Suma Bloggers Network-Mediterranean Pate

Well, it's been a while! It's been over two months since I last posted a recipe! I can't actually believe were in June already! I have been so busy this year I never seem to sit down, I've taken on the second half of my allotment which hadn't been used for years, and I mean years. It was full of couch grass and wild raspberries and so many brambles, its taken an age just to clear half of it but it is now done and potatoes are working the soil as we speak. As well as taking on a much larger plot (double in size) I have also gone back to college to become a qualified aromatherapist and boy did I not realise how much work was involved before I started! Don't get me wrong I'm enjoying it immensely but with working full time, taking on a larger allotment and going back to college something had to give. Unfortunately that was my blog! I'm still creating recipes (a girls gotta eat - right) but I just don't have the time to photograph, weigh all the ingredients and write a blog post - sorry. I'm hoping that over the next couple of months as I complete my case studies, write the last 4 assignments and do my final exam I will be able to get back into blogging and sharing my recipes with you. I'll also share some of my aromatherapy blends with you too. 

Anyway on with the recipe. One thing I will find time for is Suma Wholefoods I love being part of their Suma Bloggers Network. There is a network of 11 bloggers currently and every other month we receive a selection of complimentary products to create a recipe and share on our blogs. To carry on the theme of my last few posts and the International Year of Pulses (IYP) the recipe I'm sharing with you today is made with chickpeas. I find chickpeas extremely versatile and there is never a day you won't find either a tin of chickpeas, a bag of dried chickpeas in my cupboard. They are great to use for a last minute meal whether that is houmous or used in curries, chillies and stews. This recipe uses them as a base to the pate and adds flavours of the Mediterranean.

Ingredients 

1 Tin Suma Organic Chickpeas, rinsed
3 Tsp Suma Organic Vegan Pesto (heaped)
3 Suma Organic Sundried Tomatoes in Oil, thinly shredded
10 Green Oilves, cut into quarters
6 Basil leaves, thinly shredded
6 Chilves, thinly sliced
Black Pepper


Method

1) Mash the chickpeas into a large bow with a potato masher or fork

2) Add the pesto and stir through to combine

3) Add the shredded tomatoes and chopped olives and stir to combine

4) Add the basil, chives and black pepper to taste, giving everything one last stir

5) Serve on crusty bread as a pate or sliced bread as a sandwich filler

A perfect pate to take on a picnic, eating outside whilst soaking up the sun and enjoying the taste of the Mediterranean!

To find more pulse recipes, read my International Year of Pulses (IYP) post

Jasmine x

Suma Bloggers Network - Chickpea, Kale and Leek Curry

Carrying on from my earlier post in relation to the International Year of Pulses, I wanted to share another recipe using pulses. I was hoping to share a baking recipe but its not quite perfected yet! Hopefully over the next few days I'll be able to tweak it so I'm happy with the finished result and then share with you as a bonus recipe.

I absolutely love houmous, but I don't use chick peas very often in cooking, this is about to change. With the weather taking a turn for the worse, and getting colder, I wanted something warming and filling. I've been fighting off a lurgie of some sort for nearly 2 months now, and when everyone around me is dropping like flies I've kept going, just. 

I know my last Suma recipe was a type of curry, but when the weather is miserable and I'm feeling low curry is what lifts my mood and warms me from the inside out. I've never made a chick pea curry before, but I'm sold, and I'm sure more chick pea curry recipes will be created. For this recipe I teamed the chick peas up with a couple of ingredients from my allotment, leeks and kale and it was a perfect combination.

Ingredients - Serves 2 hungry people but will stretch to 4 servings

1 Small onion 
1 Red Chilli
1 Thumb sized piece of ginger, peeled
3 Garlic cloves, peeled
1 Tsp (heaped) Garam masala
1 tsp (level) Ground coriander
½ Tsp Ground cumin
½ Tsp Turmeric
1 Tsp and 1 Tbsp Oil of choice
½ Tsp Black mustard seeds
250g Leeks, sliced
1 Tin Chickpeas drained and rinsed
1 Tbsp Soy sauce
100g Kale, shredded
1 Tin Coconut milk
Salt and black pepper to taste

Method

1) Roughly chop the onion, chilli, ginger and garlic and add to a blender.

