If a hot water bottle was a drink it’d have to be a hot chocolate don’t you reckon? Comforting, nourishing, cosy, delicious, warming.. I dare say that’s enough adjectives for one sentence, but it’s fitting don’t you think?

So then, take one home made hot chocolate and combine that with the nourishing and energy boosting benefits of maca and you’ve got a winter warming drink that will not only tick all the deliciousness boxes but it’ll work wonders for your health at the same time.

Today’s recipe is fresh from the ‘a sip and a slurp’ section of my morning inspired whole foods recipe eBook A Nourishing Morning (where you’ll find 74 other recipes for drinks, healthy snacks, brunches and breakfasts).

Oh and a word of warning, it’s quite rich (just as I like it), so feel free to add a little hot water to the concoction at the end if you need.

Serves 2
1 ½ cups almond or sesame milk
½ cup coconut milk, canned or fresh
3 tablespoons cacao powder*
1 tablespoon maca powder
1 teaspoon rice malt syrup (or sweetener of choice)
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon vanilla powder (or essence)
Pinch sea salt Cacao nibs to garnish

Place all ingredients except for the cacao nibs into a small saucepan over medium heat. Gradually heat the liquid to a gentle simmer for a couple of minutes. Do not allow the liquid to boil.

Remove from heat and pour into two mugs. Garnish generously with cacao nibs.

Once you’ve overdosed on this hot chocolate (which of course you won’t, because we are all about moderation, aren’t we?), you had better move onto my Golden Turmeric Milk, if not already. It’s a winner grinner.

I’m keen to know from you – what other flavours sit well in a hot chocolate? I was thinking a drop of peppermint essential oil might be rather delicious? Or wild orange? I’d love to hear your thoughts. 

Source: theholisticingredient.com

You will never (ever) hear me dissing leftovers. Leftovers are the cornerstone of most of my kitchen creativity, it’s how some of my finest creations have come about as a matter of fact. I open my fridge to a ‘problem’ in need of a solution (the ‘problem’ being eating the same left over food every day until it’s gone). The solution is found when your creative brain kicks in and you come up with a dish that makes taste buds sing with delight and relief.

On that note, say hello to my (now upgraded) mashed veggies and all the inspiration you need to prepare enough food for leftovers in mind.

If you’ve left over mashed veg and cooked quinoa in the fridge this recipe will take you 5 minutes to prep and about 8-10 minutes to cook. Dinner in 15 – WIN!

Recipe notes: Go nuts with any herbs and spices you lean towards. Cumin or paprika would be a lovely addition in my book. If you would prefer to omit the egg, you may like to use our easy egg substitutions chart for an alternative. Perhaps try a chia egg? The ground flax will also help keep the fritters together in the pan.

Makes 4 large fritters, Serves 2

1.5 – 2 cups mashed vegetables (you could also mash left over roast veg)
3/4 cup cooked quinoa
1/4 cup quinoa flour
1 egg
1 heaped handful coriander or parsley leaves, torn
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon chilli powder or flakes
1 heaped tablespoon ground flaxseed
A good pinch of sea salt and pepper to taste
Coconut oil, for frying

Place a large frying pan on the stove, medium heat and allow to warm.

In a bowl combine all of your ingredients, except for the coconut oil. If your mixture is too wet add some more quinoa flour – you need to be able to roll the fritters into balls in your hands. Flatten the balls as I have in the photo.

Add a heaped teaspoon of coconut oil to your hot pan. Carefully place your fritters into the pan and allow to cook for approximately 4-5 minutes on one side or until turning a lovely golden brown. Carefully turn the fritters over and cook for a further 4-5 minutes on the other side.

Serve as is or with a lovely fresh salad. A dollop of homemade relish is always a wonderful addition. Oh and I just had a thought! How about this dairy free kale pesto? YUM!

If you’re looking for more leftover veggie ideas, you may like my Green Pizza Omelette or my Quinoa, Goats Cheese and Roast Vegetable Frittatas. For another cooked quinoa leftover idea, try my Mediterranean Inspired Salmon Fish Cakes.

As always, any and all feedback is hugely welcome and please, if you’ve any great leftover veggie ideas to share we are alllll ears!

Source: theholisticingredient.com

You know, I ummed and ahhed about sharing this recipe; I’ve done similar versions before and questioned whether I was bringing enough variety to your weekly menu. I also questioned its simplicity. Then I reconsidered, because it’s exactly what I am trying to do on this website – show you how easy it is to make real, simple, uncomplicated food; food that doesn’t require bells and whistles and knife skills training; food that still looks like real food when you eat it.

In any case, SIMPLE is where it needs to be in my kitchen or it just doesn’t get made.

It’s a very good thing I decided to take a couple of photos of my breakfast the day these babies came into the world isn’t it, because here we are.

Serves 2, makes 6-8 hot cakes.

1/2 cup almond meal
2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
2 eggs
1/4 – 1/2 cup milk of choice (I used coconut)
1 tablespoon maple or rice malt syrup (or sweetener of choice, to taste), optional
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch sea salt
Coconut oil, for frying

Pop a frying pan on medium heat on the stove.

Whisk or beat your eggs until fluffy, then combine all other ingredients (start with 1/4 milk and add as necessary) and continue to whisk until well combined. Taste and add more sweetener if required. The mixture needs to be like pancake batter, just pourable.

