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

Blueberry Oat Squares

As part of my Winter Wellness Series I shared my Winter Wellness Happy Bites, which were great as an on the go breakfast as well as mid morning fix. They freeze really well, I just take one out of my freezer just before I leave work and by the time I get to work they have defrosted ready to be eaten. As an added bonus I used the frozen oat bars on my tennis elbow on the way to work, perhaps that's why they defrosted so quickly as my elbow is HOT! Mind you I have been getting some weird looks on the bus!

This time I made the oat bars with fresh blueberries and dried cranberries and they were delicious! These freeze well too.

Ingredients 
200g Oats
20g Milled Chai seeds
25g Hemp seeds
2 Tsp Baing powder
1 Tsp Bicarbonate of Soda
1 Tsp Lemon rind (heaped)
2 Ripe bananas
200g Silken tofu
50ml Vanilla yoghurt (vegan of course)
1 Tbsp Lemon juice
1 Tbsp Agave nectar
100g Blueberries
25g Cranerries

Method

Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.

Place the oats in a food processor and pulse until you have an oat flour. Tip into a bowl.

Add the next 5 ingredients to the oat flour and gently mix everything in.

Slice the bananas into the food processor and pulse until mashed, add the silken tofu and pulse again to combine.

Add the vanilla yoghurt, lemon juice and agave nectar to the food processor and process until everything is mixed in and you have a nice 'batter'.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir to combine. Add the blueberries and dried cranberries and stir through the mixture.

Bake in a moderate oven for 20 minutes or when the mixture springs back when gently pressed. Cool in the tin and then tip onto a board and peel off the greaseproof paper. 

Cut into squares, eat some and freeze some, easy!

Jasmine x

Winter Wellness - Part 3

In the final part of my Winter Wellness Series I talk about inflammation. If you're like me and you suffer with different types of inflammation then perhaps we should take a closer look at our diets and eat foods that help to curb inflammation.

Our bodies use inflammation to help heal and protect and it is a natural response of our body's immune system. However, it can get out of hand and become extremely painful. I've suffered with bursitis, tennis elbow and more recently sciatica, which are all types of inflammation and although you try to carry on as normal the pain can grind you down until you stop and rest. Medication can help too in different forms, but do the foods we eat also have an effect? 

I have learnt that foods high in saturated fat and sugar can activate inflammation in our bodies. But I don't think my diet is high in either, sure I enjoy a piece of good quality chocolate and I like the odd vegan biscuit - OK Packet! One reason I tend not to buy them, but if they're on offer I just can't resist. I thought saturated fats were mainly found in animal products like cheese, butter and cream but they're also found in palm oil and coconut products. Both palm oil and hydrogenated fat is found in processed food like biscuits, margarine and ready made meals. So I guess I need to start cutting down on the biscuits and margarine as I rarely have a ready made meal, in fact the only one I can think of is vegan sausages! Further research found that some nuts especially brazil nuts were fairly high with saturated fats; brazil 26%, cashews 21% however they also had higher mono-unsaturated fatty acids, which can help lower blood pressure. I think it is time that I started a food diary so I can actually see how much fat and sugar I am taking on board.

But wait, there is food out there, which can help! Its all about making the switch.

Winter Wellness Chilli Goodness

Foods to help reduce inflammation include:

Garlic - Yes, its here again thanks to its anti-inflammatory properties. Studies have shown that garlic works similarly to some types of pain medications, specifically Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs), which are used to treat various conditions.

Whole Grains - It is reported that eating whole grains instead of the refined foods, such as pasta and rice can help keep inflammation in check. Whole grains contain a heap more fibre and have less added sugar so they're way better for you, but we all knew that already, didn't we? When you visit your doctor with a inflammatory condition, they usually take a blood sample and one of the tests they might undertake is looking at the levels of "C-Reactive Protein" which is a marker of inflammation. More fibrous foods have been shown to reduce the "C-Reactive Protein" so another great reason to swap to whole grain! If you only make one change with grains it should be to eat quinoa which is a complete protein containing all essential amino acids, and it will fill you up! Wild rice is another great swap so next time you go shopping just remember quinoa, wild rice and whole grain pasta and you can't go wrong.