2) Add the Garam masala, cumin, coriander and turmeric and the 1 Tsp of oil and mix till it forms a coarse paste.

3) Add the other 1 Tbsp oil to a wok and the black mustard seeds. Heat slowly until the mustard seeds start to pop, about 2-3 minutes.

4) Add the curry paste and stir through the mustard seeds, cook over a low heat for a minute.

5) Add the leeks and stir, cook over a low heat for 5 minutes, adding a little water if the leeks or curry paste start to stick.

6) Add the chickpeas and soy sauce and cook for another 2 minutes before adding the coconut milk. If the coconut milk has separated into the liquid and 'cream', stir to make sure all the coconut 'cream' has melted.

7) Add the kale and cook over a low heat for another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

8) Add the salt and pepper to taste

9) Serve over wholegrain rice

Suma Bloggers Network - Adzuki & Beluga Chili

I hope you celebrated New Years Eve in style and thanked 2015 for everything that it gave you or celebrated all that it threw at you which made you stronger? I trust 2016 is already being kind to you, have you made plans how you are going to follow your passions?

I've been busy with my aromatherapy assignments about the cardiovascular and lymphatic systems and the associated pathologies. I must admit I am finding being a student rather demanding but it has been a few years since I was last at University! It is proving very interesting learning about all the horrible pathologies that are out there. Reading about these just strengthens my views about healthy living, in mind, body and spirit.

I have yet another chilli recipe for you today, using the ingredients from Suma. 

I have lots of chilli recipes on this blog and have realised that it is one of my all time favourite dishes. All recipes are a little different and this one is too.

Click on the links below for all the different chilli recipes here:

• Adzuki and Sweetcorn Chilli
• Black Bean and Spinach Chilli
• Chilli Non-Carne
• Hodmedod Bean Chilli
• Winter Wellness Chilli

Adzuki Bean and Beluga Lentil Chilli - 4 Servings

Ingredients
1 Dessert spoon coconut oil 
1 Onion, finely diced
1 Orange/Red pepper, finely diced
4 Garlic cloves, minced
1 Tin Suma organic chopped tomatoes
1 Tbsp Tomato puree
1 Tsp Vegetable bouillon powder
150ml Water
1 Tsp Balsamic vinegar
1 Tin Suma organic beluga lentils
1 Tin Suma organic adzuki beans
4 Tbsp Nutritional Yeast
Spice Blend
2 Tsp Ground cumin
1 Tsp Smoked garlic
1 Tsp Smoked paprika
1 Tsp Chilli powder
1 Tsp Coriander
1 Tsp Cocoa powder
1 Tsp Dried parsley
1 Tsp Crushed chilli flakes
1 Tsp Onion granules
½ Tsp Turmeric
½ Tsp Salt
½ Tsp Black pepper

Method

1) Prepare your spice blend, combine all ingredients in a small bowl.

2) Melt the coconut oil in a large pan over a low heat.

3) Sauté the onion until translucent, about 10 minutes, then add the diced pepper and cook for another 5 minutes.

4) Add the minced garlic and cook for another minute stirring all the time so the garlic doesn't catch.

5) Add the spice blend and keep stirring and cook for 30 seconds.

6)  Mix the vegetable bouillon powder with the water to make your stock.

7) Add the chopped tomatoes to the pan and stir to combine. Add the vegetable stock and cook until bubbling. Turn down the heat and cook for 10 minutes or until the sauce has thickened.

8) Add the tomato purée and balsamic vinegar and give everything a good stir.

9) Drain and wash the beluga lentils and adzuki beans and add to the chilli sauce and  stir to combine. Cook for another 10 minutes until the beans and lentils have warmed through and taken on the flavours of the chilli sauce.

10) Add the nutritional yeast and stir to dissolve into the sauce.

