Lentils and Mushrooms on Toast

2016 is the international year of pulses and we would like to eat a more healthy breakfast. This is a tasty meal. It makes a good vegan breakfast, nice winter lunch, a good snack or even a light supper.

Serving Size: 4

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
• 1 14 ounce can lentils, drained (about 1½ cups cooked lentils)
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ teaspoon smoky paprika powder
• pinch oregano
• pinch thyme
• salt and pepper to taste
• 6-8 slices whole-grain bread, toasted
• as garnish parsley or cress sprouts, chopped

Directions:

1. Clean and slice the mushrooms.
2. Prepare the onion and garlic.
3. Heat the oil in a frying pan and sauté the onions.
4. Add the mushrooms and cook until lightly browned.
5. Add the oregano, thyme and garlic and mix well.
6. Drain the lentils and add to the mushrooms.
7. Stir to mix well.
8. Season to taste with salt, pepper and paprika.
9. Toast the bread.
10. Sere the toast with the lentil mushroom mixture on top and garnish with chopped parsley or a few cress sprouts.

Related Posts:

• Toast with Green Pea Spread, Avocado and Radishes
• Strawberry and Vegan Cream Cheese Toast
• Seitan Medallions with Sweet and Sour Lentils
• Marinated Mushrooms
• Polenta with Kale and Mushrooms

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Mayan Quinoa Salad

This delicious and colorful salad is very healthy and filling. We enjoyed it as our meal at lunchtime, but it would also make a nice snack, or can be a side dish.

Serving Size: 4

Ingredients:

• 1 cup dry quinoa
• 15 ounces cooked black beans, drained and rinsed
• 15 ounces canned or frozen corn, drained
• 1 medium red bell pepper, de-seded and chopped
• 1 large red onion, chopped
• 1 handful coriander or cilantro, washed and chopped
• for the dressing:
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• ½ teaspoon Cajun seasonings (or cumin and red pepper flakes)
• pinch black pepper
• pinch salt

Directions:

1. Rinse the quinoa with cold running water.
2. Place the rinsed quinoa in a saucepan with 2 cups of water, a pinch of salt and cook.
3. When the quinoa is done, set aside to cool.
4. While the quinoa is cooking, drain and rinse the black beans.
5. Place the black beans in a large salad bowl.
6. Drain the corn and add to the black beans.
7. Chop the onion and add to the corn and beans,
8. De-seed the red bell pepper and chop finely
9. Add the red pepper pieces to the corn and beans.
10. Wash and chop the coriander and add to the salad.
11. Mix the ingredients for the dressing in a small bowl.
12. By this time, the quinoa should have cooled down. If there is water, drain the water off, or using a slotted spoon, add the quinoa to the salad.
13. Pour the dressing over the salad and gently mix well.
14. The salad tastes best of it can season for ½ day or so.

Related Posts:

• Protein Packed Quinoa Salad
• Spring Salad with Baby Spinach Leaves, Fava Beans and…
• Quinoa Tabouli
• Vegan Quinoa Waffles
• Review: Quinoa and Kale Patties

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Mocktail Series: The Coco-Rita

​After a little too much of everything in December, we are all looking to be a little healthier in January. For a lot of us that means cutting out alcohol.
During January, Cancer Research UK challenge the nation to a Dryathlon…..a whole month of zero booze. That’s right, not a drop to pass your lips!  
 
We’ve teamed up with our friends at Redemption Bar to bring you 5 of their favourite mocktail recipes. Redemption is London’s first alcohol free bar and just round the corner from our Westbourne Grove store.
 
Whether you’re taking part in the Dryathlon and raising money for a great cause or simply looking for some healthier options this January, these recipes are perfect for you. We guarantee you’ll still feel glam sipping on one of these! 

The Coco-Rita

The Coco-Rita is surprisingly reminiscent of a Margarita and Redemption’s signature drink - adult & sophisticated, and healthier too!

Ingredients:

• 200ml coconut water
• 10ml agave syrup
• 50ml lime juice
• salt for the rim and a pinch for the drink, to taste

 
Method:
 
1. Prepare the glass by running a bit of fresh cut lime around the rim and dipping it in some salt on a plate to make the salt rim.  
 
2. Put a few cubes of ice into a cocktail shaker, then add the lime juice, orange juice, agave and coconut water (and the pinch of salt if you like).  Shake vigorously for 20 seconds.
 
3. Pour into the glass from a bit of a height so it serves nice and frothy.

 

 




 

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Registration Now Open For Free Grow Wild Seed Kits

Planet Organic is taking part in the UK’s biggest ever wild flower campaign by sharing free Grow Wild seed kits with our customers.

We have the chance to transform shared spaces into inspiring and colourful wild flower havens with simple seed sowing. There are thousands of kits available.

 

All you need to do is register for seed kits on behalf of your group/s to receive wild flower seeds native to your country.