Flax, Hemp & Chai Seeds - Yep! These three are all back here as the omega-3s in these seeds can also help reduce inflammation

Leafy Greens - You've already seen that leafy greens are good for your health as they are full of important nutrients, including vitamin E, which is reported to protect the body agains inflammation.

Almonds & Walnuts - Another source of inflammation fighting omega 3's is nuts, which are also a good source of fibre and vitamin E.

Chilli & Cayenne Peppers - These spicy morsels are rich in capsaican, which is also found in creams, lotions, gels and ointments you apply to your skin to reduce pain and inflammation. I think a hot and spicy chilli is in order!

Tomatoes - Another ingredient of a good hearty chilli! Tomatoes are reported to help reduce inflammation throughout the body, thanks to the high levels of lycopene which increases through cooking.

Beetroot - You only have to look at a beetroot and its vivid colour to believe that it has to be good for you. Beetroot is full of antioxidant properties which are reported to reduce inflammation.

Turmeric - This spice contains curcumin, which reportedly has powerful anti-inflammatory properties. Unfortunately it is not absorbed into the bloodstream very well and it is unlikely that you will be able to eat sufficient to make an impact. However it is available as an extract, something that I'm going to look into a bit more.

Berries - Yep! Berries are here again, thanks to being high in antioxidants, but we should have realised that, just look at their vivid colours! One study reported that women who ate more strawberries had lower levels of "C-Reactive Protein" in their blood streams! Roll on summer!

Green Tea - One of the most healthiest drinks you can have, it contains one of the highest amount of antioxidants of any tea and can help reduce inflammation, thanks to the natural chemicals found in the tea called polyphenols.

Soy - Another food which was reported to have reduced the "C-Reactive Protein" and inflammation levels, especially in women.

Dinner - Winter Wellness Chilli Goodness

Ingredients (Serves 4)
1 Block of tofu, frozen and defrosted 
2 Tbsp Soy sauce
½ Tsp Turmeric
2 Tsp Cumin
1 Tsp Coriander
1 Tbsp Olive oil
1 Onion, finely diced
3 Cloves garlic, minced
1 Chilli pepper, finely diced (do not remove the seeds)
1 Red/Orange Capsicum, finely diced
4 Tomatoes
50g Kale, without stalks
1 Tsp Vegetable Bouillon Powder
250ml Water
100g Beetroot, cooked, finely diced or grated
1 Tsp Cocoa powder
1 Tsp Balsamic vinegar
1 Tsp Garlic granules
1 Tbsp Tomato purée
Salt and Pepper to taste, optional

Method

Squeeze the tofu until the moisture has been removed, it feels like a sponge and you will be surprised as to how much water comes out. Once the moisture has been removed crumble into a sieve and give the tofu one last squeeze. Yes, even more moisture will come out!

In a bowl add the soy sauce, turmeric, cumin and coriander and mix to a paste. Add the crumbled  tofu and mix so the paste is evenly distributed. Set to one side to let the flavours mingle, while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

Put a little cross on the bottom of each of the tomatoes and place in another bowl. Pour boiling water over the tomatoes and let sit for 5 minutes to loosen the skins.

Pour the oil into a pan and add the onion, garlic and chilli, sauté for five minutes or until the onions start to become translucent. Add the capsicum and stir to incorporate with the other ingredients and sauté for anther five minutes.

Remove the tomatoes from the hot water (carefully) and remove the outer skin and chop the flesh. Mix the bouillon powder with the hot water and stir.

Add the tofu and spices to the pan along with the tomatoes and the kale. Give the mixture a stir before adding the vegetable stock and give the mixture another stir. Let simmer for 5 minutes stirring every now and again to stop the mixture sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Next add the remaining ingredients and let the mixture simmer for another 10 minutes or until the kale is cooked, adding salt and pepper to taste, which you may not need.

Serve on a bed of red and white quinoa or wild rice for that extra boost. I served on quinoa as I had no wild rice :o)

Top with vegan sour cream (made with tofu) and sprinkle chives on the top. Or top with home-made guacamole. Enjoy!

I hope enjoyed the Winter Wellness Series, I will be posting more recipes soon using the foods I have found to help with the three most typical health conditions of winter. What are your favourite foods throughout winter and how do they help you? Let me know in the comments below.

Jasmine x

Winter Wellness - Part 2

Last week I started my series on Winter Wellness and part one investigated which foods could help fend off a cold. Today I'm looking at how certain foods can boost your mood and beat the winter blues.