11) Serve in bowls topped with guacamole or on top of cooked quinoa or a mixture of wholegrain rice and wild rice.

Remember to follow your passions and live the life you've always dreamed of!

Jasmine x

Suma Bloggers Network - Lentil Stew

Happy New Year!

Here's hoping that 2016 is THE year! Let it be filled with great health, happiness, love and the year which your dreams come alive. Make this the year to discover your passions and live the life you've always dreamed of. So lets jump on the 'passion living' highway and start our adventures together! I came across a great quote I want to share with you (by unknown); "If what you're doing is not your passion, you have nothing to lose". 

A few more quotes to get you started:

"All our dreams can come true - if we have the courage to pursue them." - Walt Disney

"Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending." - Maria Robinson

"A year from now you will wish you had started today." - Karen Lamb

Some changes that I'll be making to my life are to continue to improve my diet, I have already seen some improvement with removing refined sugar from my diet so onwards and upwards. I'll be experimenting more with healthy ingredients and I will share them with you right here and hope to publish more recipes too! 

I look forward to completing my aromatherapy course and become a qualified aromatherapist, there's a long way to go but I'm passionate about it and will therefore find the time required. I love my essential oils and use them every day so I would love to help others reap their benefits. I might even post a few recipes here, watch this space.....

I had a fantastic first year on my allotment, I can't believe the amount of food I grew, my chest freezer is still full! I'll need to do a lot more experimenting with food to use it all up before my next harvest is ready! I've met some fantastic people down there who have passed on their expertise and provided support when things haven't quite gone to plan. Over the next couple of weeks I'll be planning on where to grow all the seeds I've saved, purchased or swapped. Growing and eating your own food is the best feeling ever and trust me fruit and vegetables taste way better than shop bought produce!

Thank you for all your comments you have left over the last year, it means so much to know people have stopped by and left a comment. I cant wait to read all about your plans for 2016 and hope we can share all the exciting adventures we pursue.

OK, so the first recipe of 2016 is.........

Lentil and Bean Stew also known as Dal Makhini which translates to "buttery lentils". It originates from the Punjab region of India and Pakinstan, where the main ingredients are black lentils, kidney beans, butter and cream. Obviously my version of this fantastic flavoursome dish doesn't use butter or cream and I've replaced the kidney beans with adzuki beans. Why? Well, it is the start of a new year and so many people enter into a detox or weight loss programme and the adzuki bean has beneficial qualities to help you along the way. It is reported to aid weight loss and detoxify the body, so, why wouldn't you?


Ingredients 
50g Sum cashew pieces 
1 Dessert spoon of Suma coconut oil, melted
1 Onion, finely diced
2 Sticks of celery, finely diced
6 Garlic cloves, minced
1 Tin Suma organic chopped tomatoes
1 Tsp Vegetable bouillon powder
200ml Water
1 Bay leaf
2 Cloves
1 Tin Suma organic beluga lentils
1 Tin Suma organic adzuki beans
1 Tbsp Tomato puree
Juice of half a lemon
Spice Mixture
3 Tsp Garam Masala
1 Tsp Chili powder
1 Tsp Turmeric
½ Tsp Ground ginger
¼ Tsp Ground cinamon
¼ Tsp Nutmeg
¼ Tsp Salt
¼ Tsp Black pepper

Method - Serves 4 people
1) Soak the cashew pieces in water.

2) Prepare your spice mix, combine all spices in a small bowl.

3) Melt the coconut in a large pan over a low heat.

4) Sauté the onion and celery in the pan until the onion is just starting to brown.

5) Prepare the liquid mixture for the stew. Drain the cashew pieces in a sieve. To a blender add the tin of tomatoes, drained cashew pieces, vegetable bouillon powder and the 200ml water and blend to a sauce.

6) Add the minced garlic to the onions and celery and sauté for another minute.

7) Add the spice mix to the pan and sauté for 30 seconds while stirring.

8) Add the sauce, bay leaf and cloves to the pan and stir to combine. Cook over a low heat until the mixture is bubbling.

