Mediterranean Chickpeas

Breakfast: Apple oatmeal

Lunch: Mediterranean chickpeas with brown couscous

Dinner: Falafels in a wrap from Gazhale!

It seems that lately my mornings have been characterized by me not having quite enough time to make either breakfast OR lunch properly, so it's a good job that hectic meals like this exist. Even if you're on serious time constraints you can knock this out quick as a flash, and it has that lovely mediterranean tomato-y warmth that reminds you of holidays in Spain. Just what you need for fall.

You'll need:
(Feeds 2)

1/2 cup chickpeas
1/2 cup zucchini
2 large tomato
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
oil
paprika

Method:

Place zuchhini and chickpeas in a pan and heat gently for 2 or 3 minutes, stirring
Add in paprika and stir to coat
Add in the tomato and a little water
Heat for 5 minutes, stirring continuously
Add in the balsamic vinegar and stir for another minute
Serve on brown couscous

With the couscous, this is literally a ten minute meal. And its a tasty one too!

This would make a great tapas dish if you are so inclined, perhaps with some patatas bravas and roasted eggplant. That makes me want to have a dinner party.


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Coconut and Papaya Smoothie

Breakfast: Coconut and papaya smoothie

Lunch: Leftover leek and potato soup

Dinner: Thai red curry with issan vegetables and rice

I'm clinging now to the summery feel, in these last few days of relative heat, and this smoothie has a touch of the tropics about it, as well as enough energy to get you through to lunch time!

You'll need:
(Feeds 1)

1 cup coconut milk
1 banana
1 cup chopped papapya
1 tsp honey
1/4 cup rolled oats

Method:

Blend together for a minute or so and serve!

The prefer my smoothies a little thicker than some people, and the oats in this help to bring a great texture and a punch of energy for the rest of the day.

Soon it will be porridge season, so grab all the smoothie days you can!

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Vegan chocolate and pecan banana bread

Breakfast: A great maca-almond smoothie from the Big Carrot

Lunch: Soba noodle stir fry a la Putin followed by vegan chocolate and pecan banana bread

Dinner: Leek and potato soup with home-made bread

Ingenuity often springs from desperation, and when you've a hungry head and not much in the house, you can come up with your best recipes. I didn't even have any almond milk yesterday, and since we were in need of some snack fodder, I went for this vegan chocolate banana bread recipe and it turned out better than I could have hoped!

You'll need
(Makes 1 loaf)

2 bananas, mashed
2 cups wholewheat flour
1/2 cup cocoa (the good quality stuff will be vegan)
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup pecans, chopped
1/4 cup canola oil
1 cup hot water

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius
Sieve together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and sugar
In a different bowl, mix together the mashed bananas, oil and water
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir until JUST mixed
Gently stir in the pecans
Pour into a loaf pan and cook for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean

I have gone a bit mad on the old chocolate treats lately, mainly to ease Putin's transition from omnivore to vegan. I don't think you'll mind though.

Interestingly enough, some chocolate bars are, in fact, vegan. These tend to be the upper end of the chocolate bar market, because milk is generally only added to the cheaper brands. Green & Blacks dark chocolate is purportedly vegan, but always check before you eat!

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Leek and lentil bake with quinoa crust

Breakfast: Scrambled tofu with greens

Lunch: The burrito bowl from Hot Beans Vegan

Dinner: Leek and lentil bake with quinoa crust and a tomato, carrot and lime salad

I really have gone a little overboard with my dedication to using quinoa in a plethora of different ways. I don't know what it is; it's unconscious. I just reach out for the stuff and before I know it, BANG! A quinoa crust!

Of course, this isn't like many addictions, which end with a negative impact on the addict. I'm just going to end up with a high magnesium level and too much dietary fibre. Oh hang on, that could be bad...

You'll need
(Feeds 4)

1 1/2 cups quinoa
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup red lentils
1 1/2 onions
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 leeks, sliced
1/2 zucchini, chopped
1 cup vegetable stock
1 tbsp flax
1/2 tsp cumin
2 tsp oregano
1 tsp paprika
oil

Method:

Soak the lentils in a bowl for water for 1 hr
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celcius
Cook the quinoa with the water for 15-20 minutes; this will leave the quinoa not totally cooked
Set aside to cool
Fry the onions and the garlic in a little oil until translucent
Add in the paprika and fry until fragrant
Add in the zucchini and fry for 5 minutes
Add in the lentils, stock, cumin and oregano
Bring to the boil, then put the lid on the pan and simmer for 20-30 minutes
While this is happening, saute the leeks for 5-7 minutes in a little oil
When the stock has been mostly absorbed and the lentils are mushy, take the lentil mixture off the heat
Spread the lentil mix on the bottom of a casserole dish, and top with a later of leeks
Mix the flax into the cooked quinoa, and layer this mixture on top of the leeks
Cook in the oven for 20 minutes, then switch to "broil", or put the dish under the grill until the top of the quinoa has browned
Serve with wedges, a carrot and tomato salad

I could harp on about the nutritional benefits of quinoa until the cows come home, but let's not forget that lentils are a great source of both protein and fibre, which is why they've been a staple of vegetarian cooking for the past 30 years. They're also a great source of iron, and the flax added into the quinoa topping bring some omega-3 fatty acids to the mix.