Sometimes it really does feel like the Winter drags on, there might not be any snow, but the days are short, cold, damp or icy. Recently we've been having a spell that's freezing cold one day, warmer the next (no ice in the morning) and then back to being cold the next day again but with an ice-chilling wind thrown into the mix! The weather just can't seem to make its mind up. You wake up in the dark and by the time you finish your days work and start your journey home its dark again. The Winter months are enough to get anyone down in the dumps, whether you're scraping the ice off your car or waiting in the cold and wet conditions for public transport, winter does seem to drag on. But wait, could there actually be a reason why you feel so drained of energy and feeling miserable? 

Enter Vitamin D! Vitamin D is made by our bodies from direct sunlight and in the winter months especially here in England where we have shorter days we are not exposed to enough direct sunlight. Even in the Summer months we will only be exposed to about four hours a day of direct sunlight and that's if we're outside! 

From the small amount of research I have undertaken it has been confirmed that you won't be able to eat your way through winter and get enough vitamin D, but I do have some good news. There is one food that does contain some vitamin D and I absolutely love it - those who know me well, will have already guessed - Yep its mushrooms! 

The amazing 'shroom is able to make vitamin D when it is exposed to ultraviolet light. But there is a downside, most mushrooms are grown in the dark and therefore do not contain vitamin D! However there are certain varieties that are grown in environments which use ultraviolet light to encourage the creation of vitamin D. We just have to find them! 

After a quick internet search Marks and Spencer came up trumps with their "Vitamin D Mushrooms". Their packaging says it all: "just one serving, (3 caps) of tasty vitamin D mushrooms provides 100% of your daily vitamin requirement".

One more reason to love the 'shrooms!

Other foods to ease the winter blues include:
Foods which are high in omega-3, magnesium and the B vitamins are the champions of well-being winter wellness! Vitamin B12 is an important vitamin as it's job includes helping produce brain chemicals that affect your mood.

Flax Seeds - These bad boys are one of the highest sources of omega-3 fatty acids, which over the years have said to be beneficial to your health in numerous ways, including the potential to influence your mood. Get sprinkling!

Chia Seeds - Another great source of omega-3's, important for brain health.

Hemp Seeds - Yet another great source of omega-3's with the added benefit that they also contain many B vitamins. It has also been reported that hemp seeds can improve your mood and even alleviate symptoms such as depression or anxiety.

Leafy Greens - Get munching on kale, the daddy of leafy greens! Other top leafy greens include spinach, swiss chard and other collard greens. They provide so many nutrients including high amounts of vitamin C, magnesium, B vitamins, calcium, fibre and omega-3's! Super Green Smoothie anyone?

Brazil Nuts - A great source of selenium, which affects your mood, insufficient levels of this nutrient can make you irritable, anxious and generally just feeling done in. 

Oats - Releasing their energy slowly thanks to their low glycaemic index, will keep your mood stable as well as your blood sugars.

Bananas - A good source of vitamin B6 and magnesium, which provides you with energy to help you combat the day.

Berries - I've added berries to the list as they help from the side lines. When you are already exhausted and have nothing left to give its very hard to stay upbeat, especially if stress hits, in any form. Berries are the stress busters, so when you need that extra help reach out for a handful of berries rather than your typical comfort food.

Avocados - Another helper from the sidelines is the beautiful creamy avocado, a great source of B vitamins which help combat stress. They also help to lower your blood pressure, which is great if you've blown your top! Make yourself some guacamole and chill....

Fortifed foods - Some foods such as Nutritional yeast (yummy cheesey flavour) are fortified with vitamin B12 and some cereals are fortified with vitamin D, just check the ingredients to make sure they are vegan.

Supplements - You may decide that taking a supplement is also beneficial to you, but that's a personal decision which I won't try and influence you on either way.

As you can see from the list above there are some foods which will help with your well-being as well as boosting your immune system. So lets get cooking and introduce or increase our intake of these foods into our diets.

Recipes

Lunch - Winter Wellness Loaded 'Shrooms
(serves 2)

Ingredients

2 Tsp Flax seeds
6 Tsp Cold water 
30g Oats
1 pack M&S Vitamin D mushrooms
1 Clove of garlic
50g Kale (no thick stalks)
2 Tbsp Hemp seeds
2 Tbsp Ground almonds
3 Tbsp Nutritional yeast
1 Tbsp Chives, finely chopped
1 Tsp Soy sauce
Salt & Black pepper to taste

Method

Mix the ground flax seed with the cold water until combined and place in the fridge while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

Place the oats into a food processor and whiz to a flour consistency and pour into a bowl.