9) Add the beluga lentils and the adzuki beans and cook for another 10 minutes to heat through. The beauty of using tinned pulses is that they are already cooked.

10) Add the lemon juice and cook for another 5 minutes.

11) Serve in bowls with a sprinkling of parsley or serve over a mix of wholegrain and wild rice.

Thanks Suma! As you know every two months I get to choose £20 of Suma products from the 7000+ vegetrian and vegan products they offer and in return I create a recipe using some of the ingredients.

It was a difficult choice to decide what to cook with the ingredients and a close second was a beluga lentil and adzuki chili, which I also made and I will share the recipe soon. 

Wishing you all the very best for a most fabulous year ahead.

Love and peace

Jasmine x

Suma Bloggers Network - Getting Ready For Christmas

Oh my golly, can you believe it we're in the middle of October already, which means that there is less than 10 weeks till Christmas! In fact it's 68 days away, that's all!

As you can imagine I was delighted when my parcel arrived from Suma Wholefoods and I opened it up to find these goodies.....

Let the Christmas food preparation begin! Amy at Suma had done me proud, this time I asked for a pot luck box so I really didn't know what I was going to get. When I opened it up I actually let out a squeal of delight! My box contained the following ingredients:

• Organic Demerara Sugar
• Organic Dried Sweetened Cranberries
• Organic Almonds
• Organic Figs
• Organic Apricots
• Pitted Prunes
• Ground Cloves
• Vegetarian Suet
• Almond Orange Chocolate

My mind flooded with Christmas ideas, and I'm going to share with you not one recipe but two. I haven't blogged for quite some time and I must admit I had lost my mojo for a while, but this little treasure of goodies soon got my appetite back (excuse the pun) for creating, cooking and blogging! 

The first thing I decided to make was a batch of home-made mincemeat for all those delicious mince pies over the festive period, or if you're like me they start appearing back in my kitchen around Haloween or just as the nights are drawing in. Once the cold dark nights arrive, there's nothing like curling up on the sofa mug of tea in one hand, mince pie in the other.

Quick & Easy Home-made Vegan Mincemeat

Ingredients 

100g Dried Figs
100g Dried Apricots
55g Dried Sultanas
50g Dried Cranberries
50g Dried Prunes
25g Raisins
20g Mixed Peel
50g Alomnds
75g Vegetarian Suet
200g Bramley Apples, peeled, cored and chopped
150g Demerara Sugar
1 Tsp Ground Cloves
1 Tsp Ground Nutmeg
¼ Tsp Ground Ginger
¼ Tsp Ground All Spice
100ml Brandy

Method

Chop the dried figs, apricots and prunes into the size of a sultana and add to a large bowl.

Add the sultanas, cranberries, raisins and mixed peel and give the mixture a good stir.

Add the almonds to a plastic bag or fold into a clean tea-towel and with a rolling pin bash the nuts into smaller pieces. Add to the bowl of mixed fruit and stir through.

Add the vegetarian suet, chopped apples and sugar and stir again making sure everything is thoroughly combined.

Add the spices and stir once again before adding the brandy. Now it should start smelling like Christmas!

Give the mixture a final stir and transfer to a sterilised jar and keep in the fridge. The mixture should last till Christmas and beyond, but I doubt you will have any left by then.

All you need to do now is make your pastry and you're 15 minutes away from taking your first bite out of a mince pie!

Now with all those goodies it really would be rude not to make a Christmas Cake wouldn't it? And yes, even the chocolate went in this cake, not all of it mind you as it was rather tasty!

Ingredients 

150g Dried Figs 
100g Dried Apricots
100g Dried Prunes
75g Sultanas
50g Dried Cranberreis
50g Raisins
25g Mixed Peel
125ml Brandy
300g Plain Flour
200g Demerara Sugar
50g Almonds, chopped

25g Dark Chocolate 

1 Tsp Bicarbonate of Soda 

2 Tsp Baking Powder 

1 Tsp Mixed Spice 

½ Tsp Ground Cinnamon 

½ Tsp Ground Cloves 

100g Vitalite 

6 Tbsp Puréed Apple* 

1 Orange, zest 

1 Lemon, Zest 

50ml Fresh Orange Juice

* To make your own puréed apple, peel and core a few cooking apples and add to a pan, add a splash of water so they won't stick to the pan and simmer for 10 minutes or until the apples start breaking up. Use a potato masher to finish the purée. You can either store in a sterilised jar or freeze the mixture. 3 large tablespoons are the equivalent to 1 egg in recipes. I bag mine up in 3 tablespoon measures and store in the freezer.