This is also very hearty and comforting for a chilly autumn evening - especially if you can have some tofu chocolate cake from Fresh afterwards!

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Apple hummus

Breakfast: Kasha and avocado

Lunch: A sandwich and muffin from the fabulous Urban Herbivore

Dinner: Apple hummus and crackers followed by pasta and tomato-red wine sauce

I was wandering around Kensington Market on Saturday, taking in all the amazing food choices (especially for vegans!) and decided to make red pepper hummus when I got home. Then it struck me that that was the predictable choice, and I got the idea to instead go a new and exciting hummus route.

I took a little gamble on this one, but I really like it! It goes great with crackers as a bit of a nibble starter, and obviously goes nicely with some slices of apple too. There's a lot to be said for taking the weird route sometimes.

You'll need

1 500ml can chickpeas
2 small, sweet apples, peeled and chopped
3 tbsp tahini
juice of 1 lemon
1/4 - 1/2 cup water

Method:

Blend everything together in a blender until you reach the desired consistency. Add more water if you need to.
Enjoy with crackers or on a sandwich, or just with bread!

Stay tuned for peach hummus and ice cream hummus in the next few weeks*.

*Of course, I'm kidding. It will be hummus ice cream.


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The South American quinoa salad

Breakfast: A strawberry and almond butter smoothie

Lunch: The Mexicana quinoa salad

Dinner: Leek and potato soup a la Putin with greens and the good bread

There's a lot to be said for just throwing leftover things together in a bowl and taking it for lunch; in fact, some of my best recipes have started out that way. I'm not exactly the best morning person, and if I do get up, I'm likely to spend my time pouring over the Guardian website than doing what I'm meant to be doing. This results in the aforementioned method of making lunch.

Thankfully, this method throws up some great recipes, like this one. The previous night's spinach and chickpea leftovers got thrown into the tupperware with some leftover quinoa and black beans and whatever sauce was on hand...and BANG! Top lunch!

You'll need:
(Feeds 2)

1/2 cup quinoa
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 avocado, chopped
1 handful spinach
1/2 cup cashews
1/2 cup chickpeas, tinned
3/4 cup black beans, tinned
soy sauce
sweet chili sauce

Method:

Put the quinoa in a pan with 3/4 cup water, bring to the boil then simmer for 15-20 minutes, until cooked
Tear the spinach and place it in a hot frying pan for 2-3 minutes, til just wilted
Drizzle soy sauce on the spinach
When the quinoa has cooled, place all the ingredients in a bowl then toss with sweet chili sauce to your taste
Serve!

You don't need to cook chickpeas and black beans from the tin, and I prefer them cold. If you want this as a warm salad, then cook them together in pan for 5 minutes with a little soy.

This feels very decadent, and strangely like a burrito at times, but the combination of beans and the quinoa will leave you feeling satisfied until dinnertime. And of course, consuming quinoa is never a bad thing!

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Putin's Delight: Raw vegan almond butter bars

Breakfast: Blueberry almond butter smoothie and a quinoa apple muffin

Lunch: Quinoa and kasha salad with avocados and vegetables

Dinner: Tahini tofu balls with spinach and cashew salad, followed by Putin's Delight bars

If you're ever on the Facebook page, you'll be aware that Putin and I have been eating vegan (not to be confused with eating vegans, a quite different pastime) for the last two weeks. This has been Putin's first time vegan, and as he was a full on carnivore just 14 days ago, it's been a bit of a journey for him. Though he's done amazingly, he has been clucking for treats like a particularly hungry hen. With this in mind, I created a bar that would hit the spot in a second!

These bars are not just vegan; they're also raw. I can't claim that they're sugar-free, but they are damn delicious!

You'll need:
(Makes 12-16 small bars)

1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
1/2 cup pecans, chopped
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup oats, blended slightly to make them smaller
1/2 cup almonds, ground slightly
1/3 cup canola oil
1/2 cup cocoa
1 cup flax seeds
1 cup flour
1/2 cup 100% almond butter
1/2 cup blueberries
2-4 tbsp water

Method:

Mix the oats, ground almonds, pecans, flax seeds and sugar together in a bowl
Add the oil, vanilla extract and the cocoa, and mix well
Stir in the flour
Press this mixture into an 8x8 inch pan
Crush the blueberries with a spoon, and then mix them into the almond butter
Add the coconut and enough water until this mixture is spreadable
Spread the mixture on top of the base as neatly as possible
Place in the freezer and keep them there, taking them out only to eat!

These were specifically designed to hit the sugar, chocolate and nut butter needs, and they're meant to be eaten in small amounts: this website takes no responsibility for what happens if you scoff the whole tin of these and pass out afterwards. It would probably be quite enjoyable though.

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