De-stalk the mushrooms, trim the stalks and place in the food processor. Put the mushroom caps topside down on a baking tray and put to one side while you prepare the stuffing.

Add the garlic to the food processor and whiz until finely chopped. Add the kale and whiz again until the kale is cut into small pieces.

Tip the kale mixture into the bowl with the oat 'flour'.

Add the hemp seeds, ground almonds, nutritional yeast and salt and pepper and mix thoroughly.

Add the soy sauce and the chopped chives and give everything another good mix, it will start sticking together, which is what you want.

Spoon the mixture into the mushroom caps, pressing the mixture down as you go. You will have a fair amount of stuffing so pile it high!

Bake in a moderate oven for 20 - 30 minutes, if the tops start to brown, place some foil over the dish for the last 10 minutes or so.

 Enjoy on a bed of salad leaves, remember the darker the better! :o)

The loaded 'shrooms are great with a little tahini sauce, balsamic glaze or a little vegan mayonnaise or like me a combination!

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Snack - Winter Wellness Happy Bites (Makes 16)

If you like sticky sweet treats, then sorry, these aren't for you, but remember refined sugar isn't that good for you! There is a little sweetness in there from the agave nectar and then when you bite into a piece of date or cranberry you get a little extra sweetness which I find is just enough to tickle your taste buds especially for breakfast on the run or a quick happy bite! 

Ingredients 
1 Tbsp Ground Flax seed 
3 Tbsp Cold water
200g Oats, divided
20g Walnuts
40g Ground almonds
30g Chopped dates
20g Shelled hemp seeds
20g Milled Chia Seeds
15g Goji berries
15g Dried cranberries
2 Tsp Mixed Spice
2 Tsp Baking powder
2 Bananas
150ml Hemp milk
100g Silken tofu
1 Tbsp Agave nectar
2 Tsp Vanilla extract

Method

Mix the ground flax seed with the cold water until combined and place in the fridge while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

Line a baking tray with grease proof paper so you can easily remove the happy bites after cooking.

Put 150g of the oats into a food processor and whiz to a flour consistency. Pour into a bowl with the remaining oats.

Add the walnuts to the food processor and whiz until finely chopped, pour into the bowl with the oats.

Add the remaining dry ingredients and give everything a good stir so it all combined.

Slice the bananas into the food processor and add the remaining wet ingredients and whiz until you have a thick gloopy sauce

Pour the wet ingredients onto the dry ingredients and top with the flax mixture from the fridge. Give everything another good stir and transfer to the baking tray.

Bake in a moderate oven for 20 minutes, they will be ready when the tops are golden brown and they have a little spring when they are pressed.

Remove from the oven and let cool in the baking tray before removing.

Enjoy for a quick on the go breakfast or a snack to keep you smiling.

I think adding some berry goodness in the form of blueberries would be a great addition!

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To keep you in top form I thought it would be nice to share with you two more of my well used aromatherapy blends. 

Aromatherapy Blends to enhance your mood

Down in the Dumps Blend (for use in a oil burner)
2 Drops Benzoin
1 Drops Jasmine
2 Drops Lemon

Drop the oils into the water and as the candle warms the water and oils the fragrance will circulate your room. To me the benzoin essential oil is like a big cuddle and the jasmine and lemon give you a lift.

If you want to use as a room spray, add water to a small spray bottle and add 3 drops of benzoin and lemon and 2 drops of jasmine. Shake before use.

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Sometimes, when we are stressed, tired or finding it difficult to switch off our thoughts we may find it difficult to sleep. If that's you, then this blend is for you! You can use the oils as a bath soak to help you unwind or use in an oil burner. 

Sleep Assistance Blend (double quantities for a bath)
2 Drops Frankincense
1 Drops Lavender
1 Drops Ylang Ylang

You can also use the oils as a pillow spray, again add double quantities to a spray bottle and spritz your pillow 5 minutes before you go to bed. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Please check that the aromatherapy oils are suitable and safe for you to use personally.

Jasmine x