Category Archives: Non-dairy

Scrumptious summer salad recipes

Smoked mackerel, mozzarella and red pepper salad with wholegrain mustard root mash

They say never to pair fish with cheese but I think this recipe works wonders. The strong flavour of the mackerel is well matched with the creaminess and texture of the mozzarella. Finally, the oiled peppers and mustard mash give it some additional punch alongside the crunchy gem lettuce.

Serves 2

Ingredients

100g smoke mackerel, cooked
100g reduced fat mozzarella cheese, torn into small chunks
1 red pepper, 1 yellow pepper, in oil/char grilled (pre-packaged)
1 baby gem lettuce
A handful of lambs lettuce

For the root vegetable – mustard mash

500g mixed root vegetables: I used 1 small swede, 1 small celeriac and 2 carrots
25g butter
1 tbsp wholegrain mustard

Directions

For the root vegetable mash, put the vegetables in a large pan of salted water. Bring to the boil and cook for 15 minutes until tender. Drain well, then mash adding the butter and mustard.
Mix together until the butter has melted.
Add some salt and pepper then serve.
For the salad, arrange the mackerel, mozzarella, salad leaves and mixed peppers in a bowl and pour over the oil from the mixed peppers.
Mix together thoroughly before serving alongside the mash

Soba noodle stir fry with broccoli, spring onions, tofu and leafy greens

This vegetarian recipe has great East Asian flavours and is seriously flavourful. The soba noodles offer a decent alternative to wheat pasta, if you are gluten-intolerant, and the dish itself offers a healthy balance of protein, carbs and very little fat.

Serves 2

Ingredients

5 tbsp olive oil
100g soba noodles
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
A small cube of fresh ginger, finely sliced
1 head of broccoli, cut into florets
150g firm tofu, drained, patted dry and cut into small cubes
4 Spring onions, sliced lengthways
4 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp honey
(optional) a handful of leafy greens
(optional) 2 tbsp almond nut butter
Salt and pepper

Directions

In a large pot of boiling water, cook the soba noodles according to package instructions. Add the broccoli florets for the final 5 minutes of cooking. Cook until tender.
Drain the water then toss the noodles and broccoli with 2 tbsp of olive oil to prevent the noodles from sticking together.
Next, in a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce and honey; set aside.
Heat 3 tbsp olive oil in a large wok or frying pan over high heat. Add the tofu and cook until golden brown, stirring constantly, for about 3-4 minutes. Set the tofu aside in a small dish.
Heat the remaining 2 tbsp olive oil over a medium heat, adding the garlic, ginger and spring onions. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 1 minute.
Add the soy sauce and honey to the pan and toss in the soba noodles, broccoli florets and tofu.
(optional) Finally, stir the almond-nut butter into the pan until well mixed.
Season to taste and then serve alongside the (optional) leafy greens.

Carrot, red cabbage and broad bean slaw

This is a colourful and crunchy recipe which can be eaten as a main or side dish.

Serves 2

Ingredients

1 small red cabbage, quartered, cored and shredded finely
6 carrots, cut into thin strips (a decent food processor should have an attachment blade for this)

For the dressing:

1 tbsp sesame oil,
1 tbsp lemon juice,
Salt and pepper,
150g broad beans,
(optional) a handful of coriander,
(optional) a sprinkle of sesame seeds, or some other variety of Omega 3/Omega 6 rich seeds (linseeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds)

Directions

Mix the sesame oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a small bowl to make a dressing and then set aside.
Boil a large saucepan of water, add the cabbage and simmer for 3 minutes. Add the broad beans and simmer for 1 minute more. Drain the vegetables, leave to cool, then toss with the grated carrot, dressing and (optional) coriander leaves and sesame seeds.

How to make… Tarka Dal

That’s a wrap!

Falafel pitta wrap with red onion, red cabbage, yoghurt, herbs and tomatoes

Middle Eastern inspired recipe with plenty of flavour and textures running through it.

Sweet potato wrap with goats cheese, pumpkin seeds and parsley

This is one of my own creations. It’s quite starchy but the taste really hits the mark.

Chicken, chilli and humous wrap with tomato and watercress

Another eclectic home-made creation which packs a decent amount of flavour.

Homemade cashew, cocoa and date energy bars

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Homemade cashew nut, cocoa and date 'Nakd' bars - servings

All natural ingredients, wheat free, dairy free and no added sugars

I love making homemade cereal bars, nutty granola bars, flapjacks and various slices for times when my energy levels are teetering on the edge.

For me, these are perfect; they’re cheap and you can make a decent batch in around 10 minutes – no serious elbow grease required. Secondly, they’re all completely natural and nutritious. This is good to know following recent news that some so-called ‘healthy’ cereal bars contain 40% sugar.

Always bake your own if you ask me!

Ingredients

Makes 8 – 10 individual servings

150g cashew nuts, dry roasted*
200g pitted dates
1 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp ground ginger
2 tsps vanilla extract
2 tbsp boiling water
a pinch of salt

*On roasting: aim to roast the nuts for around 15 minutes at 150C

Directions

Combine the nuts and dates in a food processor and pulse until a grainy mixture is formed
Tip in the powdered spices, cocoa, salt and vanilla extract; pulse again
The mixture may appear too ‘grainy’ i.e. dry – if so, add the 2 tbsp of boiling water to make a sticky mixture.
Once the desired consistency is reached tip the mixture out into a flat dish or Tupperware box lined with cling film or baking parchment. Press down and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Remove from fridge, slice into small servings and dig in!
See also: Peanut butter and date flapjacks

Nuts about Almonds!

