Servings 1

Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients 

• ½ cup raw cashews, (soaked overnight, check notes)
• ¼ cup filtered water
• 1 tablespoons white distilled vinegar
• 3 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tablespoon date paste (substitute with maple syrup)
• 2 tablespoons raw diced red onion
• ½ teaspoon fine salt
• 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
• 2 tablespoon poppy seeds (soaked with cashews)
• 1/4 tsp salt

Method

Add all the ingredients in a high speed blender. Make a smooth paste and give a taste. Adjust the taste. Refrigerate the dressing and enjoy later.

Tip

This dressing stays fresh in the refrigerator for 5 days. This dressing is simple, quick to make.

Ingredients

•  
•  
• 3 cups of mixed veggies chopped (Mushrooms, yellow peppers, broccoli florets, green beans, carrots)
• 2 tbsp tamari ( low soy sauce)
• 2 tbsp. rice wine vinegar
• 2 tsp ground garlic or 2 fresh minced garlic
• ¼ tsp chili pepper flakes
• 1 tsp arrowroot powder
• 2 tbsp plain water
• ½ tsp unrefined salt

Method

• In a bowl, mix the sauce ingredients.
• Heat a wide pan or wok over medium heat. Stir in the veggies ( hard ones first and soft ones after 3 minutes)
• Stir the veggies until they get partially cooked. This may take about 7 minutes or so.
• Now pour over the sauce mix. Stir the veggies until well coated. Simmer for another 2 minutes.
• Garnish with sesame seeds & serve hot. As a side dish or a comforting main with some brown rice on the side.

Tip

I also added some baked tofu for added crunch, and wholesomeness.

Serves: 4 persons

Time:  20-25 mins

Ingredients

½ cup oat flour (blended oats at home until smooth) 

½ cup celery finely chopped 

½ cup yellow pepper diced

½ cup carrot diced 

1 cup broccoli florets (small size)

1 bug clove of garlic finely diced 

1 red small onion finely diced 

⅓ cup orzo pasta ( specially good for picky kids because they like pasta) optional to use 

1 tsp ground black pepper 

salt to taste

For the Garnish

2 tbsp of fresh coriander, finely chopped 

2 tbsp fresh parsley finely, chopped

Method

• Make your oat flour by blending the rolled oats in a coffee grinder or any high speed blender until smooth. Keep aside. 
• In a deep pot,sprinkle some water and let it sizzle. Now add the garlic and onions. Stir until translucent. 
• Now add all the remaining veggies. Stir for ⅔ minutes. 
• Now add the oat flour and stir until well combined. Stir for 5 min to help the flour to roast a bit. Now  add the pepper and salt. 
• Now add veggie broth or plain water and stir. Now add the orzo and cook for 5/7 minutes or until the rose looks done. 
• Turn the heat off. Stir one last time before serving garnish with fresh herbs. 

Tips:

Add hot sauce or soya sauce if you find it too bland. But for me it’s best as is.

Yield:

4 large heart shaped tarts

Time:

25 min plus resting time 30 + 15 min

Ingredients

For the crust
1 cup almond meal
¼ cup desiccated coconut
1 tbsp peanut butter (no sugar, no salt, no emulsifiers)
½ tsp rose water
4 pitted medjool dates (or use regular 7 dates)

For the cashew cream

½ cup soaked raw cashew (soak cashews overnight)
½ cup coconut cream (check notes)
¼ cup pure organic maple syrup (check notes)
5-6 blueberries
3 ripe strawberries (leaves removed)