Method

Chop the dried figs, apricots and prunes into the size of a sultana and add to a large bowl.

Add the sultanas, cranberries, raisins and mixed peel and give the mixture a good stir. Pour over the brandy. Let this mixture sit in the fridge for at least 24 hours.

When you're ready to make your cake, sieve the flour into a large bowl and add the chopped almonds, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder and all the spices. Grate in the chocolate and give everything a quick mix.

In another bowl melt the Vitalite and add the puréed apples, zest of the lemon and orange and the orange juice. Whisk until all ingredients are combined.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix to combine, if your mixture is a little dry add a little more fresh orange juice. Be careful not to add too much though as you still have the fruits and brandy to add.

Top the cake batter with the dried fruit and brandy and stir to evenly distribute the fruit.

Pour into a greased cake tin and bake in a low oven for 1½ hours or until a skewer comes out clean. Leave in the tin to cool before tipping out onto a wire rack. 

Once the cake is completely cold wrap in greased proof paper and then tin foil and store in a cool dry place. 

Now I will be "feeding" my cake for the next few weeks with a little Brandy so it's not the finished article just yet. I will add a photo once the cake has been iced, so you can see the cake finished. 

To 'feed' your cake make tiny holes with a skewer in the top of your cake and pour in a little brandy. You can do this as often as you like dependant on your taste. Do you like your Christmas cake boozy? Then add more brandy.

After a few weeks of 'feeding' your cake you're ready to ice it.

I still have some ingredients left, so I will be making a third recipe for Christmas and there is only one thing that could be........Christmas Pudding!

So keep an eye out for that recipe too..........................

Jasmine x

Suma Bloggers Network - Broccoli & Cauliflower Mornay

It's that time again, when the lovely folk at Suma Co-op send me a parcel of goodies that I have chosen and I whip up a recipe with the said goodies.

This is my fourth recipe for the suma bloggers network, check out my other three recipes:

• Trio of home-made vegan cheeses
• Blueberry cheesecake
• Vegatable tagine

This time I'm still craving comfort food and this is my go to recipe for just that. While my dad was poorly in hospital I made this a lot as it is really quick and super easy as the recipe uses store cupboard ingredients for the sauce. In fact I use this sauce quite a lot! The sauce poured over broccoli and cauliflower resembles a cauliflower cheese or the usual broccoli & cauliflower bake on pub menus for vegetarians!

You won't need all the sauce for this recipe, but the left overs keep well in the fridge for a couple of days, just shake before using. You can use the leftover sauce to make a vegan macaroni cheese or as a base to another pasta dish, just add other ingredients to tweak as you feel fit. I love adding mushrooms and basil and using as a pasta sauce. You will have around 250ml of sauce left over, unless of course you want more sauce to your mornay!

Broccoli and Cauliflower Mornay

Ingredients - Serves 4  

1 small cauliflower, broken into 8 florets
1 head of broccoli, broken into 8 florets
750ml Almond milk, unsweetened
125g Cashews
1 Tbsp White miso
50g Nutritional yeast
2 Tsp Mustard powder
1/8th Tsp Turmeric
1/2 Tsp Salt
20g Panko breadcrumbs

Method

Boil the cauliflower florets for 5 minutes, add the broccoli florets and boil for another 4 minutes. Drain straight away and return to the pan to steam dry.

Meanwhile make the sauce, which is easy as 1, 2, 3!

Pour the almond milk into a blender, (I use my fantastic Vitamix) and add the cashews, white miso, nutritional yeast, mustard powder, turmeric and salt. Blend until silky smooth, don't worry if you think the sauce is too thin, it thickens as it heats up.

