Saturday 31 October 2015

Five Courgette / Zucchini Meal Ideas

Five Courgette Meal Ideas! 

There are so many ways to prepare and cook a courgette aka zucchini but here are just a few you may not have thought of. 
 
Grate it into porridge:
Grate 1/3 courgette and add to the pan along with some oats and about 200ml water. Cook on medium heat until soft and fluffy. I usually add about 1/3 courgette to 50g porridge as to not over power the taste. Adding some apple and sugar makes it delicious. 



Grate it to form a sauce:
Grate the whole courgette and add to a pan along with some water, tomato purée, herbs and spices. Cook until a thick sauce forms and add to pasta. 



Warm courgette tagliatelle:
Using a peeler form long strips of courgette, peel over and over. Then add to a pan along with some water and stir fry until soft. Serve with a sauce or on toast or with pasta or on a rice cake. 


Baked:
Place the courgette whole or sliced in half horizontally into the oven and bake for 45 mins on 200 degrees Celsius. Serve with baked sweet potatoes (baked at the same time) lettuce and salsa. Or top with salsa and rice. 


Courgette sticks with houmous: 
Simply chop into sticks like carrot sticks and serve with hummus or a tahini dip (tahini mixed with water). 

I hope this has given you some interesting easy ideas on how to use courgette. Let me know in the comments if this was helpful. 

Have a great day. 

Lots of love,
Robyn

Avocado & Peanut Butter on Toast

Avocado & Peanut Butter on Toast

My absolute go to lunch is peanut butter and avocado on toast. It's so simple and easy to whip up. Avocado roughly squished onto the toast and eaten with the lettuce is just so yummy. Try rolling the toast up in the lettuce as a wrap, you won't be disappointed ;) 


(Serves 1)

Ingredients: 
4 slices wholemeal granary bread
1/2 head romaine lettuce
1/2 avocado (make sure it's soft) 
1 tsp smooth 100% peanuts peanut butter (I really like Meridian) 

Simply place the toast in the toaster, wash the lettuce, scoop out the avocado, take a tsp of peanut butter out the jar and when the toast is done add the avocado and peanut butter and enjoy! 

Hope you make this if you haven't tried it already! Please see my snapchat for daily food ideas @sweetsugarcrumb

Lots of love,
Robyn x

Wednesday 28 October 2015

Simply Houmous on Toast

Simply Houmous on Toast


Most of the time when hungry and in need of food I reach for toast. I just love it and it has become my absolute staple. Rice cakes are also great for those avoiding gluten but for me I like walburtons seeded granary wholemeal bread. I usually pop into tesco on my way back from the gym in the evenings to see if they have it reduced, which they often do which is great. I keep it in the freezer to keep it fresh and just pop it in the toaster on the defrost setting for a quick carb hit. Simply served with a spread of houmous, grated carrot, grapes and some lettuce torn into bite size pieces. And yes I had a crumpet on the side aha. 

Monday 19 October 2015

Houmous In a Blender

Houmous In a Blender

Hey everyone, today is a houmous recipe! I do really like the bought houmous, but if you fancy making your own then this is by far the easiest way i’ve found to make it. I keep it really simple so feel free to add any herbs or spices you fancy such as paprika, cumin, garlic. It creates a smooth thick houmous without the added ingredients of bought houmous so is a healthier and super tasty addition to toast, salad or a pizza ;) 



(Makes one pot)

Ingredients:
1/2 can chickpeas
2 tsp tahini
1/2 lemon

Drain the chickpeas and save the juices, squeeze the lemon. Place the chickpeas into the blender along with a few tablespoons of the lemon and chickpea juices. Blend until a thick paste forms. In a separate bowl place the tahini and mix with about 2 tbsp of water or chickpea juices, mix with a spoon until it turns more creamy. Then add to the blended chickpeas, give it a little shake and blend again. Finally serve in a pot or jar. Use a spatula to scoop it all out the blender. Keep in the fridge for up to a week. 

See the video here: https://youtu.be/HSgq9FdNbIA

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do! 

Have a houmousful day!

Lots of love, 
Robyn
x

Tuesday 13 October 2015

How to Make Hazelnut Milk!

Easy Peezy Hazelnut Milk!

I usually buy my milk from the shops but today I fancied making it from scratch. And wow what a great idea! It's so much cheaper, more nutritious and tastier, but it does take that little extra effort. I've created this recipe to show you the easiest way to make it using a bedevilled active blend blender and a nutmilk bag. Super cool fact: when soaking the nuts they decrease in fat and increase in protein!



(Makes 1 Litre)

50g hazelnuts soaked overnight 
4 tbsp coconut nectar or any syrup
1 tsp vanilla powder
1 litre water 
Nut milk bag

In your blender add all the ingredients, blend until really milky then place the nut milk bag into a litre jar and pour in the milk. Squeeze the bag and save the nut leftovers for cookies or add to porridge! Lasts in the fridge for a week and you can even dilute it to go further! Use the leftover pulp in porridge or cookies. You could also store the milk once strained in the breville blender bottle as it pours a lot easier, and the blender usually comes with two bottles. 

I hope you have enjoy this recipe as much as I do. It's really delicious in hot chocolate, cereal, porridge and even on its own as a refreshing drink. 

See the video here: https://youtu.be/UhpggoPP0Pk

Have a nuttyful day,

Lots of love
Robyn x

Monday 12 October 2015

Gravy Gravy Vegan Gravy!

Vegan Gravy!

