This delicious pasta salad is so easy to make and makes such a filling and healthy lunch for the family. This pasta salad can be made from leftovers in the fridge using up all sorts of foodie scraps. I have listed the basic biulding blocks for this recipe and given suggestions for items you could use to make this dish.
Read More
Spicy Bean & Vegetable Curry
This is my fave spicy curry recipe and it’s so quick and easy to make. I love the blend of freshly grated tomatoes, spices and chillies to make the sauce and the fluffy basmati base soaking up all of the delicious flavours. I have made this recipe spicy as I like hot food but you can adjust it to your tastes by adjusting the chilli quantity.
I love to serve my curry up with some fermented foods, pickles, sauces etc. These are great for dipping any additional elements like poppadoms and naan bread in. In this recipe I have used the fermented ‘Tumeric and Black Pepper Kimchi’. It’s the perfect addition to this dish for taste and of course for the numerous health benefits that fermented foods may have.
I hope you enjoy this recipe!
Ingredients
4 tbsp of Coconut Oil
1tsp of mustard seeds
1 tsp of cumin seeds
a pinch of asafetida
6 medium tomatoes grated (or blend in a small blender)
1/2 tsp of tumeric powder
1 tsp of ground coriander
1 tsp of ground cumin
3 fresh sliced hot green chillies (adjust for more or less heat!)
2 finely chopped cloves of garlic
1 tsp of grated fresh ginger
1 tsp of sugar
1 tsp of salt
2 tsp of coconut oil
A selection of sliced fresh vegetables
A tin of beans of choice, kidney beans work really well!
Heat the coconut oil on a medium heat in a large flat pan, I use my large flat cast iron casserole pan. Once the oil has melted add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds and asafetida. When the mustard seeds start popping add in the fresh tomatoes. Stir, then add in the tumeric powder, ground coriander, ground cumin, chillies, garlic, ginger, sugar and salt. Leave simmering on a low heat.
Heat up the coconut oil in another pan and add in the sliced vegetables, beans and cook on a medium heat for 10 minutes. Season and then add into the simmering curry sauce. Cook gently for 20 minutes and serve with freshly cooked basmati rice. I use my pressure cooker settings for fluffy white basmati rice, a rice cooker works well too.
Serve up with pickles, sauces, breads and poppadom. Enjoy!
If you enjoyed this recipe you can add your email below to be kept up to date with the release of future delicious recipes!
Love Angie x
Moroccan Chickpea and Spinach Stew
I love the textures of this Moroccan spiced dish! The silky spinach, chunky butternut squash and chickpeas cooked in a delicious spicy tomato based sauce. It’s absolutely divine and works well with the cous cous and additional peas to soak up the flavours.
Ingredients
8 tomatoes
Olive oil
2 tbsp of coconut oil
2 chopped onions
3 chopped cloves of garlic
1 stick of celery finely chopped
1tsp of tumeric or freshly grated
1tsp of cinnamon
1tsp of chilli
2 handfuls of chopped butternut squash (I used frozen)
8 cubes of frozen spinach
A handful of red lentils
1 tin of chickpeas (400g)
A bunch of coriander
1lt of vegetable stock
2 cups of cous cous
1 cup of peas
Salt & pepper
Start with the tomatoes, cut in half and place on a baking tray. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast on a medium heat for 30mins until soft. Blend into a puree and set aside for the sauce.
Heat the coconut oil in a large pan, I like to use my medium cast iron oven proof pot. Add the onions, garlic and celery and cook on a medium heat for 10 minutes. Add the spices and cook gently stirring through the flavours.
Add the vegetables, lentils, chickpeas, vegetable stock and tomato sauce (made previously). Season with salt and pepper and the coriander and slow cook on a low heat for at least 30mins. I like to finish it off in the oven for 20mins.
Boil 3 cups of water in a separate pan and add the frozen peas, cook for a few minutes. Add in the cous cous, season with salt, take off the heat and add a lid to the pan. Leave for 10mins to finish the cooking process.
