1/2 cup vegan yoghurt

1 tbs peanut butter

2 tsp maple syrup

Cacao nibs to decorate- optional

Method:

Mash half of the banana and mix through the chocolate quinoa pudding. Spoon the pudding into two serving bowls or glasses.

Mix the yoghurt with the peanut butter and maple syrup and spoon over the top of the quinoa layer. 

Chop the remaining banana to top the yoghurt and decorate with cacoa nibs or other toppings as preferred. Chill if necessary (if the quinoa pudding is not chilled) prior to serving.

For further guidance on making gluten free choices please see this post.

For tips and info on recipe measurement conversions, ingredients, substitutions and the methods behind how I do things.... check out my 'baking tips' tab at the top of the page.

peanut butter and lentil dip

This is the best one yet…I promise you!  I’m actually surprised I haven’t got it up on here before now.

I love this dip so much I haven’t really had much need for exploring other dip or hummous type recipe in recent weeks…and that is very unlike me!

So simple. I use my freezing method and whip up a big batch (often  doubling the recipe) and then freeze dollops ready for when I need a dip or sandwich filler at short notice.

This dip is deliciously smooth and creamy and with a lovely warming amount of spice. Not overly spicy (well that’s up to you!) but just super tasty and also smoky if you use smoky chipotle sauce (I really recommend you do!) I love the peanutty taste, if you make your own PB make sure you roast the peanuts first to give it a great depth of flavour. You could of course use other nut butters if you fancy, although I find peanut butter has a strength of flavour that works really well with the lentils.

I nearly always serve this dip warm with a load of raw veggie sticks, as that’s my personal preference, but if you prefer it cold….go right ahead.  If serving from frozen, defrost a ‘dollop’ and then mix through with a spoon, adding a splash of oil or milk alternative as necessary to get a good cream texture. Warm through in the microwave for a few seconds…and there you have it..

So, how would you dress this dip up? When I’m not simply ‘dipping it’, I use it as a base for a sandwich or a wrap,  I have also used it to fill a jacket potato…now that was yummy! With a little more liquid it would probably make a great pasta sauce too.

Get creative…have fun!

Recipe: PB and lentil dip

Makes approx. 3 cups

Ingredients:

1 tbs olive oil

1 onion- chopped

1 cup red lentils

2 cups veg stock

1/3 cup peanut butter (or other nut butter)

½ tsp each garlic powder, cumin powder, chilli or smoky chipotle sauce

Method:

Cook onion in olive oil for approx. 5 minutes to soften.

Add the lentils and veg stock and cook for 20 minutes. Drain the lentil mixture and return to a food processor/blender.

Add the remaining ingredients and puree all together to get a thick smooth dippy paste.

Store in the fridge (eat within 2-3 days) or spoon serving sized dollops on a baking sheet and freeze individually on the sheets before removing and storing together in the freezer.  Simply defrost to serve.

For tips and info on recipe measurement conversions, ingredients, substitutions and the methods behind how I do things.... check out my 'baking tips' tab at the top of the page.

Noodle comfort

Sometimes the simplest meals are the nicest purely for that reason. A quick, healthy, hot and comforting snack…made all the better with a quick 5 minute turnaround so no slaving over a hot stove. You can sink down into the sofa and relax after a long day when you most need it.

This was actually an accidental dinner that came about as I was prepping a batch of dried chickpeas (I’d soaked them overnight and was just finishing cooking them ready for freezing in small batches) when I realised the time was getting on and I needed to eat…and fast…before I had to head out of the door. I threw some ingredients together and this is what came out!

One of my favourite meals (yet to be featured on the blog) is a peanutty stir fry affair, and this is an even easier speedier version of that principle. Veggies, beans, PB and rice noodles all come together in a nice bowl of winter comfort…well not just winter, any time of the year will do!

To speed everything up I used rice noodles that take just 3-4 minutes to cook, along with some grated carrot, courgette and spinach- which literally took a couple of minutes to heat through, and I also threw in a handful of the chickpeas I’d just finished cooking but you could use any canned beans. Some nice drippy PB and a tad of soy milk if necessary to mix through and you are away. You could also sprinkle some chilli flakes or thai spice seasoning if you fancy…jazz it up any way you like.

