Tag Archives: healthy

Peppermint & Goji Bliss Balls | Raw, Vegan

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Delicious bite-sized sweet treats, with a hint of peppermint, packed full of fibre, antioxidants, calcium, essential amino acids and a source of vitamins and minerals.Raw & Vegan Peppermint & Goji Bliss Balls | The Tofu DiariesThere are just so many good things to say about bliss balls. There is the endless possibility for creating different combinations and flavours. They don’t require any baking or lengthy prep and are ready to eat right away. They keep well in the fridge for around a week (if you can restrain yourself, that is). Most of all, they satisfy any sweet craving whilst being full of nutritious ingredients. They do contain naturally occurring sugars but as far as sweet treats go, I’d say they are pretty guilt-free.Raw & Vegan Peppermint & Goji Bliss Balls | The Tofu DiariesAm I bit late the party only just creating my first ‘bliss balls’ recipe? Well, maybe. They’ve been on my radar as something I wanted to try out and experiment with creating my own flavours but it’s only recently, after moving out of a shared house and into somewhere I can have nice kitchen things and have the space for them, that I’ve invested in a good blender/food processor.Raw & Vegan Peppermint & Goji Bliss Balls | The Tofu DiariesI’ve had some amazing similar treats in restaurants and in pre-made raw bars, but this was my first time of making raw bliss balls. To get started I actually made a few different varieties, including some delicious lemon-flavoured ones and a batch minus the coconut so Pete could get involved (since he isn’t a coconut fan). The peppermint ones however were the stand out of the bunch and the ones I wanted to share.

Most ingredients in the recipe can be mixed up and changed to your taste though – the tahini can be switched for a nut butter, nuts can be used in place of seeds, cocoa powder instead of coconut and so on.Raw & Vegan Peppermint & Goji Bliss Balls | The Tofu DiariesMakes around 6 balls

Ingredients:

20(ish) dates, roughly chopped

2tbsp mixed seeds

1tbsp dried goji berries

1tbsp tahini

1/4tsp natural peppermint flavouring/essence (I used flavoured stevia liquid)

Desiccated coconut, for coating

Method:

1. Add all of the ingredients (bar the coconut) to a food processor. Blend until it has broken down into a sticky, fine mixture. If your processor isn’t too powerful, give the seeds a quick whizz before adding the other ingredients.

2. Remove the blade from the food processor. Using your hands, bring the mixture together and roll into small palm-sized balls.

3. Cover the bottom of a plate or wide dish with the coconut and roll the balls in it until they are full coated. Enjoy!Raw & Vegan Peppermint & Goji Bliss Balls | The Tofu DiariesHave you made bliss balls before? What is your favourite flavour concoction?

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Creamy Vegan Lemon & Basil Pasta with Peppery Butternut Squash + Introducing Oatly

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A creamy yet light pasta dish with flavours of fresh lemon and basil. Spinach and mange tout are flashed with heat to keep their natural crunch, whilst the butternut squash is roasted to perfection in olive oil and plentiful black pepper.Creamy vegan lemon & basil pasta | @TheTofuDiariesThere are times when you crave something creamy and rich but don’t want that sluggish feeling that more often than not accompanies such an indulgence. Thankfully this dish fulfills the criteria of being satisfying and filling whilst staying light through using oat milk in place of cream and fresh by adding fresh lemon juice to cut through the richness. The sauce the vegetables are cooked in for this dish doesn’t thicken too much so you could add a little cornflour to achieve a richer sauce if you wanted.Oatly Oat Milk Oatly Oat MilkFor the recipe I used Oatly, a Swedish brand of oat milk that I picked up in my local Waitrose. I love the packaging and their straight-forward approach to talking about what they do and labelling their products. Who knew but the Nordic climate is perfect for growing oats as are the farming practices common in Sweden, which you can read more about on their website here. Already low in pesticides and heavy metals, Oatly is also available in an organic variety and in a chocolate-flavoured variety, as well as both fresh and long-life varieties. Unfortunately the chocolate Oatly isn’t stocked anywhere near me but I’ll be keeping an eye open for it.Creamy vegan lemon & basil pasta | @TheTofuDiaries Creamy vegan lemon & basil pasta | @TheTofuDiariesServes 4.

