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Pretty Pulses

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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Firm, Orange and ‘Lights Up!’

In keeping with Autumn and our recent post on orange we had to speak about the pumpkin! Beautifully shaped, bright orange, yellow flesh, with a firm skin and most famously associated with carving to create Halloween lanterns – yes pumpkin season has most definitely arrived!  This winter vegetable is seemingly growing in popularity and it’s not just for pies!

Here at Feed we like to keep things simple. Cut, season and bake. Introducing  Baked Pumpkin with Cinnamon served with a chili parsley sauce and garlic yoghurt. Its warming, rich, naturally sweet but with a little kick!

Before the ‘how’ this firm beauty has a few wonderful qualities:

  • Loaded with beta-carotene which is converted to vitamin A inside the body
  • Vitamin A helps us in the following ways:
    • Enhances immunity
    • Protects against colds and flu
    • It’s an anti-oxidant
    • Vital for skin health and eye health
    • Slows the aging process!

Let’s eat!

Preheat the oven to 200. Wash the pumpkin, chop into wedges (you can leave the skin on!) and remove the seeds. Toss with a good amount of olive oil (or coconut oil), sprinkle with 2 x tsp of cinnamon and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 40-60 mins (time depends on the size of the wedges).

Meanwhile to make the parsley sauce; blitz in a blender a bunch of washed and dried fresh parsley, 1 x green chili, 1 x garlic clove, 1/2 a lemon and a good large glug of olive oil (the amount depends on how thick you want the sauce), season with salt and pepper.

Lastly using a good quality probiotic yoghurt (or coconut yoghurt) about 100-150g add 1 x crushed garlic clove and a tad of olive oil.

Once the pumpkin is cooked you’re ready to go. Sprinkle with lightly toasted pumpkin seeds. Enjoy and feel great.

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Be Bold, Be Bright, Choose Orange

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Let’s talk sweet potato. Those that attended our first Feed event will know we are big fans of this bright orange root vegetable, its so versatile, sweet yet savory with far more vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants than the unrelated ordinary white potato.

If you make one change this autumn switch the ordinary for the extraordinary, you won’t regret it! Not only being nutrient dense we believe its versatility and taste rivals that of the ordinary variety. We love it thrown into curries, stirred into slow cooked stews, added to frittatas, topped on warm winter salads, baked into quiches, blitzed into soups, as well as on its own baked in its jacket in the oven topped with a simple tahini, garlic and lemon dressing.

To save time cook in advance. Simply cut up into 1″ cubes (or any size you want but make sure the pieces are even), dress lightly in olive oil and season and bake in the oven on a baking tray lined with parchment at 180 degrees for about 15 minutes turning half way through.  Once evenly golden on all sides, remove from the oven and cool. Then store in an air-tight container in the fridge and add to dishes throughout the week adding colour and flavour to a variety of dishes.

Today’s delight is a quick sweet potato frittata with curly kale, cumin, turmeric, garlic and chilli. A selection of this autumn’s vital immune boosting ingredients. Plus super easy and totally yummy.

Firstly, a few nutritional facts about this amazing root veg:

  • Rich in vitamin E an antioxidant essential for life, prevents cell damage and great for your skin health
  • Rich in vitamin C. E & C together is a match made in heaven, they reinforce and extend each other’s antioxidant activities!
  • Sweet potato is said to have anti-inflammatory properties
  • Good source of iron. Great for vegetarians and vegans. And if you are low in iron this will lower your resistance to infection

Feed’s Frittata, simple and tasty:

Chop and roast 1 x sweet potato in the oven for about 20 mins. In a separate bowl whisk 6 x eggs, add 1 x chopped red chili, 1 x garlic clove, 1 x tsp ground turmeric and 1/2 a tsp ground cumin.  Stir in raw curly kale and the roasted sweet potato. Transfer into a hot pan on the stove for about 6 mins and then pop into the fan oven for 10-15 mins. Finish off under the grill for a minute. Enjoy with a dressed salad.

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Autumnal Butternut Squash Salad

The nights are closing in, a chill is in the air, but we are also having some bright blue sky days which makes us happy! Autumn is here and for us at Feed, this means warming immune boosting salads using seasonal vegetables to take us through from summer into winter. We love root vegetables during these months, they have a warming cozy feeling about them and a total joy to eat. Today’s ingredient is the root vegetable Butternut Squash. The bright orange/yellow flesh is the main source of its health benefits, containing high levels of antioxidants vitamin C and E, essential for life and enhancing immunity. In fact when together they reinforce and extend each other’s antioxidant activity – a winner!!

We roasted the squash with a little rosemary oil and Himalayan salt for 30-40 mins. Then we served with some pre-prepared black quinoa (we like to cook up a stash for the week to throw into salads anytime), raw cabbage, red onion and dressed with a turmeric, raw cider vinegar and olive oil dressing – delicious!  Turmeric is packed with anti-inflammatory properties, garlic is natures antibiotic and raw apple cider vinegar helps with digestion.

All in all a great dish packed with antioxidants, properties to help combat colds and dressing to support digestion. And it looks pretty fabulous too!

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