Recipe: speedy veggie noodles

Serves 1 (easily multiplied)

Ingredients

1 portion of dried rice noodles

1 smallish carrot

½ medium courgette

Large handful of any beans

Large handful of spinach

1 tbs peanut butter

1-2 tbs soy milk (or any non-dairy milk or water) as necessary

Spicy seasoning to serve if desired

Method

Bring a smallish pan of water to the boil and cook rice noodles for 3-4 minutes (or according to packet instructions). Meanwhile grate carrot and courgette get the beans and spinach ready. Drain the noodles and place back in the pan on low heat, mix through the peanut butter and ‘milk’ if necessary. Once the 'sauce' is warm and drippy add all the veg and mix through for two minutes until just cooked through/wilted.

Serve in a bowl with some extra seasoning sprinkled over as necessary. If your PB has no added salt you may wish to add some soy sauce or a slightly salty seasoning to give a flavour boost.

For tips and info on recipe measurement conversions, ingredients, substitutions and the methods behind how I do things.... check out my 'baking tips' tab at the top of the page.

‘Peanutty’ soup

I was a late starter with my ‘love for peanut butter’, actually make that a very late starter since it is only really in these last few months that I’ve begun to get on board with what all the fuss is about!

Growing up I just didn’t like the stuff. The ‘smoothness’ was too intense for me and the way it stuck to the roof of your mouth as you ate it – nope not for me! My perception of PB was also very limited…. a sandwich spread was all I knew… oh how wrong I was!

Moving to a largely vegan diet opened my eyes to the world of nuts and seeds in all forms and the idea of nut butters in all their many varieties came into view.  

Nuts have so much to offer, not just in terms of huge health benefits which I just hadn’t fully appreciated before, but in terms of their recipe potential. This revelation was kick started in part by the arrival of my Thermomix which made making your own nut butters a piece of cake (note- many other food processors can also be used!).  Strangely until these last few weeks I’d still not attempted to make my own PB even though I use PB in so many recipes. Along with cashew butter and coconut butter it is probably one of my key ingredients in many recipes… so I had to give it a go.

Not wanting to simply slather it on toast, I decided upon a recipe where it could take centre stage. This is based on a recipe by The Covent Garden Soup Co.

So here you have it… my little tribute to the good old faithful peanut butter.

Recipe: Peanut (and vegetable) soup

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 large onion- finely chopped

100g crunchy peanut butter (or smooth PB but throw in extra nuts if you want some texture)

400g tin chopped tomatoes

900ml vegetable stock

170g potatoes- peeled and chopped

1 red pepper           

175g carrots- chopped

Small handful of chopped jalapenos (to taste!)

75ml soy milk

½ - 1 tsp cayenne pepper

½  - 1 tsp parika

Fresh coriander- to garnish (optional)

Method

Fry the onion with the peanut butter and 1 tbs of water in a large saucepan (or TM) for 5 minutes until soft. Add remaining ingredients except the soy milk and spices. Bring to the boil and simmer for approx. 20 mins until vegetables are tender. Stir in the soy milk and spices. Blend (to break down larger chunks) if preferred or leave chunky. Serve with a sprinkling of coriander.

(Note- I also ate a second portion or this soup the next day and to change it up a little topped it with some chickpeas and sliced kale- plus some homemade potato wedge chips on the side!)

For tips and info on recipe measurement conversions, ingredients, substitutions and the methods behind how I do things.... check out my 'baking tips' tab at the top of the page.

Crumble topping

Want to whip up a quick healthy dessert?

A bowl of fruit and crumble topped with a blob of soy yoghurt is your five minute answer!

I was reminded to put this post together when the boy grumbled that he was still hungry after the soup I served for lunch a couple of days ago. Five minutes later and we had a nice hot bowl of healthy apple crumble to finish off our meal.

This is a great simple recipe for getting all your fats, carbs and proteins, oh and did I mention it was made from oats…. You know how much I love oats!  Any fruit can be used but I have used apple here. I also used this topping for the fried plantain recipe. So versatile.

Recipe: crumble topping

2 servings

Ingredients:

100g oats

1 to 2 tbs peanut butter

1 to 2 tsp agave nectar

½ tsp cinnamon

Method:

Lightly toast oats in a dry frying pan for a minute or so. Add remaining ingredients and keep moving round pan until melted and the oats a fully coated and just beginning to brown in places. Spoon over desert or fruit… or just eat them as they are (wait a couple of minutes for them to cool first!)

If you are making the apple crumble as pictured. Dice the apple and pan fry this first with a little coconut oil and some cinnamon. Once nearly cooked, add the ingredients as per the method above, or if you’d prefer to have the apple as a base with the crumble on top- keep the apple aside and top with the oats. Finish off with a blog of soy yoghurt or cream.

