Burns supper

hello and warm greetings from Scotland….the home of Robert Burns aka Rabbie (pictured above), along with countless other famous Scots, but for now we will concentrate on good old Rabbie since on the 25th January it will be that time of year again where Scottish people all over the world will tuck into a traditional feast at there Burns Supper…we celebrate Robert Burns night on the same night every year which is the anniversary of his death, he was a legendary poet he wrote the very popular song “Auld Lang Syne” which we all sing at the end of party’s or new years….everyone knows it the world over but some may not know it was robert burns who wrote it….traditionally we would eat haggis neeps and tatties or to everyone else, haggis turnip and mashed potato.   For starter’s we would have some soup, either scotch broth or cock-a-leekie soup….my favorite would be the latter, but what i don’t like about it is the chicken in the soup, but that’s easy fixed, you just don’t use it lol   and obviously haggis as we all know (and 99% of people like to ignore!!) is made from sheep’s pluck (heart, liver and lungs) combined with  with onion, oatmeal, suet, spices, and salt, mixed with stock, and traditionally encased in the animal’s stomach and simmered for approximately three hours…not a nice thought at all and certainly not good for your heart or arteries either!!….Now a days you can get different variety’s of vegetarian haggis from supermarkets that are fine but still full of fats and carbs with only a tiny bit of protein …..so this Burns Supper ill be making “Mock-a-Leekie Soup” for starter and a traditional dish “Stovies” for main course with oatcakes on the side…… that a little bit healthier for your heart…..still allot of carbohydrates but who cares haha    There’s nothing wrong with a little of what you fancy hehe

Well ill be honest, iv only ever had this dish once in my life before now but ill start with a little history on my eating habits growing up and why i had never ate this dish or many other meat dishes until i knew you could make them safely with vegetarian food….  iv always tried to be vegetarian since very very young, like allot of kids they see the connection with animals and food and think “no thanks” but as i had no support and everyone thought i was “going through a phase” and because it was such a “big deal” to not eat what i was given i used to just pick at things and there’s no way you would see me eat a mooshed up mess of meat haha  i always picked at things and wasted half of my dinner because i didn’t like it…..allot of kids decide to go vegetarian and are not taken seriously its terrible when the majority of people say you have to let the kids choose to be veggie themselves…. but if a vegetarian decides to bring there kids up vegetarian there’s a big shocked reply saying its not fair to force kids into a life of vegetables but the fact is no one gives there kids a choice we all make a decision based on what we ourselves think is right…. if a kid is told the truth about where the meat is coming from and what it involves most would choose to be veggie its all about being honest about where your food comes from …..NO KIDS GET A CHOICE UNLESS YOU LET THEM DECIDE……just a little thought 🙂   Anyways  i was at my husbands cousins wedding 4 years ago and to set the scene it was beautiful, the bride was stunning the house looked onto a loch and hills, the wine was flowing so later on we had a ceilidh,  strip the willow and the dashing white sergeant were some of the favorites haha but in between the céilidh we had a snack of Stovies …i didn’t really know what it was but i heard the word vegetarian and i got a bowl, it was nice….don’t know if that was the wine taking affect but it stuck in my mind….i never did have it again until today as i haven’t been anywhere that had vegetarian stovies….or stovies for that matter haha  if your wondering what a ceilidh is well i hope this demonstrates how fun it is….if you ever have the chance to attend a ceilidh do it you will have lots of fun and probably end up with a few bruises but you’ll live hahaha  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdH2CD-mKb8

So there’s the history of stovies in my life…..and a bit of a letting off of some steam hahaha     Now lets get onto the recipes and cooking….oh and some photos 🙂

Mock-a-Leekie Soup.

INGREDIENTS:

2 leeks, trimmed, washed and chopped

1 medium potato, chopped

1 rib celery, chopped

1 onion, peeled and chopped

2 carrots, peeled and chopped small

1/2 cup brown rice, rinsed

1 liter of vegetable stock

tbsp chopped fresh thyme

salt and pepper to taste

METHOD:

1.  Throw all of your ingredients into a pot and bring to a boil, let boil for a few mins then turn down to a simmer, leave to simmer checking and stirring every 10 mins (ish) to ensure the rice doesn’t stick to the bottom….
2.  If your soup is looking too thick then just add more water…..its not an exact science you just add it in and taste, if its good then its good 🙂
3.  once the veg and rice are all cooked through (about 45mins) its ready…..don’t worry if your soup takes longer to cook its ok its not exact just keep tasting and adding water.