For the Garnish

Fresh pomegranate

Blueberries

Desiccated coconut

Method

• First in a food processor, add all the crust ingredients and blend until crumbly and moist in texture. The flour and coconut will release its natural fat and will make the mixture moist.
• If you are using a blender, repeat the process same as above but in small intervals. So your mixer does not get overheated.
• Transfer the mixture to a bowl and keep aside.
• Now get your silicone mould out. I used a heart shape. You can use any shape you want but should be silicon. Take enough to fill the base of the mould and spread the mixture at the base evenly by pressing down with your fingers. Make a sort of dent in the middle and the sides a bit higher. Continue the same process with the other moulds.
• Place the moulds in the freezer to get hard. This may take 30 minutes.
• While the moulds are in the freezer, you can make the cream for the tarts.
• In a high speed blender, I used a NutriBullet. Add all the ingredients of the cashew cream except the berries. Blend until very smooth. I recommend stopping the blender and stirring in between to get a smooth consistency.
• Now divide the cashew cream into 2 equal portions. Now add to one portion the strawberries and to the other blueberries. Blend again until the berries get nicely incorporated in the cashew mix. I like to keep some bits visible but it’s totally up to you.
• Fort plating, bring out the moulds from the freezer. Gently tap the back of the mould to release the crust from the surface of the mould. Place the moulds gently on a serving platter.
• Scoop the strawberry cashew cream on 2 moulds and the blueberry cashew cream on the other 2 moulds.
• Garnish with more berries and desiccated coconut. Place in the fridge for another 15 minutes or enjoy right away

Notes:

For coconut cream

Chill canned full fat coconut milk in the refrigerator overnight. This will make the milk fat separate and solidify on top. Use a spoon to skim the solidified coconut cream from the top of the can and put it in a glass bowl. Reserve the remaining liquid for another use. (soups, curries, etc)

For the sweetener

If you want to avoid maple syrup, you can substitute maple syrup with ¾ cup of date powder. The taste may vary but it is a more wholesome treat for people avoiding any form of sweetener due to their chronic condition.

For salad 

• 1 cup diced cucumber 
• 1/2 cup red peppers
• 1/2 cup yellow peppers
• 1/2 cup diced celery
• 1/2 cup grated carrots
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced red onions 
• 2 cups any fresh leafy greens on hand ( I used Arugula and chopped kale) 
• 1 cup cooked millets

For The Garnish

• Unsalted & roasted mixed nuts 

Method

1. Whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl and store, covered, in the refrigerator until serving time.
2. Place the greens in the bottom of a serving tray. Add the veggies in parts separately. When time to serve , add the creamy dressing and toss. Garnish with 1/2 cup chopped mixed unsalted & roasted nuts for added crunch.

Bonus Dressing Recipe

Dressing (makes approx 1 cup)

• 1 cups plain yogurt
•  1.5 tbsp lemon juice 
•  4tbsp date paste (home made, check notes) 
•  1/2 tsp toasted cumin powder
•  1/4 tsp coriander powder
•  1/2 tsp fresh grated ginger 
•  Pinch of turmeric powder 
•  1/4 tsp cayenne pepper 

Method

1. Whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl and store, covered, in the refrigerator until serving time.
2. Serve over this healthy millet salad and enjoy as a meal replacer salad. 

Notes: Soak half cup pitted dates in water for 4-5 hours until it plumps up. 

Use 1/4 cup water to blend the dates into a smooth paste like texture. Adjust water if need the paste to be thinner. Store in a glass container up to a week. 

Replace sugar in salad dressing with date paste. 

The prepared dressing can be refrigerated in a glass container jar upto 3 days.

Time for cooking: Prep 45 min (approx. including the prep)

Servings:  4 portions 

 

Tomato Chana Pulav (an easy leftover rice makeover)

Ingredients:

Soak black gram beans overnight. Next day in a pressure cooker , give 2 whistles or until soft. You can alternatively boil it too in some water in a pot for about 30 min or so. 

 

Drain the excess water and let the beans sit aside.

 

Heat a wide pan, add the onions , sauté until light down. Now add the carrots and stir for another 5 minutes on low heat.

 

Now go on adding the peppers and ginger. Sprinkle some water if you find the veggies sticking to the pan.

 

After about 2-3 minutes, when the veggies look a little soft , add the spices. Incorporate  the spices and let it sit for 3-4 minutes.