A roast is made that much more delicious with a splash of gravy but fancy a bowl of pasta with a sauce that's not tomato based? I have the solution. Gravy! Really simple, super warming and satisfying. 


(Makes 600ml)

Ingredients:

600ml water
1/2 peeled apple (optional)
1 tbsp cornflour 
1 tbsp vegetable bouillon 
2 tsp marmite

Bring a pan of the 500ml water to the boil and add the apple, meanwhile in a mixing bowl add the cornflour, bouillon and marmite along with about 100ml cold water. Then pour the hot water apple mixture into the mixing bowl, mix and then pour back into the pan. Simmer until thickened, then serve or allow to mature and reheat. 

This gravy is so delicious, the flavour enhances if it's left for a few hours then served with roasts, chips or even with wholemeal pasta. In the photo I just poured the gravy over the cooked pasta, added some fresh diced orange bell pepper and topped with fresh basil. Absolutely delicious! 

See the recipe video here: https://youtu.be/6hrZozmt0UM

Have a fabulous gravyful day. 

Lots of love,
Robyn x

Saturday 10 October 2015

Chia Chocolate Pudding Porridge

Chia Chocolate Pudding Porridge

Just a spontaneous porridge recipe...


(Serves 1)
Ingredients:

50g organic jumbo oats
1 tbsp chia seeds
1 tsp cacao powder 
2 tsp coconut sugar
1 tsp peanut butter
1 pear 

Cook your porridge by adding the oats to a pan along with 200ml water. Gently bring to a boil and simmer until fluffy (10 minutes). Pour into a cute bowl and top with the peanut butter. In a separate bowl add the chia seeds, cacao and coconut sugar and pour in about 2 tbsp hot (not boiling) water. Mix and allow to thicken up. Meanwhile, slice the pear and display in the porridge. Then swirl in the chia pudding and serve! Delicious! 

Hope you enjoy!

Lots of love
Robyn
X

Chia Chocolate Pudding Porridge

Healthy Baked Beans with Toast!

Healthy Baked Beans with Toast


(Serves 1)

Ingredients:
1 can baked beans
1 yellow bell pepper, diced
2 handfuls spinach 
2 slices granary bread
Sprinkle of seeds to taste 

In a pan add the beans, pepper and spinach cover with a lid and heat, once steaming stir regularly until the pepper is soft and spinach is wilted. Pour into your favourite bowl, top with seeds, toast the bread and serve! 

Healthy Baked Beans with Toast

Tuesday 6 October 2015

Mexican Stir Fry Salad

Mexican Stir Fry Salad


I posted this on Instagram today and a few of you wanted the recipe. So here it is! Yesterday I went round my friends house for a fajita night and girls bible study. It was so lovely, we all cooked together and I made my vegan filling of cannellini beans, sweetcorn, red peppers and spices. There was some left over so I brought it home and had it for lunch today! So for the stir fry and salad you'll need:

(Serves 1)
Ingredients:

1/2 can cannellini beans
1/2 can sweetcorn
1/2 red bell pepper 
1-2 tsp chilli powder 

1 head little gem lettuce
1 large carrot
1 medium pear 
1 tbsp hummus 

For the stir fry I used a pan but a wok would be better. Add water to the bottom and bring to the boil. Then add the beans, sweetcorn and pepper stir fry on high heat adding more water if needed until the pepper is almost soft. Then add the chilli powder and further stir fry until well combined and soft. 
Tear up the lettuce, add to a bowl and rinse. Then slice up the carrots lengthwise and across to form sticks and add along with the pear sliced lengthwise. Finally add a dollop of hummus and the stir fry and serve! So yummy! 

I hope you enjoy this recipe, comment down below what you think. 

Have an awesome and scrumptious day. 

Lots of love,
Robyn x

Friday 2 October 2015

Lentil Pasta Salad

Lentil Pasta Salad


Who doesn't love a nice big bowl of satisfying pasta? Whether that be gluten free corn pasta, wholewheat fussili pasta, spaghetti or multicoloured bow pasta. Today I used this multicolour pasta that I brought home from France. It has green bows made with added spinach, orange bows made with added tomato and plain yellow bows. I personally find that all the different coloured bows all taste the same but they do look pretty. I fancied making this meal all in one pan to save on washing up so I cooked the pasta with the lentils and added the herbs and spices. This made life easier and it turned out really tasty. Especially as a student, you don't want to spend hours in the kitchen and want a tasty healthy satisfying meal whipped up in no time. This took me around 20 minutes to make which is just how long the lentils needed to cook. So whilst the pasta and lentils were cooking I washed and tore up the lettuce saving time. If you're wondering where I got my wooden bowl from it was IKEA. Anyways without further a do here is the recipe:

(Serves 1)

Ingredients:
4 romaine lettuce leaves
30g red split lentils
100g bow pasta
1/2 tsp mixed herbs
1 aniseed star
1/2 an avocado

In a small pan add the lentils along with enough water so it's about 2/3rds full. Bring to the boil and add the mixed herbs, aniseed star and pasta, simmer for 12 minutes until the pasta is soft. Meanwhile, tear the lettuce into a bowl and fill it with water to rinse the lettuce and drain. Prepare the avocado by slicing in half around the stone, pop out the stone and scoop the avocado out of the skin and set aside. Once the pasta and lentils are cooked either pour over the lettuce along with the pasta water or drain and add to your bowl. I quite like the soup it creates. Top with the avocado and serve! 

I hope you enjoy this as much as I do.

Lots of love 
Robyn x
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