Plantain experiments

I came across plantain entirely by accident whilst out shopping for something entirely different (no I didn’t find what I was looking for!) A new ethnic food market stall caught my attention and I had a little browse. So many random and exciting things, many of which I’d never even heard of gave rise to many new ideas in my mind. I’ll probably be going back there sometime soon!

I decided to play it safe and not get carried away on my first visit, after all that hadn’t been the reason I’d actually ventured into town. However, I couldn’t help but be seduced by plantain…..

I’d had plantain once before at a bbq where it was cut into thick diagonal slices and simply bbq’d until soft and the pale creamy yellow flesh had turned a deeper shade. It was delicious and I kept coming back for more.

A plantain looks like a ‘big banana’ but the starchy texture makes it more like a cross between a banana and a sweet potato. It can be used in sweet or savoury dishes and either in its green (unripe) or yellow/black (ripe) state. 

Once home, I did a little investigation to see what the options were, having never cooked it before I wanted to do it justice if I could! The most popular recipes seemed to be sweet dessert/brunch type snacks using ripe plantain, either grilled or fried with spices or syrup. An ideal opportunity for a Sunday brunch. So this morning, instead of the usual oats (as much as I love my oats- more on those later), I decided to surprise the boy with cinnamon fried plantain topped with peanut butter oat crumble (ok so I couldn’t quit the oats entirely!!)

Recipe: fried plantain with cinnamon crumble

Serves 2

Ingredients:

One large ripe plantain- sliced on the diagonal approx. 10mm thick

Generous sprinkling of ground cinnamon- approx.. 1 tsp for plantain

1 tbs oil (I use coconut)

2 large tbs soy yoghurt (or more)

For oat topping:

Approx. 50g oats

1 tbs peanut butter

1tsp agave syrup

½ tsp cinnamon

Method:

Heat oil in large frying pan until hot then carefully place strips of plantain covering the pan. Fry on either side for 3-4 minutes until golden yellow and beginning to crisp. Transfer to a side dish and without delay pour the oats into the pan and add the peanut butter, agave and spice. Stir briskly for approx. 2 minutes until the oats are toasted. Assemble the plantain on plates, add a dollop of soy yoghurt to the centre and top with the oat mixture and more yoghurt if prefered.

Mmmmmm…… perfect Sunday brunch!

Raw power cubes

The ‘power cube’ was an early recipe generated by a practical need for a healthy quick fix protein kick after a gym session. They were first conceived as bars with the intention of a being a healthy cereal bar but the consistency was denser and soft (not dry and crisp) lending itself to a flap-jack style bite sized cube.

Thus, the Power Cube was born! 

I feel these bars could be a bit ‘Marmite’ in that you’ll either love em or hate em! The notion behind the cube was less ‘treat’ and more ‘nutrition’ but over the weeks and months I have refined the recipe to my own personal tastes, and so I happen to love them! My family members however do not proclaim these to be among my best work (but again, let me remind you of their reason for being, so best not compared to an indulgent cake!) They are very flexible and accommodating so feel free to change things about and throw in what you fancy- the idea being you get a dense protein rich oaty bar as the end of it!

These bars are rich in a balance of protein fats and carbs and so are also great to grab on the run when you are not sure when you will next be eating or to have a couple tucked away in your bag in case of emergency as a mini meal replacement! The cubes are also raw further boosting their nutritional status.

Recipe: Power Cubes

Makes a 20x25cm tray cut into 25 cubes.

Ingredients:

400g oats

30g dessicated coconut

30 sesame seeds (other small or ground seeds can be used)

3 tbs cocoa powder

1 tbs ground ginger (optional)

150g isolated soy protein powder

3 tbs tahini

3tbs smooth peanut butter (use all PB instead of part tahini if you prefer)

1 ripe banana

1 tbs vanilla essence

2 tbs agave syrup

½ tsp stevia

Approx ¼ cup soy milk or other non-dairy milk (just enough to hold the mixture together well)

Method:

Mix dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Mix and mash wet ingredients together in a smaller bowl. Add wet ingredients to the dry and mix together adding as much soy milk as needed to create firm sticky dough. Firmly press the mixture into a 20x25 cm tray (or whatever similar size you have). It is easiest to line the tray with baking parchment as this will then simply lift out when ready to cut. Place the tin in the fridge for an hour (or longer) to firm up. When firm cut into cubes and store in the fridge. The cubes will keep for a week or more in the fridge and also freeze well. 

I like to make ‘gingery’ power cubes as I love ginger and I think this works well with the peanut butter which I personally find a bit over powdering on its own. Feel free to vary the spices and cocoa content to your own preference.