Serve the stew over the top of the cous cous and sprinkle with some additional coriander.
Enjoy!
Cheesy Kale & Walnut Pasta
We love pasta in this house and this comforting cheesy dish is a favourite family meal in the colder months. I have used delicious garden fresh kale, runner beans and spelt spinach pasta. Its a comforting but healthy dish!
The recipe can also be made dairy free by using olive oil and dairy free cheese.
You could also use spinach instead of kale and mix up the green vegetables a bit to create a variety of different meals. The walnuts add additional healthy fats and crunch but pine nuts would work well too.
I have used oat cream for the sauce because it is my fave cream but you can also use plain single cream for this recipe too.
I hope you enjoy experimenting with this dish!
Ingredients
2 tbsp of butter or olive oil
2 handfuls of chopped fresh kale
2 cloves of chopped garlic
2 small cartons of Oatly oat cream (about 2 cups) or single dairy cream
Grated cheddar cheese (about 2 handfuls)
Nutmeg (about 1tsp)
S & P
Pasta
Green beans or other green vegetables
Gently heat the butter or oil in a large pan and add the chopped garlic. Stir in the chopped kale and cook lightly for around 5-10 minutes.
Add the pasta to boiling water with the chopped green vegetables, I used runner beans because that’s what was in season at the time but use whatever you fancy here, green beans or broccoli also work well.
Add the oat cream to the sauce and heat gently. Add in the grated cheddar, around two handfuls, but please use more or less if you prefer. It really does depend how cheesy you like it. My kids like a cheesy pasta and if it means they will eat more green vegetables then I am happy with that.
Heat the cheesy creamy sauce until all the cheese has melted. Add the walnuts and season with salt, pepper and the nutmeg.
Drain the pasta and vegetables and add to the cheesy sauce, mix through and serve.
My kids like to add extra Parmesan to the top but I prefer it without. A green salad on the side goes really well too with some cucumber, tomatoes and other salad items.
Enjoy! x
Autumn Fall Home Decor & Haul
I love Autumn it is my absolute favourite season, I love the cooler weather and the beautiful colours that fall brings. I really enjoy spending time with the family at this time of year and there are always so many memorable things to do around the home and outdoors. It is such a special time.
I created this video below to show you how we are enjoying the season at home with decorations and foodie treats (of course!).
Love Angie x
Aug – Family Breakfast Ideas
We are still in August but to be honest it feels more like September with the colder temperatures and rain we have been having. Below you will find my ‘week of breakfasts’ video which I created from our weekly breakfast meal plan.
We decide on 5 breakfasts for Monday to Friday and repeat those throughout the month. This way I find we eat more variety (yes more!) and we are prepared for breakfast in the morning. Meal planning also helps a lot with budgeting and meal planning and has helped us stick within our budget and even save money from it too.
Click the video below to watch our week of breakfasts in August, I hope you find some ideas for your own family:
Monday – Peanut butter bagels with bananas
Tuesday – French toast sticks with berry topping
Wednesday – Granola and yogurt bowls with fresh fruit
Thursday – Omlette with spinach and cheese
Friday – Granola with almond milk and fruit
With Love
Malaysian Prawn Soup
I love this recipe its one of my absolute faves! It is so super easy to make, you can follow the recipe below or click on the video link below to view it in video. The instructions are really simple and easy to follow.
Ingredients
1 medium bowl of small prawns (about 300-400g) Tofu for a vegetarian substitute
4 noodle nests
1 can of coconut milk
1 liter of vegetable stock
2tbsp of coconut oil
small bowl of garnishings (chopped cucumber, spring onions, fresh chilli)
salt & pepper
1tsp of paprika
1tsp of ground cumin
1/2tsp of ground coriander
1/2tsp of tumeric
1tbsp of lemongrass puree
1 small piece of ginger
5 peeled shallots
5 cloves of garlic
5 fresh chillies of choice
1 red pepper chopped
1 head of broccoli chopped
Blend the chillies, garlic, shallots, ginger lemongrass and all spices in a small blender with a little water. Heat the coconut oil in a non stick pan and add the blended spice mix, brown lightly. Add the stock and vegetables and cook the vegetables on a medium simmer. Add in your prawns or tofu and stir through and cook through for a few minutes.