^^^ that looks good 🙂   ^^^

Stovies

INGREDIENTS:

2 onion’s, halfed and sliced

3 carrots, peeled and chopped

1 large maris piper, chopped

8 new potatoes cut into 4 each (baby or salad potatoes)

5 Linda McCartney sausages, cooked and chopped chunkie

1 liter of vegetable stock

1 tsp Marmite or other yeast extract

salt and pepper

METHOD:

1.   Pop the onion into a pot with a little drizzle of water to “fry” the onions without the fat (if your not watching the calories then use a little vegetable butter) once they start to soften add the carrots to sweat, then add the baby potatoes for a few mins until they sweat or change colour a little……now add the Maris piper and stock and bring to bubble adding Marmite and thyme and salt and pepper, stir and cover and simmer for 30 mins making sure you stir and make sure nothing sticks to the bottom.
2.   Once 30 mins is up add the sausage chunks and stir, if the veg is looking very dry then add a little more stock or water to keep from sticking, if the veg is ready and there seems to be too much moisture then just bring to a bubble with the lid off, stirring all the time, it will thicken up in no time at all.
3.   Serve in a bowl with a little stack of good old Scottish oatcakes to scoop it all up…..easy peasy 🙂

^^^ Ill be the first to admit its not very pretty….but it tastes darn good!!  honestly you’ll love it 🙂

^^^^ This is a photo i took on Sunday, its Loch Lomond on a cold and frosty morning….it was soooo cold, i think those little ducks are frozen into the water haha just kidding hehe

^^^^ This is a photo of Dunnottar Castle on the east coast of Scotland….beautiful isn’t it..

^^^^ Glamis castle…..you may know this castle from reading Shakespeare’s Macbeth or maybe you know that Glamis was the childhood home of HM Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, the birthplace of HRH The Princess Margaret!  If you didn’t know those things, you do now haha

haste ye back ……hope you have a lovely Burns Supper and learn a little about Scotland…ill leave you with a little poem about a little mouse that robert burns found in winter….

 

Burns Original                                             Standard English Translation

Wee, sleekit, cow’rin, tim’rous beastie, O, what a panic’s in thy breastie! Thou need na start awa sae hasty Wi bickering brattle! I wad be laith to rin an’ chase thee, Wi’ murdering pattle. I’m truly sorry man’s dominion Has broken Nature’s social union, An’ justifies that ill opinion Which makes thee startle At me, thy poor, earth born companion An’ fellow mortal! I doubt na, whyles, but thou may thieve; What then? poor beastie, thou maun live! A daimen icker in a thrave ‘S a sma’ request; I’ll get a blessin wi’ the lave, An’ never miss’t. Thy wee-bit housie, too, in ruin! It’s silly wa’s the win’s are strewin! An’ naething, now, to big a new ane, O’ foggage green! An’ bleak December’s win’s ensuin, Baith snell an’ keen! Thou saw the fields laid bare an’ waste, An’ weary winter comin fast, An’ cozie here, beneath the blast, Thou thought to dwell, Till crash! the cruel coulter past Out thro’ thy cell. That wee bit heap o’ leaves an’ stibble, Has cost thee monie a weary nibble! Now thou’s turned out, for a’ thy trouble, But house or hald, To thole the winter’s sleety dribble, An’ cranreuch cauld. But Mousie, thou art no thy lane, In proving foresight may be vain: The best-laid schemes o’ mice an’ men Gang aft agley, An’ lea’e us nought but grief an’ pain, For promis’d joy! Still thou are blest, compared wi’ me! The present only toucheth thee: But och! I backward cast my e’e, On prospects drear! An’ forward, tho’ I canna see, I guess an’ fear!

