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Raw Peanut Butter Salted Cookies

These delicious, simple, no bake cookies are full of the good stuff! Refined sugar free, gluten free and vegan. Plus they keep up to a week in the fridge so get making a batch for a guilt free snack.

Ingredients

  • 140g of almonds
  • 125g unsalted, smooth peanut butter (organic if possible)
  • 175g Medjool dates pitted
  • 2 tsp of pure vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
  • Flakey sea salt to sprinkle
  • 2 bananas to serve
  • 2 tbsp cacao nibs

Method 

  1. Grind the almonds in a food processor on high until you have coursely ground nts
  2. Add the peanut butter, pitted dates, vanilla and lemon juice to the food processor
  3. Pulse until the mixture forms a dough
  4. Remove from the food processor and immediately roll out between two sheets of parchment paper to the desired thickness (we like it to be about 1/2 cm thick)
  5. Using a small cookie cutter cut out to size then form together the remaining and roll out again and repeat
  6. Place all the disks in the fridge to chill
  7. Serve when chilled with a slice of banana on the top and a couple of cacao nibs

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Cheerful Chickpea, Squash, Courgette Tagine

Feed Your Happy! This warming chickpea tagine is super simple to make and goes really well with brown rice and loads of herbs and flaked almonds. We made ours in a slow cooker overnight. We like it spicy but feel free to omit the chilli if you prefer a milder flavour.

Ingredients

  • 400g chickpeas (if tinned ensure you soak for at least 2 hours and rinse)
  • 1 onion chopped
  • 1 small butternut squash, peels and chopped into cubes
  • 2 courgettes, chopped into cubes
  • 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
  • 12 dried organic apricots, quartered
  • 1 sliced red chilli or 1 tsp of chilli flakes
  • 1 tsp of coconut oil
  • 2 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 500g jar of organic passata
  • 1/2 preserved lemon, chopped small
  • Handful toasted flaked almonds to serve
  • Handful of chopped parsley to serve

Method

  1. Place the vegetables, chickpeas, garlic, apricots, red chilli, passata and preserved lemon in the slow cooker
  2. In a small heave bottom frying pan melt the coconut oil on a medium heat
  3. Add the paprika, cumin, ginger and cinnamon and cook for about 30 seconds taking care not to burn
  4. Add the toasted spices to the slow cooker
  5. Cook overnight on low for about 8 hours or on high for about 3 hours
  6. Serve with flaked almonds and chopped parsley

 

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Oat and Multi Seed Cracking Crackers

These crackers are a delicious combination of oats and lots of different seeds. Seeds and oats are high in tryptophan. Feel free to change the varieties of seeds as long as you keep the volume the same. They are super easy and super quick to make. They look really nice just broken up at the end in odd shapes and sizes and will last up to 1 week in an air tight container so you can snack on them throughout the week. Serve with one of our nutritious dips!

Ingredients

  • 90g organic oats
  • 100g pumpkin seeds
  • 90g sunflower seeds
  • 100g sesame seeds
  • 3 tablespoons chia seeds
  • 3 tablespoons poppy seeds
  • 1 teaspoon kosher or good quality sea salt
  • 1 tablespoon melted coconut oil
  • 170ml room temperature water
  • 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup

Method

  1. Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees
  2. Line a baking tray with parchment paper
  3. In a bowl mix together the oats, seeds and salt
  4. Mix together the liquids
  5. Pour the liquids into the oat and seed mix and let it rest for 10 minutes
  6. Form into a dough using your hands
  7. Roll out onto the baking sheet (it might be best to roll out between two sheets)
  8. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown
  9. Cool
  10. Break into big shards and serve

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Pretty Pulses Dips

Pulses are a good source of vitamin B6, magnesium and tryptophan, which are essential nutrients needed to help boost our serotonin – the happy neurotransmitter! Boost yours with simple and moreish dips, which can be enjoyed any time with oat cakes, carrot sticks or with a salad. Super quick to make, here are a couple of examples which we served up at our Feed Your Happy event in January as a starter.

Roasted Red Pepper, Walnut and Haricot Bean Dip

Ingredients

  • 2 x large roasted red peppers*
  • 2 garlic cloves, peeled
  • 100g toasted shelled walnut halves
  • 400g haricot beans (if using tins ensure you soak them for a couple of hours in fresh water)
  • 125 ml (½ cup) extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tsp of ground cumin
  • Pinch of smoked paprika
  • Pinch of cayenne pepper
  • Pomegranate seeds

Method

  1. Simply blitz all the above ingredients in a food processor until smooth
  2. Place in a serving bowl and drizzle with olive oil and dress with pomegranate seeds

* To roast red peppers simply brush with olive oil and roast in the oven at 180 degrees until the skin starts to blister (about 40 minutes). Remove from the oven and place into a heat proof bowl and cover with cling film for 5 minutes. Remove from the bowl and peel off the skin.