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Always good for a munch when you’re feeling peckish – almonds are without doubt one of my favourite store cupboard ingredients.

Oven roasted almonds

Although this delicate, mellow and creamy nut might not seem as exciting lined up against it’s more flavourful cousins; namely the walnut, pecan or brazil varieties, almonds do have their strong points; like providing the foundation for all great baking recipes, exotically flavoured tagines, pilafs and stews.

Not only that, almonds are also extremely nutritious:

They are rich in vitamin E which promotes healthy skin, bones and acts as an intoxicant which protects cell membranes.
Compared to other nuts they also contain the second highest amount of magnesium, after Brazil nuts, which is necessary for healthy teeth, muscle, nerve function and great for energy distribution throughout the body.
They are also high in protein and monounsaturated fats.

Almond varieties:

Oven roasted almonds aerial view

Whole almonds

My favourite almonds are the skin-on whole variety (brown in colour) although blanched almonds (white in colour, skin-off) are also available.

I whole find almonds eaten straight from the packet a little bland; it usually helps to toss them in a little olive oil, salt and cayenne pepper before blasting them in a hot oven for 10 – 15 minutes. Not only does this bring out their flavour but it also gives them a crunchier texture.

Ground (powdered) almonds

Great for home baking (think lemon, almond and poppy seed cake) – lending a chewy consistency to cakes and excellent for a healthy flour substitute for making pancakes.

Flaked almonds

These are readily used as a garnish on savoury dishes like Moroccan tagines, pilafs and Indian curries. On the sweet end of the spectrum you’ll find toasted and flaked almonds adorning all manner of cakes and sweet pastries – like Bakewell tarts, nutty florentine biscuits, pralines, creamy trifles and (my favourite) sweet almond croissants filled with marzipan paste.

On that note, feel free to browse my recipe for Macaroons from a previous blog.

Recipe ideas:

If I’m not eating almonds straight from the packet or munching them straight from the oven I’ll often use a food processor to prepare smoothies, milkshakes and thick sauces.

For a great smoothie recipe – blitz a handful of almonds with 150g blanched kale, 1 banana and 2-3 dates, along with a good splash of almond milk or water. This can be chilled in the refrigerator or served at room temperature.
For a bright, fiery sauce you can’t go wrong with Romesco – from the Catalonia region in Spain. Romesco is made with almonds, roasted red peppers, garlic, tomatoes and a thick slice of country bread for texture, making it an excellent accompaniment for meat, fish and as a dressing for roasted vegetables. Just take 100g of whole roasted almonds, 4 garlic cloves, 2 diced tomatoes, 3 roasted red peppers (blackened on an open flame or roasted for 20 minutes in a fierce oven) and 1 red chilli. Add this to a food processor with 100ml olive oil, 2 tbsp sherry vinegar, 1 tbsp smoked paprika and salt and pepper to taste. Puree until smooth.

I’ve focused two recipes below: the first has all the flavours and textures from the Middle East; with the second offering up a healthy non-dairy alternative to milk.

Almond, apricot, pomegranate, quinoa and bulgur Pilaf

Pilaf is a long-standing favourite of mine which usually contains rice, spices and various other grains. I’ve gone with quinoa and bulgar as the two main ingredients which give the dish a fantastically nutty texture.

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil
100g each of uncooked quinoa and bulgar wheat
1 can chickpeas/garbanzos
500ml vegetable stock
1 onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, sliced
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp dried chilli flakes
1 cinnamon stick
salt and pepper to taste

Ingredients (clockwise from left): quinoa, bulgur wheat, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, chilli flakes and (middle) 1 whole cinnamon stick

To garnish

100g mixed almonds
75g apricots, chopped
75g pomegranates
a handful of coriander

Directions

Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan, then fry the onions, coriander seeds and cumin seeds until soft and golden. Add the garlic and chillies and fry for 2 minutes, then add the quinoa, bulgur, stock and cinammon. Season, bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 15 minutes until the stock is absorbed or until the you have fluffy grains. Transfer to a bowl.
Garnish with the remaining ingredients and serve.

Homemade almond milk

A fresh and tasty vegan alternative to cow’s milk. You will need a blender.

Ingredients

200g whole almonds
570ml/1 pint water
6-7 good quality pitted dates (Medjool variety are good) OR 3-4 tbsp maple syrup

Directions

In a container, soak the almonds in just enough water to cover.
Cover with a towel and let it sit in a cool place for about 8 – 12 hours.
Pour off the water from the almonds and rinse well.
Place the rinsed almonds into a blender, add the water with the dates or maple syrup, blending for a few minutes on high speed until well mixed.
Strain the almond milk through a very fine sieve or a bag strainer and serve. You will be left with some almond meal residue in the sieve or bag strainer (you can use this for macaroons, cookies, almond but butter or other baking recipes).

Alternative flavour suggestions

Add these extra ingredients at the blending stage

Chocolate almond milk: add 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
Cinnamon milk: add 1 tsp cinnamon and a dash of nutmeg
Vanilla almond milk: add 1 tsp vanilla extract or the seeds from 1 vanilla pod