 

Now add the tomato paste and the remaining water. Mix everything well. Now add cherry tomatoes . Give a good stir. Cover and let it cook for 5 min.

 

Meanwhile, in a fry pan, add 8-10 cashews and toast until sprightly brown. Let it cool and then break them into small pieces. Keep aside.

 

Uncover the rice, stir again. Turn the heat off. Squeeze lemon juice. Garnish with coriander leaves and cashews. Serve immediately. 

 

It’s really an easy way to have a protein rich warm meal during the winter weeknights. Get creative with your veggies choice. Any veggies your family likes can be added to this recipe.

 

Would you also try our comforting Rissotto recipe?  Here is the link https://nurtureyourselfnow.com/green-light-risotto/”  Its a surprising way to add greens in your meals. Give a try!

 

Spicy Cauliflower Oil Free Fried Rice

 

• 1 cup cauliflower rice ( homemade or store bought)
• ½ cup edamame (check notes)
• ½ red onion finely chopped
• ½ tbsp tomatoe paste
• 2 chopped shiitake mushroom
• 1/cup red peppers
• ½ cup crumbled form tofu (drained excess water)
• 3 cloves of garlic finely chopped
• 1 green chili (finely chopped)
• 1 lightly packed Cajun spice blend (easy to find in store or online)
• ½ Lemon juice

   

  Method

  Heat a pan and stir in the onion and garlic.
  Sauté for 2-3 minutes on low heat.
  If you find the onions sticking, sprinkle some water and stir.
  Once the onions are light brown, add in the tomato paste.
  Stir and add the tofu and the veggies. Stir them well.
  Use very little amount of water if you find the tomato paste too thick.
  Also add the Cajun spice. Adding just a tiny amount of water now will help incorporate the ingredients well.
  Cook for 5 min on low medium heat. Now add the cauliflower and salt to taste. Stir to combine. Turn the heat off immediately.
  Cover and let it sit for 2min before you serve.
  Garnish with your favourite greens like spring onions or coriander.
  
  An easy, quick recipe for the days when you feel too heavy and want to skip the carbs.
  
  Chef’s Notes: If you don’t have Cajun spice blend, use your fav curry powder or just a few of your own spice blends that you like. Explore! If you can find edamame, replace it with green frozen/fresh peas 

Ingredients

• 2 very ripe bananas mashed
• 1 cup oat flour (made from old fashioned oats)
• 1 cup almond meal
• ⅓ cup soya yoghurt (soya has more protein which helps with the bread/cake texture)
• 2 flax eggs (check notes)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground green cardamom
• ½ tsp dry ground ginger (optional)
• ¾ cup coconut sugar (you can use other sugar but they are more refined form of sugar)
• ¼ cup chopped walnuts
• 1 cup grated carrots (coarse)
• ½ cup dark vegan chocolate chip

 

Time for cooking: 10 min

Servings:  2 servings

 

Alcohol Free Vegan Eggnog 

Ingredients for the Eggnog:

I chose a mix of coconut milk and cashew milk as the base ingredients to thicken and, sort of, approximate the effect that egg would have in Eggnog. 

 

Add this to a blender jug along with spices and soaked dates (you can also use maple syrup instead). Blend until smooth.

 

Pour this out into a pot or saucepan. Gently heat on the stove (low – medium heat) until it just reaches a simmer. Then remove from the heat.

 

Pour it into a jug and put it into the fridge to let it chill completely or serve hot in a mug and garnish with some more cinnamon. 

 

This version, you kids can enjoy too. You sure can add bourbon to make it boozy (that’s up to you)

 

 

 

Would you also try our comforting Risotto recipe?  Here is the link https://nurtureyourselfnow.com/green-light-risotto/”  Its a surprising way to add greens in your meals. Give a try!