Ingredients:

250g wholewheat fusilli or pasta of your choice

1 butternut squash, cut into small cubes

2 shallots or 1 white onion, finely chopped

175g mange tout, ends trimmed

125g baby spinach leaves

250ml oat milk (or milk of your choice)

4tbsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic, crushed

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Handful of fresh basil

1 tbsp pine nuts

2tsp freshly ground black pepper

Pinch of sea salt

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 200C / gas mark 6. Add 3tbsp of the oil to a roasting dish, heat in the oven for a few minutes then add the cubes of butternut squash and black pepper. Mix well and return to the oven. Roast for around twenty minutes, until the cubes are tender and golden brown.

2. In the meantime, bring a large pan of water to the boil. Once boiling, add the pasta and sea salt. Stir once. Cook until al dente (time according to pasta instructions).

3. In a large frying pan, heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil over a medium heat. Add the shallots or onion. Once they have softened, add the garlic and mange tout. Cook for a further three minutes.

4. Turn the heat up slightly and slowly add the oat milk, stirring constantly. Simmer for a couple of minutes before adding the spinach leaves. Once the leaves have wilted, add in the fresh basil and lemon juice. Stir and serve on top of the pasta with a sprinkling of pine nuts.Creamy vegan lemon & basil pasta | @TheTofuDiariesWhat is your favourite plant-based milk for cooking with?

Baked Linseed-Batter Mushrooms with Spicy Korean Dip | Vegan

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Whole mushrooms coated in a golden linseed batter, baked to perfection and served on a bed of fresh pea shoots and thinly sliced radish. A thick, tangy Korean-inspired dressing brings a spicy punch to round off the dish.Linseed Mushrooms 02This was a lovely light dinner that I had recently. Baking the mushrooms with no added oil turned it into a tempting but guilt-free option!

In this recipe, I actually used milled linseed mixed with goji berries, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds – a bag that I picked up the bag in my local Lidl. You could use plain milled linseed or a linseed mix depending on your preference or what you have in stock.Linseed Mushrooms 01The Korean red pepper paste, gochujang, can be picked up in any East Asian food store. Alternatively, you can substitute with a chili sauce but the flavour will be quite different. This recipe uses a whole tablespoon mixed in with the soy sauce and lemon juice; for a less spicy version reduce the ratio of pepper paste to soy/lemon mix.Linseed Mushrooms 03Ingredients:

250g mushrooms, cleaned, whole (cut larger ones in half)

45g pea shoots

200g radish, top & tailed, thinly sliced

For the batter:

100g gram (chickpea) flour

100ml milk of your choice (I used soy)

2tbsp milled linseed

Pinch of pepper/salt if desired

For the dressing:

1tbsp soy sauce

1tbsp gochujang (Korean red pepper paste)

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180c / gas mark 6. Put the gram flour in a bowl. Slowly add the milk, mixing well as you do so. Add in the linseed, mix until the batter is smooth.

2. Dip each mushroom into the batter, ensuring it is fully coated. Place each onto a well-greased baking tray or baking parchment.

3. Place in the oven and bake for around 15 minutes or until the batter has turned golden brown and cooked through completely.

4. In the meantime, prepare the salad by slicing the radish and adding to the pea shoots. In a small dish, mix the dressing ingredients together, stirring until they have formed a smooth paste.

5. Serve the battered mushrooms on a bed of salad. The dip can either be drizzled on top or served on the side.Linseed Mushrooms 04Linseed Mushrooms 05What have you been cooking recently?

Superfood Snacking – Punku Quinoa Cookies

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As far as superfoods go, quinoa seems to pretty much have it all: a complete protein full of minerals and amino acids. It is low in fat, cholesterol-free, high in fibre and a good source of iron. Not only that but it is also incredibly versatile. There are a lot of recipes out there that demonstrate the creative ways it is being used, such as in baking or pizza bases (that probably deserves a whole post of its own).

I love cooking with quinoa and have featured a few of recipes on this blog such as my Spiced  Quinoa Medallions and Curly Kale Quinoa. I’ve yet to try making anything more adventurous using quinoa though, so I was excited when I recently heard about Punku’s quinoa cookies and was offered the opportunity to try them out.Punku Cookies 01Punku Cookies 02

Punku offer two varieties of cookie, orange & mango and chocolate chips, with an orange & cranberry variety on its way. Made from organic Royal Quinoa, their vegan cookies are wheat, gluten, dairy and egg-free. Deliciously crunchy, I found the cookies to be that ideal balance between satisfying my sweet cravings whilst not actually being particularly sweet in taste.