Place the vegetables into an oven dish.

Pour over the sauce and sprinkle over the panko breadcrumbs. Bake in a moderate oven for 25 minutes or until the breadcrumbs have gone golden brown and the sauce is bubbling around the edges.

You can see how the sauce has thickened, it almost looks like a batter! 

Enjoy on its own or serve with a few chips and peas.

I've just noticed that 3 out of my 4 Suma recipes are 'cheese' based! I'll try and steer away from 'cheese' for my next recipe for Suma, perhaps another dessert? Anything you would like to see more of? Let me know in the comments.

Jasmine x

Suma Bloggers Network - Homemade Vegan Cheese x 3

How do you start a post when you've been off line for nearly 2 months? 

Dive straight into the recipe or in this case recipes, I'm a little late posting my Suma recipe due to circumstances out of my control but better late than never eh?

Suma Recipe - Homemade Vegan Cheese x 3

This is my third recipe for the Suma Bloggers Network, please check out my other two recipes; Vegetable Tagine and Blueberry Cheesecake and the other bloggers recipes, there are lots of tasty creations waiting for you to try.

Suma is the UK's largest independent whole food wholesaler/distributor and are a workers' co-operative committed to ethical business. They have a fantastic range, everything they sell is vegetarian and many products are vegan.

When I first transferred to a vegan diet I thought I would miss cheese the most, I was pleasantly surprised that I didn't. There are many vegan cheeses out there in case you do miss the taste but its far more rewarding to make your own. You can play around with flavours there is no limit, whatever flavour takes you fancy.

I decided to make three different ones with the ingredients that I chose from Suma. Two spreadable and one you could slice.

The herb cream cheese uses cashew nuts, the cheddary cheese uses almonds and the third which is baked uses almonds too, although you would never know.

Herb Cream Cheese

Ingredients
100g Cashew nuts
400ml Water
2 Tbsp Nutritional yeast
½ Tsp Onion granules
½ Tsp Smoked garlic granules
½ Tsp Herbamare
2 Tbsp Fresh herbs, finely chopped
I used parsley, coriander and basil (predominately basil)
1 Garlic, crushed
60ml Almond milk (unsweetened)

Method
Soak the cashew nuts in the water overnight and then drain well. Add the drained cashew nuts to a food processor with the remaining ingredients and blitz to a thick paste.

Add the mixture to a small bowl lined with clingfilm, press the mixture down and fold over the clingfilm adding a weight to the top. Place in the fridge for 4 hours or over night and remove the herb cream cheese from the bowl and the clingfilm to a board.

Spreadable Cheddary Cheese

Ingredients
75g Ground almonds
2 Tbsp White miso
25g Nutritional yeast
¼ Tsp Turmeric
1 Tsp English mustard
½ Tsp Smoked Garlic powder
½ Tsp Herbamare
200ml Almond milk 
1-2 Tbsp Agar agar

Method
Add the ground almonds, miso, herbs & spices and 100ml of the almond milk to a food processor and whiz to a paste.

Transfer the mixture to a saucepan and whisk in the remaining almond milk.

Sprinkle over 1 Tbsp of the agar agar and slowly bring the mixture to a simmer. When the mixture starts to bubble, the agar agar will have melted a little and you can stir it in. Let the mixture simmer for 10-15 minutes.

If the mixture is still a little thin, add the remaining agar agar and simmer for another 10 minutes.

Transfer to a bowl and leave to cool. Transfer to the fridge and let set before turning out onto a board.

Baked Almond Cheese

Ingredients
1 Lemon - juice only - about 45ml
2 Tbsp Olive oil
120g Ground almonds

1 Garlic clove

1 Tbsp Nutritional yeast

40ml Water

Method
Place all the ingredients into a food processor and whiz until you have a thick paste. Spoon the mixture out onto a piece of clingfilm and wrap tightly shaping into a circular mound.