Add a heaped teaspoon coconut oil to your hot pan. Pour or spoon pikelet sized hotcakes onto your pan and cook for approximately 3 minutes, until bubbles start appearing. Using an egg slice, gently flip them over and cook for a further 2-3 minutes or until golden either side.

They would be beautiful layered with banana and/or fresh berries. Here I’ve layered them with coconut yoghurt and paw paw. It’s worth mentioning that they are best devoured quickly because as you can see, mine are about to swim away..

Very soon I am going to share my other go-to vegan hot cake recipe, for those of who who prefer an egg free option.

I’m keen to know from you though, what’s your simple go to breakfast option (that isn’t out of a packet)?  Let’s create some inspiration for all. Personally I love my smoked salmon and avocado on toast. Takes no time at all and sustains me until lunch. 

Source: theholisticingredient.com

I’m not really sure what the difference is between a curry and a soup, but this dish – built on red lentils and potatoes, with bright Thai curry paste and tangy non-dairy yogurt — falls into that grey area. It would be just as good on a plate with rice as it would by itself in a bowl.

Technically, curry doesn’t even exist. In India, the word curry apparently just refers to a gravy or sauce. How do I know this? Why, from the unofficial website (notacurry.com) dedicated to striking down the flow of misinformation around Indian cuisine! “Curry is a misnomer that trivializes the complex and heterogeneous characteristics of Indian cooking and overlooks the Indian subcontinent’s highly diverse culinary landscape.”

…So whatever you want to call it, this dish actually draws influence from lots of different regions. The red lentils and potatoes are very Indian, but I’m using bright Thai red curry paste as well as non-dairy yogurt (which is a first for this blog) to create layers of flavor in this super-easy, creamy, spicy dish.

Makes: 4 servings

* I use the Thai Kitchen brand red curry paste, which is widely available in the states and is vegan, but I’ve heard that the European version has fish sauce, so be sure to double check.

Step One

Mince the mirepoix (onion, celery, carrot) and add to a large stockpot with a tablespoon of olive oil and a dash of salt and pepper. Allow the veggies to soften for about 5 minutes, then add in all of the curry paste, the coriander, and the potatoes (cut into small chunks) and all/some of the red chili (minced) depending on how spicy you want it. Stir well to incorporate the curry paste and give another 5 minutes to simmer.

Step Two

Rinse and sort the lentils, then add them into the pot along with 3 cups of veggie broth (for now, more may be needed later). Bring to a simmer, cover, and allow to cook for at least 30 more minutes until the potatoes are soft and fully cooked – stirring occasionally. Feel free to add more salt, spices, curry paste, or vegetable broth, if needed.

If serving with rice, begin preparing that now as well.

Step Three

When the potatoes are soft, remove from the heat and stir in the juice of 1-2 limes and about 6 oz of coconut milk yoghurt. Ladle into bowls, alongside the rice (if using) and top with chopped cilantro and a dollop of the remaining coconut milk yogurt.

I’m not sure what a Buddha Bowl even is anymore. Back when I posted my original buddha bowl recipe a few years ago, my understanding was that it meant a bowl of finely-chopped vegetables tossed with a grain like rice or quinoa. But now, if you do a search for buddha bowl, it seems to be used for any vegetarian recipe served in a bowl. Hmm.

However, I’m still holding onto my definition. I think something great happens when you chop your veggies super-fine and toss them with a grain and some seasonings. Every bite has a little of everything and it tastes so fresh and satisfying. For this new recipe, we’re taking that template to another level. It’s starts with the basics – quinoa with chopped veggies – and then we’ll add some sweet & savory sautéed chickpeas and top everything with a killer pureed sauce of red pepper and parsley (much like a chimichurri sauce). Everything can be whipped up in under 30 minutes for a dinner + some leftovers the next day.

Makes: 4 servings

Prep: cook some quinoa according to package instructions. If you start with about 1 1/2 cups of dry quinoa and 3 cups of water, you should have just about the right amount.

Step One – The Chickpeas

To start, let’s make the sweet and spicy chickpeas that add so much depth and flavor to this buddha bowl. Rinse and drain two cans of chickpeas (or a fresh equivalent) and toss them into a skillet with a drizzle of maple syrup and a few dashes of each of the spices mentioned (it’s hard to say exactly how much to use, just start with a little and see how it goes). Warm over medium-high heat and toss the pan occasionally to ensure even coating. After about 5 minutes, the chickpeas should begin turning darker and the seasonings will start to stick. At that point, give them a taste and add any more spices as needed. Then, remove from the heat and set aside.

Step Two – The Chimichurri

Slice 1 1/2 red bell peppers into strips, place them on a baking sheet (saving the other 1/2 pepper for garnish) , and pop them under your oven’s broiler for 5-7 minutes, until the tops just begin to char. When done, allow to cool slightly then combine in a food processor with the parsley leaves, garlic cloves, olive oil, red wine vinegar, and some salt and pepper. Pulse just a few times until you have something resembling a salsa (stop before you have a smoothie!). Taste and adjust the flavors as needed.

Step Three – Everything Else

With the two big components out of the way and the quinoa finished cooking, the salad is easy to finish. Simply chop the green onions and kale into very small pieces and dice the avocado and remaining bell pepper. Then add everything except the chimichurri (chickpeas, quinoa, kale, green onions, avocado, bell pepper, and pumpkin seeds) into a large bowl and toss to combine. Serve (room temperature and chilled both work well) in bowls with a big spoonful of the chimichurri on top.

Source: oneingredientchef.com