Add the coconut milk and cook through until dissolved. Serve on top of the cooked noodles and garnish with the chopped cucumber, spring onions and chillies.
Slow Cooker Weekly Meal Plan
Check out my awesome Autumn weekly meal plan for some nourishing slow cooker family meals! 5 Days of warming meals for a busy week! Pop your ingredients into the slow cooker in the morning and relax knowing that a healthy family meal will be ready by family dinner time.
I love taking advantage of kitchen gadgets to take the pressure off now and again! I would recommend the Morphy Richards Accents Sear and Stew Slow Cooker 6.5L 48705 Brushed Stainless Steel Slowcooker
Pinterest is also worth a search for ideas and I also love the BBC website search facility too.
I hope you find some inspiration here in this video for your family slow cooking experiments!
Enjoy my video below by clicking on the play button, if you have any questions or need any help drop me a line in the comments below. What are your favourite slow cooker recipes I would love to know 🙂
Love Angie x
Carrot Cake Overnight Oats
My kids absolutely love a warm breakfast when the weather is getting colder and it doesn’t really take that much longer to prepare, especially if you soak and prepare all the ingredients overnight! I love to serve mine with a nutritious super-foods smoothie packed with greens or berries! 😉
We’ve been lucky to have a sunny spell the last few days but its been a bit cold and wet the last few weeks and its definitely felt like Autumn was well on her way! I welcome with open arms of course because I absolutely love Autumn and everything that comes along with this beautiful season! 🙂
Try this recipe and variations for a warming breakfast that will fill you right up until lunchtime.
Ingredients
1 cup of Porridge Oats
1 Cup of Quinoa Flakes
1 tbsp of Cinnamon (or quantity to taste)
1 Tbsp of Mixed Seeds
1 Finely Grated Carrot
Handful of Raisins (optional)
Chopped Walnuts (optional)
Almond Milk to cover and more to cook
I added all of the ingredients to a large bowl or other container, pour in enough milk to cover the mixture and stir.
Leave the mixture in a bowl in the fridge overnight and pop in a pan in the morning, add in some further milk or water to cook through and serve with maple syrup or honey and some additional chopped fruit if you desire.
I’ve added in a link to some quinoa flakes from Amazon if you can’t find them in your local shops. They can be tricky to find at times.
If you liked this recipe check out my Natural Living YouTube Channel where I share a variety of holistic health and living ideas, recipes, beauty, garden, home, family etc.
Enjoy!
Angie xx
Broad Bean Soup
Just what I needed today after a cold walk with the dogs and collecting leaves with my son for some leaf identification work we were doing. Such a warming recipe, I served it up with a little drizzle of hemp oil but you could also use olive oil and perhaps some croutons. mmmm!
Ingredients
3-4 cups of broad beans (frozen or fresh)
1 leek (chopped)
1 onion (chopped)
3 cloves of garlic (chopped)
1-2 red chillies (chopped)
2 tsp of cumin
1 tsp of tumeric
1 tsp of paprika
oat cream, or other dairy free cream ( a dash during blending, optional)
Add all the ingredients apart from the optional cream to the soup pot along with the stock cube and water to just over the vegetables. Cook for 40-50 mins or until vegetables are tender and blend in the blender (be very careful when blending hot liquids, make sure the blender has the lid on securely) add in the cream of choice if you like to your desired consistency. Serve with warm wholemeal bread or perhaps a toasted sandwich.
Any questions pop them in the comments below.
Love Angie
If you enjoyed this recipe pop over to my youtube channel for more recipes, holistic health tips, my family life, and my weight loss vlogging! Thank you! Angie x