Roast Broccoli, Leek and Haricot Dip

Ingredients

  • 1 x large broccoli with the florets removed
  • 1 x leek cut into slices
  • 1 x tablespoon heat-tolerant oil, such as cold pressed organic rapeseed or avocado
  • 400g haricot beans (if using tins ensure you soak them for a couple of hours in fresh water)
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp of fresh thyme leaves
  • Sea salt and ground back pepper, to taste
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 3 x tablespoons nutritional yeast
  • 125 ml (½ cup) extra virgin olive oil plus some for drizzling
  • Sea salt to finish, such as Maldon
  • Chopped chives

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees
  2. Line a baking tray with parchment paper
  3. In a bowl mix the olive oil, Dijon, 1 tbs of lemon juice and the zest and season
  4. Add the broccoli florets and the sliced leeks and mix
  5. Place the brocolli and leek on a baking sheet and roast for aourn 20 mins until they start to go golden brown but keep an eye on them to ensure they don’t burn
  6. Once cooked, remove from the oven and plac e in a food proseccor with the hbeans, thyme leaves, nutritional yeast, remaining olive oil and lemon juice and zest and whiz up to a smooth or rough consistency, whichever is your preference
  7. Taste to check the seasoning
  8. Serve with chopped chives or parsley

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Feed Your Happy Event Bristol

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Deconstructed Mince Pies

So we experimented! The plan was to try out a deconstructed mince pie, and this one has very little sugar and is gluten free. We haven’t included exact measurements as this was a test.

We chopped up some dried fruit, organic apricots, dates and figs, and left them overnight in a bowl with some water and Armagnac.

The next day we melted 2 tbsp of organic cold pressed coconut oil, and combined it with ground walnuts, chestnut flour, cinnamon, pinch of sea salt and rolled oats. We then kneaded it into a pastry and placed it in the fridge for a couple of hours. Once chilled we rolled out carefully and cut out small disks using a small cookie cutter. We then baked in the oven on 180 degrees on a baking sheet covered in baking paper for about 15 minutes.

Once cooked, we left them to cool and then topped with the fruit mixture and some charred clementine segments.

There really is no need for sugar when using dried fruit as they have so much natural sweetness to them. Experiment with the quantities for the pastry like we did, you can switch out the nuts and the flours, as long as you make the right pastry dough consistency and chill it before baking.

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Brussel Sprouts 3 Ways #3 Roasted with Gruyère

The key to cooking brussel sprouts is to keep it simple! They have such a lovely flavour that you want to compliment, not cover up. It’s also important not to overcook them as they will not only lose their nutritional value but also their taste.

Ingredients

200ml white wine vinegar
2 tbsp mustard seeds
1 tbsp coriander seeds
1 tbsp fennel seeds
500g brussels sprouts
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt and black pepper
Gruyère cheese, to serve

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Method 

  1. Heat the vinegar with the spices gently on a low heat (do not boil)
  2. In a bowl add the sprouts and let them sit for 1 to 4 hours, then drain
  3. Heat a heavy bottom pan on the stove and fry the sprouts for 5 mins, then place in an oven dish and cook until tender (around 10-15mins)
  4. Serve with grated Gruyere cheese

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Brussel Sprouts 3 Ways #2 Roasted Warm Salad with Yoghurt, Tahini and Fennel

One of our favourite cuisines is Middle Eastern because we love spices and fresh herbs to jazz up our dishes and compliment key ingredients. In our second brussel sprout dish we have oven cooked them with red onions and fennel and spooned them over a lovely yoghurt, tahini and lemon juice dressing, finishing with nuts and seeds for texture and further flavour.

Ingredients 

500g Brussels sprouts, washed, trimmed
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp coriander seeds
1 medium red onion, sliced
1 bulb of fennel, sliced
2 tbsp of olive oil
200 g Organic Greek yoghurt
1 heaped teaspoon tahini
1 clove of garlic
1 lemon
1 tsp of sumac
1 tsp chilli flakes
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
25 g hazelnuts
½ a bunch of fresh coriander, dill and mint, washed and chopped

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Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees
  2. Bring a saucepan of water to a simmer, add some salt and blanch the sprouts for about 3 mins then drain and set aside
  3. Mix the yoghurt, with the lemon juice, tahini, crushed raw garlic and sumac
  4. In a small heavy bottom frying pan toast the coriander and cumin seeds over a medium heat until they start to release their aromas
  5. Remove from the heat and crush the spices in a pestle and mortar
  6. Using the same pan toast the hazelnuts and once they start to turn golden add the sesame seeds until they too turn golden and set aside
  7. In a baking dish, add the sliced red onion, fennel and some olive oil, and spread out so the veggies are in an even layer then add the spices and season with salt and pepper
  8. Roast in the oven for 20-30 minutes until the onion and fennel is tender and golden
  9. On a serving dish, spread out the yoghurt mixture
  10. Spoon out the veggies on top of the yoghurt and sprinkle with the fresh herbs, chilli flakes and toasted nuts and seeds and serve immediately

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Brussel Sprouts 3 Ways #1 Barley Risotto

In the run up to Christmas we have been experimenting with the humble green sprout. Gone are the days where sprouts are served up boiled, and soggy with your turkey and the kids all pull faces! We love them at Feed and find them so very versatile, whether slicing them finely on a mandolin and tossing into salads or roasting them in the oven with lemon juice and olive oil. They are full of valuable nutrients and so they should be brought to centre stage. Try this lovely risotto with hearty, filling, whole grain barley instead of the traditional white rice.