 

Time for cooking: Prep 45 min (approx. including the prep)

Servings:  2-3 portions 

 

Easy Vegan Carrot Halwa

Ingredients:

On a dry pan, toast the nuts until aromatic. Chop them into small pieces and keep it aside for garnish. Also in a small bowl, add 1 tbsp of plant milk or plain water. Add a few strands of saffron and let it sit for 10 minutes. 

 

Place a wide pan on the stove top with EVOO. Now add the grated carrots and saute for ¾ minutes. 

 

While that is cooking, add the cashews, medjool dates and water and blend into a thick and smooth milk. 

 

Now add the cashew milk to the carrots and stir well. Keep stirring until most of the milk gets thick or evaporates. Make sure you keep stirring the carrot mix to prevent the milk from burning. This may take about 10 minutes (depending how thick you want the halwa to be)

 

Add coconut sugar, mix well. Cook again for 8-10 minutes so the carrots are still moist but not too too runny. Most of the excess liquid will evaporate. Once you see a desired consistency, add the cardamom and mix one last time.

 

Serve hot (I like it this way) or store for later. Many people also prefer it cold. Before serving, garnish with nuts and a few strands of saffron and few drops of the saffron milk for the vibrant color. 

 

Notes:

• Grate carrots using a coarse side of the grater. Else the carrots will get too mushy.
• You can also make the milk by replacing cashews to almonds. 

Nutrition Facts:

Carrots provide more antioxidants when boiled or steamed than when eaten raw, according to a January 2008 report in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

In this recipe we have used low heat and less cook time in order to preserve the nutrients.

Traditional halwa is cooked over hours which may be tasty but has no nutrients left for the body. 

 

 

Would you also try our comforting Rissotto recipe?  Here is the link https://nurtureyourselfnow.com/green-light-risotto/”  Its a surprising way to add greens in your meals. Give a try!

 

Time for cooking: Prep 10 minutes , cooking 25 min (approx.)

Servings:  1.5 cups 

How long can it stay? Stays fresh in the fridge for up to 4-5 days

 

Plant Based Healthy Tangy Muhammara Dip

Ingredients:

Preheat the oven to 450 deg F or 225 deg C. 

 

Place the peppers side cut facing down on a baking tray lined with  parchment or silicone sheet and roast for 25 minutes. It may start to look juicy and slightly charred on the skin. It should be ready to take it out. 

 

Place the peppers in  a bowl and immediately cover with a lid or plate. This will help the skin to soften so it’s easier to remove.

 

Once cool, remove the skin, core and seeds if any. Set aside.

 

To the base of a food processor, add in the peppers, nuts, seasonings and the liquids. Blitz into a chunky spread or a smooth hummus. It depends how you like it. Taste and adjust as needed. I like to add a bit more chilli flakes after dividing and keeping some for my children. 

 

This stays well in a glass container or a glass tupper ware for up to 5 days. You can use this on a wrap, on sandwiches, or enjoy it with some wholesome crackers of choice. 

 

Nutrition Facts:

Did you know that it’s best to eat red peppers raw – the heat in the cooking process depletes the vitamin C content. But red peppers contains other nutrients like vita A, B6,  folate, magnesium, potassium, beta-carotene  and more.

Each half cup of raw red pepper provides you with 47 percent of your daily recommended intake of vitamin A and 159 percent of your vitamin C.

 

Do you like Tofu? Then also try our delicious “High Protein breakfast- Tofu Scramble”. Its quick and easy to makePreps

 

Time for cooking: 20 minutes 

Servings:  4 people 

 

Creamy Broccoli Soup

Ingredients:

Heat 1/4 cup of water in a large pot over a medium heat. Add the onions, Garrick, turmeric, celery and cook for 5 min. The water will help not burn the veggies.

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Add the approx 300ml of water, reserve the remaining for later. Add in the cannelloni beans, half of the broccoli florets, drained cashews, paprika & black pepper. Stir well. Cover the pot and let it simmer over medium heat for another 4 minutes. 

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To a high speed blender, add the mix from the pot and blend until smooth. 