The fruity flavours of the orange & mango variety hit you immediately with a mellow nuttiness that rounds it off beautifully. The chocolate chip ones are more subtle, with just a hint of cocoa, but have a moreish quality about them.Punku Cookies 03

Each cookie comes individually wrapped in a box of twelve. This makes them really convenient for popping your bag as a snack and removes some of the temptation to scoff a whole box (as I might have done had they not been individually wrapped). I’ve been taking one of each flavour to work everyday; one to accompany my morning coffee and one to go with my afternoon coffee. That’s the theory anyway, they haven’t always made it past lunchtime. The boxes clock in at £4.99 each. The packaging is very simple and clean-looking, although I would love to see them reflect their Bolivian roots a little more.Punku Cookies 04

Punku Cookies 05The word ‘Punku’ comes from Aymara, the language native to some parts of The Andes, meaning ‘door.’ A perfect metaphor since Patricia Estivariz, Punku’s founder who grew up in Bolivia, aims to open doors both here in the UK and in Bolivia; by bringing high quality, healthy, and natural foods from Bolivia to the UK and by creating education and health programmes for their employees in Bolivia.

The impact of quinoa’s rapidly growing popularity in Western countries has pushed prices up and made growing quinoa a more attractive trade. As more families in Bolivia become dependent upon quinoa crops, it is even more important that companies behave in socially responsible ways so it really is wonderful to hear about the positive impact Punku are striving to create.

To find out more about Punku, visit their website.

Have you ever tried any unusual quinoa foods or recipes? Share below!

Green Peanut Butter Smoothie | Vegan

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Cleansing and refreshing, this smoothie is a perfect breakfast accompaniment or morning snack. Almond milk and peanut butter make it deliciously satisfying, whilst wheat grass, green tea, maca and more give your body the boost it needs.

Health supplements or anything like that haven’t really been anything I’ve gone in for before but I’ve been finding lately that my body has been feeling a bit sluggish and kind of full. A lot of this is likely down to spending a large portion of the day sat at my desk in a poorly ventilated office. It’s not so pleasant.

Getting out and about enjoying the spring weather (look out for plenty of Yorkshire-oriented posts coming up!) certainly helps but I’ve felt like I needed something a bit more. There seems to have been a lot of amazing-looking green smoothie recipes popping up in my WordPress feed recently, which is more than enough to convince me to give a green superfood supplement a go.

This peanut butter smoothie is my first go at branching out from simply mixing it with almond milk (also delicious!) but here are some more adventurous options on my to-try wishlist:

It’s hard to believe the third one isn’t a dessert… I feel like it could be!

The powder I have used contains a mix of various superfoods but you could substitute with any green mix of your choice or just one superfood powder. The ingredients each boast their own health benefits:

  • Wheat Grass  – cleansing, increases energy levels
  • Green Tea Leaf – full of antioxidants
  • Ashwagandha – promotes wellness, calming effects
  • Hulled Hemp Seeds – improves digestion, reduces cravings for sugar and junk food, source of essential fats
  • Flaxseed – source of fibre, lowers cholesterol levels
  • Chia Seeds – controls hunger levels, high in fibre, rich in omega
  • Maca Root – balances and improves mood, aids in healthy skin, increases energy levels
  • Spirulina – increases energy levels, High in B-12, aids in healthy skin.

Now onto the recipe… you could easily whip this up in a blender in a few seconds. However, if you don’t really fancy giving yourself that sort of washing up in the morning try the method below.

Green Peanut Butter SmoothieIngredients per smoothie:

10g green superfood powder

1tbsp no-added sugar peanut butter (I used Whole Earth)

250ml almond milk

  1. 1. Add the peanut butter, green powder and a small splash of the milk to a large glass
  2. Using a fork, mix together to form a smooth paste
  3. Add the remaining milk, mixing well as you pour it in
  4. Enjoy!

Have you made green smoothies before? Do you think they have noticeable health benefits? Share your recipes below!