Small, crafty, cowering, timorous little beast, O, what a panic is in your little breast! You need not start away so hasty With argumentative chatter! I would be loath to run and chase you, With murdering plough-staff. I’m truly sorry man’s dominion Has broken Nature’s social union, And justifies that ill opinion Which makes you startle At me, your poor, earth born companion And fellow mortal! I doubt not, sometimes, but you may steal; What then? Poor little beast, you must live! An odd ear in twenty-four sheaves Is a small request; I will get a blessing with what is left, And never miss it. Your small house, too, in ruin! Its feeble walls the winds are scattering! And nothing now, to build a new one, Of coarse grass green! And bleak December’s winds coming, Both bitter and keen! You saw the fields laid bare and wasted, And weary winter coming fast, And cozy here, beneath the blast, You thought to dwell, Till crash! the cruel plough passed Out through your cell. That small bit heap of leaves and stubble, Has cost you many a weary nibble! Now you are turned out, for all your trouble, Without house or holding, To endure the winter’s sleety dribble, And hoar-frost cold. But little Mouse, you are not alone, In proving foresight may be vain: The best laid schemes of mice and men Go often awry, And leave us nothing but grief and pain, For promised joy! Still you are blest, compared with me! The present only touches you: But oh! I backward cast my eye, On prospects dreary! And forward, though I cannot see, I guess and fear!

Lean Mean Bean Burger (L.M.B.B Burger)

hey all 🙂  hope everyone is well and keeping healthy 🙂  are you sticking to your resolutions? i hope your here because one of your resolutions was to go veggie or vegan, or even just a promise to cut down on meat for your health….either way you will hopefully love to get your jaws round a nice burger…but it gets better, this is a healthy burger full of protein, fiber, yummy flavors and packed full of vitamins and minerals too 🙂    We all know that meat burgers are full of protein and some people who are uneducated with nutrition would think that anything without meat is missing protein….they wouldn’t be further from the truth,  while meat burgers do have protein its high is saturated fat which causes heart problems and high cholesterol oh and not to mention the news just out that there’s horse DNA in some burgers lol ….plant protein on the other hand is healthy, low in fat and calories, packed full of vitamins and fiber (which you will not find in your meat ones)  PLUS ….they taste soooo good too 🙂  Also if your looking to get your kids into the kitchen, helping and cooking this is a great recipe to start them out….rolling up is great fun for kids 🙂  

hope you enjoy xx

 

Ingredients:  (makes 6 patties) 

 

2 tins black beans (drained, washed)

1 cup mashed sweet potato (chop small and roast or steam until soft)

1cup porridge oats (not quick cook) you probably wont need all of these just add till correct texture

3 Tbsp barbecue sauce

1 Tbsp Vegetarian Worcestershire style sauce

2 Tbsp chopped pickled jalapenos

1 Tbsp smoked paprika

1 Tbsp chili powder

1 tsp ground cumin

cracked black pepper and pinch of salt

**Whatever your favorite toppings are feel free to use them but here’s mine**

beef tomato slices

gherkin slices (dill pickles)

organic ketchup

sliced jalapenos

wholegrain sandwich thins

romaine lettuce, iceberg lettuce, pea-shoots, cucumber, red pepper tossed salad for topping burger and as a salad on the side……make a quick vinaigrette using, extra virgin olive oil + balsamic vinegar + wholegrain mustard + drop of brown rice syrup (or honey if you eat it) and shake up in a tiny jar (i recycle jars by washing out old jars of mustard and things and use them for all sorts of things) 

 

Method:

1.   Throw all the burger ingredients (not oats yet) into a food processor and pulse a few times and remember to push the mixture down to make sure it all combines, you want to keep it a little chunky….add in the oats little by little until the mixture is firm but moist and holds together.
2.   Take a handful of mixture into your hands and form a ball, then gently press down to form a burger patties and set onto a baking sheet sprayed with extra virgin and continue until all mixture has been transformed into burgers.  grill in a medium grill for around 15mins or until golden brown all over, flipping carefully halfway through.
3.   While there cooking get a burger decorating area for everyone to help themselves to when the burgers are ready….

 

 

 

check your pee and poo before you leave the loo!

