Side dishes

Air Fryer Vegan Samosas

Air Fryer Vegan Samosas Delicious crispy vegan samosas made healthier by cooking in an air fryer with less oil.  I love samosas, but they can be a bit heavy and greasy so I usually stay away from them. However these homemade air fryer samosas are so light, yet still taste delicious! The whole recipe only calls for 2 tablespoons of oil so they're much lighter and still as crispy as the ones you get from a takeaway.  It's not easy getting hold of vegan or dairy-free samosas, especially around where I live. So I haven't had a samosa in years and I really missed them. This was my first ever attempt at making samosas. I was under the impression that making your own homemade [...]

Herby Lemon Turmeric Cornish New Potatoes

Herby Lemon Turmeric Cornish New Potatoes *This post is sponsored by Seasonal Spuds* Delicious, zingy and herby potatoes that are packed with flavour and perfect as a summer side dish.  It finally feels like summer is here (hurrah!), so I'm craving all the light and summary flavours. When I was trying to think of a good flavour combination to go with a potato dish, my mind instantly went to turmeric. The lovely bright colour that screams summer, the mild taste and the added anti-inflammatory benefit seemed like the perfect option. I also love turmeric because although it's a spice, it's not "spicy", if that makes sense. It's a great ingredient to add to dishes to jazz them up for those [...]

Puy Lentil Tabouleh Salad

Puy Lentil Tabouleh Salad Here's a delicious, quick and easy meal idea for lunch, dinner or as a side. This puy Lentil tabbouleh salad is quick to put together and an easy way to get more veg and fibre into your daily diet.  I grew up in the Middle East so it's no surprise that Middle Eastern cuisine is my favourite. It can be really healthy as well. It is usually really heavy in red meat, oil/fat and simple carbs, mainly white rice and white bread. However, it can easily be made much healthier by swapping out the red meat with better protein options (tofu, beans/pulses, chicken), substituting the simple carbs with wholegrains (quinoa, brown rice, wholemeal flour) and using (much) less oil. Parsley is [...]

Mexican Bean and Sweet Potato Hash

Mexican Bean and Sweet Potato Hash On the menu for this weekend is this Mexican bean and sweet potato hash. A healthy, filling and packed with flavour breakfast/brunch for the whole family to enjoy! I usually go for sweet breakfasts, but on the weekend I crave something savoury. The hubby is more of a savoury person in general and prefers savoury breakfasts, s0 on weekend mornings he takes over the kitchen. It makes a really nice change having something savoury and for me it signals the start of the weekend. I now associate weekends with a savoury brunch. It's also nice because it means I can sit back and let the hubby take over. We take our time and chit chat while he prepares [...]

Middle Eastern Tenderstem® Salad

Middle Eastern Tenderstem® Salad So many of us struggle to get in our recommended five-a-day servings of fruit and vegetables. I think mainly the problem is we don't always know how to fit it in and how to make them exciting, especially vegetables. To make sure I get my five-a-day in, I always make sure I have some form of greens on the side of my main dish. Whether that be salad, sauteed spinach, kale or colourful steamed, boiled or roasted veggies.   There is no question that fruit and vegetables are an essential part of our diets, essential being a key word here as they're so important for our health and wellbeing. However, it can seem a chore finding fun and exciting [...]

Loaded Mexican Sweet Potato Fries with a Vegan Cheese Sauce

Loaded Mexican Sweet Potato Fries with a Vegan Cheese Sauce You can't beat beans and sweet potato when you're craving a good hearty evening meal. That combination goes so well together. And what's the best way to season that perfect duo? With Mexican flavours of course! Basic paprika sweet potato fries topped with spicy and zesty black beans all served with a side vegan cheese sauce to make it extra comforting and delish. Fully plant-based and packed with nutrients!  The best thing about these loaded Mexican sweet potato fries with vegan cheese sauce is the leftovers make the most delicious next day lunch. Pack it in tupperware and you have a yummy and flavoursome portable lunch to take with you to work, school or wherever it [...]

Beet-a-ganoush Dip Recipe

Beet-a-ganoush Dip Recipe If you've been reading my blog for a while you'll know of my never ending love for Hummus. What you may not know is I'm also a huge baba ganoush fan. What can I say, I was brought up in the Middle East and both dips were a big part of my diet and so have a very special place in my heart! Luckily as well as being delicious they also happen to be super healthy, high in fibre, nutrients and good fats! I don't eat baba ganoush as much as I would like to since it's slightly more time consuming when compared to hummus (which I literally eat on the daily!), and when I do make it, it's [...]

Vegan Tofu ‘Chicken’ Nuggets

Vegan Tofu 'Chicken' Nuggets I was only exposed to chicken nuggets when I moved to the UK and as you can imagine, I absolutely fell in love with them! Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside and full of flavour. You can easily understand why every kid in the country is obsessed with them!  As delicious as they are, chicken nuggets aren't exactly known for their nutrition content. Unless homemade, they're heavily processed with lots of other unwanted added ingredients. Not only is my version lower in fat, it's also high in iron, calcium, magnesium, selenium, zinc and omega-3, all of which can be lacking in a not so well planned plant-based diet. Tofu is an amazing source of many micro nutrients and is [...]

Vegan Black Bean Nachos

Vegan Spicy Black Bean Nachos Since it's Friday today and apparently National Tortilla Chip Day, I just had to make a recipe using tortilla chips. Obviously it's not the healthiest thing in the world but it's ok to have every now and then as a treat. I've made it healthier by adding beans (for fibre and slow energy release), avocado (for an amazing source of fats), tomatoes, onions, and vegan cheese which you can leave out or use any kind of cheese you prefer.  Whenever I see nachos on a menu, I'm always so tempted by it. Especially if it's loaded with other delicious ingredients like avocado, tomatoes and jalapenos! But they're always smothered in cheese making them extra delicious of [...]

5 Ways to Use Tahini – Tahini Coleslaw

Do you have a jar of tahini in your cupboard that you bought to make homemade hummus but you're left with a jar that's still 3/4 way full and have no idea what to do with it? I'm here to tell you that you can do so much more with tahini than just as an addition to hummus.

Go to Top