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Once blended, pour back the soup into the same pot, add the remaining broccoli and the reserved broth/water. 

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Let the soup simmer for 5 minutes. Give a taste. Adjust the seasoning. Turn the heat off, add juice of half a lemon. 

Notes 

If you don’t have miso paste, you can add salt to taste at the end. 

Nutrition Facts:

Did you know that miso is a part of wholefood plant based lifestyle and although its high in sodium, it is able to decrease blood pressure and sympathetic activity via the inhibition of ACE activity.

 

Try another delicious soy based recipe “High Protein breakfast- Tofu Scramble”. Its quick and easy to make.ml

 

Time for cooking: 10 minutes 

Servings:  1 cup 

How long can it stay? Stay fresh in the fridge for up to 15-18 days. Freezer up to 1 month. 

 

Oil Free Thai Green Curry Paste

Ingredients:

On a dry pan, add the whole cumin and coriander spices and roast it for 5 min. make sure it’s not brown, just aromatic. Keep it aside to cool. In a blender or a mortar, crush the spices well.

Prepare other ingredients for the Thai paste like wash ginger, galangal and chop them into small bits.

The lemon stalks, remove the green part and take only the white part, remove the outer skin and chop them small too.

Take out lime juice and keep aside.

Wash the lemon grass and basil. Place all the ingredients into a high speed blender along with water. Blend everything well until smooth.

Store the paste in a clean, glass jar or freeze the paste into an ice cube tray for later use. You can use this paste in soups, Thai Curry noodles soup or Tofu Thai curry.

Notes 

If you don’t have the red chilies then use any fresh chilies that you have. Of course the color may differ of the paste based on the chili color. 

 

Nutrition Facts:

Did you know the shop bought curry paste may contain fish sauce and hence may not be vegan. So check the ingredients label.

 

 

Do you like Tofu? Then also try our delicious “High Protein breakfast- Tofu Scramble”. Its quick and easy to make

 

Who doesn’t love a warm ,fresh risotto on a cold winter night? For that matter, any warm rice dish is comforting isn’t it?

Time for cooking: 25 minutes cook time, 15 minutes prep time

Servings:  4 people

 

Green Light Risotto

Ingredients:

Now add the washed rice. ( I always prefer washing rice for making any dish)
Stir for 2 minutes with the onions. Now add the green peas and stir. Slowly add the vegetable broth approx. 1cup at a time.

Let the risotto cook for 5 min on medium heat before adding more broth. Continue this process until the last 1 cup of broth is remaining.

After the risotto is more than partially cooked. ( check by tasting it)
Now add the basil-spinach pesto  and the remaining broth at once. Stir to combine. 

Finally add the edamame, ACV and stir well. Let the rice come to a soft boil approx. 4-5 minutes. Turn the heat off. 

Serve warm in a bowl. Add a teaspoon of cashew paste (recipe below) and sprinkle vegan parmesan &pine nuts on top(recipe below)

Enjoy! 

Cashew Paste: 

1 cup raw cashews (soaked 4-6 hours)

1/2 cup water

Method- Blend the two ingredients well until smooth. add more water if the consistency you desire is not achieved. for this recipe, the consistency is pretty thick. 

Vegan Parmesan

10 hazelnuts

4 brazil nuts

2 tbsp nutritional yeast (B12 fortified)

Method- Dry roast the nuts on a dry pan for 2/3 minute. Make sure not to brown them. Let it cool completely. Blend the nuts until powder like.

Add nutritional yeast and mix well. store in a glass container for use. 

Notes:

Use home made veggies broth if possible else buy a packaged one which has low sodium and contains only recognizable ingredients. 

If you are allergic to nuts, skip the vegan parmesan and the cashew paste. you can instead drizzle some EVOO for added fat and flavor. Still delicious!

Nutrition Facts:

Did you know that not all Nutritional Yeast are naturally  rich in Vit B12? Always look for the label and brand that is fortified with B12. 

 

 

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