Place in the fridge for 15 minutes to firm up a little more. Spritz a baking dish with olive oil and turn the 'cheese' onto the dish, removing the clingfilm.

Bake in a moderate oven for 15-20 minutes until a crust has formed.

Slice and eat with crackers.

So, if you're spending Christmas with loved ones who aren't vegan, why not make and take your own cheese board. You don't have to be vegan to enjoy delicious food.

Back again soon

Jasmine x

Suma Bloggers Network - Vegetable Tagine

I am over the moon to have been chosen to be part of the Suma Bloggers Network, which is made up of 12 vegetarian and vegan food bloggers from all over the UK. Every two months I will be sharing a recipe I have created using ingredients from the Suma Co-op.

Suma is the UK’s largest independent wholefood wholesaler/distributor and are a workers’ co-operative committed to ethical business. If you haven't already you must check out their on line shop, everything they sell is vegetarian and many products are vegan. 

They pride themselves in being vegetarian/vegan, ethical, fair trade and are conscious of the environment and are carbon neutral! How fantastic is that? Their shop doesn't just sell food either, you can buy cosmetics, cleaning products, eco gadgets and gifts, clothing, toys and vitamins & minerals to name a few.

Many thanks to Amy and the team at Suma Wholefoods for this fantastic opportunity, which I know I will thoroughly enjoy being part of. Click on the Suma Bloggers Network logo to the left for a list of all the bloggers in the network.

This month, with all the time I am spending in my garden I decided to create a quick & easy Moroccan Dish using readily available ingredients including store cupboard essentials; making dinner just that little bit easier when you are short on time.

As today is "Eat your Vegetables Day" I had to create a recipe that used a good dose of your 5 a day (or more) and whipped up a Vegetable Tagine in no time at all. Don't be put off with the long list of ingredients it doesn't mean hours in the kitchen.

Vegetable Tagine

Ingredients - Tofu
2½ Tbsp Light olive oil 
1 Tbsp Lemon juice
1 Garlic clove, crushed
2 Tsp Ras El Hanout
1 Block of tofu, drained, pressed & cubed

Ingredients - Couscous
200g Couscous
150ml Hot water
3 Tsp Sumac
Zest/rind of ½ Lemon, finely grated

Ingredients - Tagine
1 Tbsp Light olive oil
1 Onion, halved and sliced
1 Carrot, diced
1 Small cauliflower, broken into small florets - 
about 300g
1 Aubergine, diced
1 Head of broccoli, broken into small florets 
1 Tin of tomatoes
500ml Hot water
Vegetable Bouillon powder
4 Tsp Lemon Tagine paste

Method
First prepare the tofu. Mix together 1½ Tbsp of the light olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and Ras El Hanout to combine and pour over the pressed & cubed tofu. Leave to marinade for at least 30 minutes, but longer if you can afford the time. You can prepare the tofu in the morning and leave the marinating tofu in your fridge all day, ready for dinner.

Next start on the tagine. Fry the onion in the light olive oil for 3 minutes, then add the diced carrot and fry for another 3 minutes. Add the cauliflower and continue to cook over a low heat for another 3 minutes stirring continuously. Add the broccoli and aubergine and cook for another minute before adding the tinned tomatoes. Stir to combine all the ingredients.

Dissolve the vegetable bouillon powder in the hot water and add the lemon tagine paste and pour over the vegetables. Bring the mixture to a simmer and transfer to an oven dish or tagine pot. Cover and cook in a moderate oven for 30 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.

Meanwhile, remove the marinating tofu from the fridge and let it reach room temperature. Add the remaining 1 Tbsp light olive oil to a frying pan and heat to smoking hot. Add the tofu to the pan and fry on all sides, you may need to do this a little at a time depending on the size of your frying pan.

Finally, prepare the couscous. Pour the hot water over the couscous and give it a quick stir. Cover and let sit for 5 minutes before forking over the couscous to break it up. Add the sumac and lemon zest and mix thoroughly.

Serve the vegetables over couscous and top with the tofu. A taste of Morocco that is worth eating outside in the sunshine!