This can be lifesaving…..dont forget to check!!   i just stumbled upon this chart and thought i would show you it cos i care about your health xx    ps. i hope this doesn’t put you off the food cos i  know you’ll not have unhealthy poop if you eat my recipes hehe 

Roasted Veggie Ragu

happy Friday everyone….well tecnically im still up from Thursday haha but iv just had a lovely night with my best friend who was another year older yesterday so i decided it would be nice to have a girly night of rubbish TV and good food…..so i made something that is the most tasty pasta dish in my opinion….i probably say that about all my pasta recipes but this one truly is AMAZING….its so easy to make all you do is chop all the veg and roast it then pop it in a food processor then throw in a pot with tomatoes and bubble while you cook the pasta 🙂  easy peasy lemon squeezy haha   Anyways, i cant remember how i came to make this recipe at first but ill never forget how yummy it is 🙂  i really hope you enjoy it 🙂  the chunkiness or smoothness is completely up to you but always use the blender as it really meshes the flavors together perfectly 🙂  this can be used as pasta sauce or a sauce to dip garlic ciabatta in, or anything you like really 🙂  enjoy and have a good weekend….xxx

 

Ingredients:
½ aubergine sliced into ½ inch thickness
1 sliced red bell pepper & 1 sliced yellow bell pepper
Small courgette sliced into ½ inch thickness
Whole garlic bulb (as it is, not peeled)
1 red onion cut into wedges
4-5 shallots peeled and halved
Rosemary sprig
2tbs extra virgin olive oil
1tsp lemon juice
Pinch of sugar
2x tin chopped tomato’s
Salt and pepper
Cup of vegetable stock
1tbs tomato puree
1tbs dry flat leaf parsley
4 drops of Tabasco

Method:
1. Combine your veg in a roasting tin and drizzle with your oil and toss until glistening all over,  throw on your rosemary sprig whole……now chop the top stem off your bulb to reveal the tops of the cloves, drizzle extra virgin and salt and pepper and  roast in the oven for around 30 minutes toss your veg halfway through cooking time to ensure even browning.  check on your garlic and make sure it doesn’t burn and you want to take the bulb out to cook before the veg are finished cooking to let cool.

2. When your veg is ready remove and discard your rosemary sprig, allow your veg to cool slightly, take your garlic bulb and squeeze until the roasted cloves come out (discard the skin) throw everything in a food processor and pulse until at a thick paste consistency either smoother to hide veg from kids or chunky if you like it that way.

3. Once blended pour into a big pot and add your tomato’s , tomato puree, stock, Tabasco, lemon juice, sugar and salt and pepper…… allow to bubble away for an half hour to an hour until the sauce is nice and thick.

4. Serve this sauce with some pasta……. This sauce is good for freezing too, just freeze in portions and defrost fully when you need it 🙂

 

 

Vegetable and lentil broth

Hey you guuys 🙂 so your looking for a healthy dinner or lunch? Well you came to the right place…..im all about health and well being 🙂  this is a soup that my gran used to make and that her mum made an her mum made too….everyone has this soup in my family, though they blend or cook it with ham or chicken in it which isnt so good at all 😦  i think this version is the same if not a million times better and also super healthy too….we had it for dinner tonight and kept it very chunky as i dont like blended soup much i prefer to eat my soup not drink it 🙂  dont get me wrong sometimes i like blended soup but if i have lots of veg i like to make it into a meal 🙂   my granny makes soup allot and her soups are lovely but i do like a chunky soup…..my gran makes a lovely broccoli soup and a curried cauliflower soup which ill get up one day but this one is perfect for now 🙂   great for a health kick and great for your tummy too full of yummy veg that keeps your bowels full of fibre…..before i go onto the recipe, if you simply MUST have bread with your soup and you usualy have 2 or more slices then cut that out…stop it! Lol …if you must have bread have a slice of wholemeal seeded bread with some pure spread or other vegan spread you like….i dont have bread with this soup because it doesnt need it it has everything in it already to keep you full……note to self…say no to the bread if your having a chunky soup with potatoes and lentils in it hehe