Ingredients

400g brussels sprouts, quartered
1 apple, peeled and diced
1 tsp smoked paprika
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tbsp of olive oil
1.5 pints (aprox) homemade or good quality vegetable stock
1 medium onion, diced small
200g barley
2 tbsp wholegrain mustard
1/4 preserved lemon, finely chopped
100g kale, washed and chopped
30g finely grated Parmesan cheese
Small handful of toasted hazelnuts, crushed
Chopped parsley to garnish
Salt and black pepper, to taste

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Method
  1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees
  2. Wash, trim and quarter the sprouts
  3. Peel, core and cube the apple
  4. Mix the sprouts with the apple, lemon juice, 1 tbsp olive oil, paprika and season
  5. Roast in the oven for 20 mins or until they start to turn golden brown, remove and cool
  6. Warm a pan with the stock and keep on a simmer
  7. Heat a medium heavy bottomed frying pan, add the remaining olive oil, and then gently fry the onions for about 10 mins until they go translucent
  8. Add the pearl barley, and cook for a further 3 mins
  9. Now add a ladle of the stock, and cook stirring constantly until all the liquid has evaporated
  10. Keep adding the stock, a ladle at a time, until the barley has almost cooked (it should be soft on the outside with a slight bite on the inside)
  11. Add the preserved lemon, wholegrain mustard and kale and cook until the kale has wilted
  12. Stir through the Parmesan and season with lots of freshly ground pepper, and salt to taste
  13. Ladle out the risotto into a warmed dish, and sprinkle with the toasted hazelnuts, and chopped parsley and serve

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Nutty Nutritious Loaf for Christmas

We are almost into December, Christmas lights are up in our cities, set menus are on display in our restaurants, adverts are playing on our tellies and festive ingredients are in prime spots at our farmers markets. We are all getting into the spirit so this has inspired us at Feed to produce a plant based dish which could be center stage on the 25th December.

Lentil loafs have been around for years but we decided to create one with a risotto base to give it a creamier texture. You could use leftover risotto to make this or double the quantities of risotto so you can make two meals for the same amount of effort! We would also recommend making a double batch as the loaf will freeze well once cooked and cooled. With the festive addition of cranberries these give the loaf a lovely tangy flavour and add moisture to the finished dish.

Risotto and Nut Cranberry Loaf – Serves 8

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Ingredients

1 small handful of dried porcini mushrooms
2 tbsp of olive oil
2 red onions, peeled and finely chopped
2 sticks of celery peeled and finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
150g of risotto rice or pearl barley
100ml dry white wine
500ml of good quality hot vegetable stock (keep on the stove while you make the risotto)
200g of mixed wild mushrooms, chopped into even small chunks
100g of pistachios, toasted
100g of almonds toasted
50g walnuts
Handful of breadcrumbs
125g of good mature cheddar cheese
1 red chilli, finely chopped
Zest of 1 lemon
2 free range organic eggs, whisked
2 tbsp of  chopped fresh or dried thyme and rosemary
200g of fresh or frozen cranberries
Salt and Pepper
2 tbsp of coconut sugar

Method

  1. Soak the porcini mushrooms in some boiling water
  2. Prepare the risotto by heating a large heavy bottom frying pan and add the olive oil
  3. When the oil is hot add the onions, celery, a pinch or two of salt, and cook for about 10 mins until they go translucent, you might need to turn the heat down a bit
  4. Add the garlic and cook for a further 2 minutes
  5. Turn the heat up a bit and add the rice, stirring for about 2 mins until you see the outer shell start to go translucent
  6. Add the white wine and cook for about 2 mins or until its been absorbed by the rice
  7. Now add the warm stock a ladle at a time to the rice and each time it becomes absorbed by the rice, add another ladle – this should take about 25 minutes
  8. Once cooked, check the seasoning, then set the risotto to the side to cool
  9. Heat the oven to 180C
  10. Pan fry the mushrooms in some olive oil until they start to go light brown, set aside
  11. Toast the almonds and pistachios for about 4 mins in a frying pan over a medium heat and pulse in a food processor to crumble them up a bit
  12. Warm the cranberries in a small saucepan with the coconut sugar
  13. Line the loaf tin with baking paper then add the cranberries in an even layer on the bottom
  14. Mix the ristotto base with all the nuts, mushrooms, breadcrumbs, grated cheddar, lemon zest, chopped chilli, chopped herbs and eggs
  15. Press the mixture down on top of the cranberries and then cover in foil and place in the middle shelf in the over for 45 mins
  16. After 45 mins remove the foil and put in the oven for a further 15 mins
  17. Removed from the oven, stand for 5 mins and then place a serving plate on top and turn upside down onto the plate
  18. Serve hot or cold

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