Ingredients:
4 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
3 medium leeks, chopped into circles
3 ribs of celery, chopped
1 or 2 maris piper potatoes cubed, leave skin on
1cup red split lentils
1pint vegetable stock, vegan boullion melted in boiled water
Water to cover the vegetables and more to add as they cook to keep it soup and not moosh 🙂

Method:

    1.   Throw all your veg and lentils into a large pot and add everything else to the pot…the water is just added to make it brothy.   Boil until your veg is soft and cooked through and taste….if it needs more stock then add a spoonfull of veg boullion into the pot and leave for 10 mins stirring all the time so the stock dissolves……add in a little salt and as much cracked black pepper as you like…..we are a pepper pot household we looove our pepper and add allot of it so it burns our lips hahaha its sooo good tho…..

This recipe is soooo simple and so yummy and you know its healthy too….

***TIP FOR PARENTS:    hey mummys and daddys….if your wondering if your babies and kids can have this soup of course they can but remember to buy low sodium stock, you can get that from the baby food area of the supermarket ….dont add salt or pepper and if its for a little baby then blend if its for a slightly older baby who likes some lumps then mash it with a potato masher 🙂

***TIP…FREEZING:  this freezes really well so just pop it in a dish and freeze either in a big batch or indevidual portions…if its for the little ones then in little pots for them 🙂 remember to lable them and date them but they should keep for a good while 🙂

My Secret Weapon!!

hello everyone 🙂 how are we all? i hope your well and keeping your new years resolutions….what kind of resolutions are you hoping to try this year? it will probably be stopping smoking, eating better or being more active, whatever it may be it almost always has something to do with your health…..in my opinion you cant get a better resolution than caring for your body and being healthy 🙂 so where do you start when you want to lose weight and feel clean and healthy inside? well i shall tell you, all you have to do is look at what you eat on a daily basis and change little things and you’ll see the weight just drop off….i promise. So long as you don’t stick yourself on a crazy fad diet or consume silly diet pills claiming to make you lose weight without trying then you will lose weight the healthy way, you can lose it without really trying just by staying on a healthy diet and feeding your body clean good food full of vitamins…….easy peasy! My “diet” is very healthy, i mean don’t get me wrong ill have a sandwich with a packet of crisps on it from time to time but i don’t have it every day and if i do have a crisp sandwich(which i had today lol) then ill make a big pot of vegetable soup for dinner…..lots of vegetables 🙂 you don’t have to beat yourself up for “failing” to not eat anything or for eating carbs but i stay on a healthy balanced diet…ill give you an example of my daily diet to give you an idea….i don’t have sugar in my diet daily and only ever drink water, mainly because its my favorite!   Also keeping low calorie clean snacks around you all the time helps you if you have a craving,  my absolute must have is NAKD bars and raisins, i’m currently making a stockpile of them for my holiday to mexico next month as i will need snacks out there and just because i’m on vacation doesn’t mean i have to eat junk, it makes me want to eat even better so my body has an easier time adjusting to the climate…..i will be purchasing a celebration box or two before i go! you can also get them here at only £11.70 for 18 different clean healthy snacks, you actually cant beat it!!!  if your a chocolate lover then you’ll love the cocoa based ones, in fact i don’t like chocolate and never been interested in chocolate (even as a kid) but i loooove the cocoa bars….cocoa orange and the cocoa delight mmmm yummy!! my fave has to be banana bread and my little nephews favorite is the berry delight 🙂  hes 2 and already has a taste for good food 🙂  i’m dying to try the rhubarb and custard ones but i haven’t found them in my local supermarkets but ill be ordering some super soon!!  ill tell you more on them later 🙂

check out the vegan food pyramid, i found this online and shows you simply how to eat healthy and make sure you get all the nutrients and vitamins you need! 

DAILY DIET IDEA:

Breakfast: 2 small slices of wholegrain seeded bread with some pure spread and a piece of fruit, i sometimes spread a banana on-top of my toast mmm yummy, i have a hot water with lemon and a big glass of water.

AM snack: nakd bar, i am in loooove with these little bars of goodness ill tell you all about them in a second, you don’t want to miss it!!

Lunch: baked potato with my home made coleslaw and salad or grilled Mediterranean vegetables and a big glass of water. or ill have some vegetable soup.

PM snack: maybe another nakd bar or some nakd raisins that are infused with cola or lime flavor there totally amazing!!

Dinner: dinner time is my favorite because i get to make yummy meals and serve them up to my husband and family and watch them enjoy 🙂 we usually have pasta or rice (lots of recipes on here with ideas of what we have) we always have wholewheat pasta, rice and noodles as they keep you fuller for longer. the trick to losing weight is to understand portion control and not eat processed meals, so no micro meals !! a portion of pasta for one person is about a cup of cooked pasta so bulk up pasta and rice dishes with lots of vegetables so keep your veg chunky.  check out this handy little tool to see the serving sizes of food, its such a good little tool you should favourite it 🙂   

http://www.webmd.com/diet/healthtool-portion-size-plate

Supper: not everyone has “supper” but when i was little my granny used to send me to bed with some water and an orange…now if i get hungry after dinner or if we watch a movie and i want to munch on a snack i turn to the trusty wholewheat rice cake with some Marmite spread on-top, it satisfies the salty and crunchy cravings 🙂

Drinks: i drink water all day long….an abundance of water actually haha iv got to the point i don’t bother with a glass i just have a big jug haha if i’m honest with you (which i always am) i will tell you that it makes you need to pee all the time but it keeps your skin glowing (i still get asked for ID for glue and such likes lol) and it also keeps the bowels moist, when people suffer from constipation they are given laxatives, which i realized actually just increase the moisture in your bowel to keep you moving but if you just drink lots and lots of water (if you want to drink more than 8 glasses a day then go for it) it depends on your level of activity but listen to your body and if its thirsty have some water, if you think your hungry then have some water and see if its just thirst 🙂

Onto the amazing amazing product iv been eating for years….its the perfect little snack to keep in your bag all the time, i keep one on me at all times as when i’m hungry i get very snappy and cranky which isn’t fun for anyone and after a NAKD bar i feel normal again….the key to being healthy is to snack healthy and to eat clean foods…..if your a junk food person who likes to chew candy all day you need to try NAKD bars…  

 

quote from NAKD:        “Nākd bars and snacks are a great way to eat nutritious, healthy food without compromising on taste! Our snack bars are made from yummy natural ingredients such as fruits and nuts which are smooshed together for you into a handy bar. Wheat and dairy free, with no added sugars or hidden extras. Get Nākd today!

 

All this for £11.70…..free delivery…..yes please 🙂

check out there website…they also do free UK delivery which is amazing in itself never mind all the discounts and variety they have there……they sure do know what there doing that’s for sure!!!  

 http://www.naturalbalancefoods.co.uk/

 

As i already said im going to visit mexico next month and ill be packing lots of snacks and supplies just in-case …ill be packing NAKD bars, instant organic vegan oatmeal (you just add water and there’s no dairy in it), nuts and seeds and obviously marmite haha im supposed to be getting a vegan meal on the flight but that is yet to be seen as iv heard of allot of vegans not getting there promised meal and going hungry or being given a few packets of nuts!! hopefully this wont happen but ill be doing a blog on travel soon and what to pack 🙂  see you soon and i hope you enjoy this blog,  and i promise you wont regret switching from horrible candy bars to lovely NAKD bars!!  

 

love love xoxox 

 

 

 

Thai Green Curry

Thai Green Curry.

Thai Green Curry

hello everyone 🙂  i hope all your Christmas decorations are down and that your thinking ahead to fulfilling all your new years resolutions…..what could they be? well the most popular resolutions are weight-loss and being healthy…..most people don’t stick to there resolutions because they go on silly fad diets and starve and punish themselves when they should be praising themselves for even taking a step in the right direction…..everyone all over the world should make a promise to do a little something daily to help improve the world we live in, for example you could remember your brownie/scouts/guides…promise and remember that we promised to do our best… that’s all we need to do is our best, who cares about other people think of you just think of you and your heart………daily tasks include:   bringing your own bag for your shopping to reduce waste and using plastic bags……hold a door for someone  it sounds so simple but not many people are polite enough to do that, also helping people with babies and prams get in doors or up stairs would be appreciated …….a friendly hello and a smile to strangers, you never know it could may well make someones day 🙂 ….reduce waste, use up everything in your fridge, try not to throw anything out just use your head and you can come up with something to make……and finally (and im working on this one) try to not let things bother you and don’t take things to heart, when a person is mean spirited or negative towards you its just because they have a problem in there own life and don’t want to look at it so they find yours interesting, chin up and smile, feel sorry for them!      Anyway i hope you can do something small today and help the world be a better more happy place!  

    I hope you like curry and allot of flavor in your mouth because this Thai green curry is sooo exciting and so quick too……you don’t have to be a hero about it and make the curry paste and stress yourself out about it, its just as good to buy the Thai green curry paste…. not the sauce the paste 🙂  you can make this recipe as spicy as you like its up to you and its up to you what you like in the curry too 🙂  play with it and add or subtract anything you like or don’t like for instance in the photo iv added carrot to it as i had a spare little lonesome carrot in the fridge so i put that in too and cauliflower instead of broccoli….its up to you what you do as long as you enjoy it and don’t ruin it with meat……this is a healthy recipe 🙂 

 

Ingredients:

• ½ butternut squash
• 1 red pepper
• 120g baby corn, cut lenghtways
• 1 head of bok choi, leaves separated
• handful of little trees of broccoli
• handful green beans
• handful of plain cashew nuts, blanch in hot water to soften for an hour or two
• 1 red onion, chunked 
• ½ a fresh red chilli, chopped for garnish
• 1 tablespoon groundnut oil
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• ½ x 400ml tin coconut milk
• 200ml vegetable stock
• 75g mange tout
• 1 lime
• Thai green curry paste (jarred or using the recipe below)

 

Method:  preheat the oven to 190ºC/375ºF/gas 5

1. Carefully halve the butternut squash, then scoop out the seeds with a spoon and discard, Chop the squash into 3cm chunks, leaving the peel on but removing any of the skin (use a Y shaped veg peeler) then chop your red pepper and red onion into chunks and throw the squash the peppers and onion into a roasting dish and drizzle with extra virgin, salt and pepper and roast for half an hour (30mins or until they are browning and a little charred) ….when ready set aside till needed. 
2. Place a large wok over a high heat and When it’s really hot, add the groundnut and sesame oils, swirl them around, then carefully drop in the baby corn and your green curry paste and stir-fry for about 30 seconds.  Pour in the coconut milk, stock, drained cashews, roasted veg and the rest of your veggies, give it all a good stir, bring to the boil and cook for a few minutes.
3. now taste the curry and add a bit more soy sauce if you think it needs it, push down on a lime and roll it over the worktop to get the juices loose, then cut it in half, squeeze the juice into the pan.  leave to bubble for a few mins lightly until the vegetables are cooked to your taste….i like them crisp 🙂   

serve with some wholewheat rice and a sprinkle of chopped red chilies and coriander leaves….and maybe even some poppadoms 🙂  deeeelicious 🙂  

 

              sorry for the photo i was in such a rush to eat it i just took a quick one ….ill try and get a better one one day and change it haha it gives the idea though 🙂 

**for the curry paste:

1tbsp coriander seeds

1tbsp cumin seeds

12 green chilies, chopped (birdseye or any other you like)

5 garlic cloves, chopped

2 lemongrass stalks, chopped

5 fresh kaffir lime leaves, chopped

handful fresh coriander, chopped

fine grated rind of 1 lime

1tsp salt

1tsp crushed black peppercorns

 

Method:

1. heat a dry frying pan till hot and add the coriander and cumin seeds and toast over a med/high heat, remembering to shake the pan so as to toast the seeds evenly, for about 2-3mins or until they start to pop.
2. put the seeds and everything else in a food processor or blender and whiz until thick and your done……just spoon into a glass jar and keep in the fridge for about a week 🙂

 

  enjoy and let me know your thoughts on this recipe or many    others…..even let me know what your resolutions are for 2013 🙂     happy new year everyone xx