 

Register today using Grow Wild’s one-minute form:

http://ift.tt/1PxoIya

 

Registration closes at midnight on 14 February 2016 and the kits will be sent out in late March - just in time for spring sowing.

 

To find out more about Grow Wild, visit

www.growwilduk.com

Twitter: @growwilduk

Facebook: /growwilduk

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White Bean and Spinach Soup

This is one of our favorite winter soups. It’s very quick and easy to make and so satisfying and healthy.

Serving Size: 4

Ingredients:

• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2-3 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon cooking oil
• 4 cups vegetable bouillon
• 1 15 ounce can white beans, drained
• pinch Italian herbs
• large handful baby leaf spinach, washed and spun dried
• to taste salt, pepper and cayenne

Directions:

1. Peel and chop the carrots.
2. Chop the celery.
3. Chop the onion.
4. Mince the garlic.
5. Heat the oil in a large soup pot.
6. Add the carrots and sauté until softened.
7. Add the celery and onions and continue to sauté.
8. When the celery has become softened and the onion glassy, add the vegetable bouillon.
9. Add the garlic.
10. Drain the liquid from the beans and add to the cooking soup.
11. Add the Italian seasonings.
12. Shortly before you are ready to serve, add the spinach and cook until just wilted.
13. Season to taste with salt and pepper and perhaps some cayenne.
14. Optionally you can add some nutritional yeast or vegan Parmesan.

Related Posts:

• Spinach, Bean And Spicy Tofu Soup
• Vegan White Bean Spread
• Review: Yoghurt & Fava Bean Soup
• White Asparagus with Cashew Sauce
• White Turnip and Apple Salad with Walnuts

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Carrot Chickpea Tajine

We really enjoyed this meal. It could be prepared in a slow cooker during the day and be enjoyed the evening. This recipes serves four but could easily be doubled or tripled.

Serving Size: 4

Ingredients:

for the sauce:

• olive oil
• 1 large onion
• 1 large carrot, peeled and finely grated
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon coriander powder
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• salt to taste

for the vegetables:

• 1 large jar chickpeas (about 16 ounces), drained
• 1 lb. baby carrots, peeled
• 1 cup soy yogurt
• 1/3 cup sunflower seeds, or pine nuts, toasted
• handful fresh herbs, chopped (parsley, coriander etc.)

Directions:

1. Prepare the vegetables for the sauce. Chop the onion.
2. Mince the garlic.
3. Peel the carrot and grate, using the smallest, fine grater.
4. Heat the oil in a large frying pan.
5. Add the onion, garlic, and grated carrot.
6. Add the coriander, cumin, turmeric and white pepper.
7. Meanwhile, prepare the rice
8. Also, peel the baby carrots.
9. Place in a steamer and lightly steam the baby carrots al dente.
10. Add the soy yogurt to the cooking sauce.
11. Add the drained chickpeas and stir well.
12. Toast the sunflower seeds or pine nuts in a dry frying pan. When done, set aside.
13. Add the steamed carrots to the chickpeas.
14. Chop the herbs.
15. Save a few herbs as garnish and add the rest to the sauce.
16. Season to taste with a splash of maple syrup, salt and any other spices you feel useful.
17. We added a dash of Tabasco, but not too much.
18. Serve the tajine over a bed of rice.
19. Garnished with the toasted seeds and chopped herbs.

Related Posts:

• Review: Chickpea Walnut Patties
• Vegan Carrot Cupcakes
• Carrot and Chervil Soup
• Carrot Mango Salad
• Carrot, Pear and Almond Spread

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Review: Roasted Cauliflower Risotto

Alex and Sonja have a delicious recipe that is very easy to adapt to being a vegan recipe.

Just by changing the butter to vegan margarine and using nutritional yeast instead of Parmesan cheese, the recipe became vegan and so delicious. Roasting cauliflower makes such a difference, it gives the cauliflower such a nice nutty flavor. The chickpeas brought in a nice contrast and protein, making it a very filling and healthy meal.

Recipe: http://ift.tt/1RiBvdP

Related Posts:

• Farfalle with Roasted Cauliflower, Red Onions and Garlic
• Vegan Pasta Alfredo with Roasted Cauliflower and Mushrooms
• Roasted Cauliflower and Lentil Salad with a Rhubarb and…
• Review: Apple and Roasted Parsnip Soup
• Review: Lemony wheat berries with roasted brussels sprouts

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Supplements During Pregnancy

This week Mamalina explores which supplements she is taking during her pregnancy to nourish her body and help grow a healthy baby.

I find being pregnant an incredible time but building and growing a healthy baby takes serious energy and nutrition. Our bodies and minds go through so much physically, emotionally and psychologically which is why when we fall pregnant, the greatest blessing of all, we need to do everything we can to prepare our bodies to feel good and strong and crucially, to ensure we have all the correct nutrients for the growth of our baby.

 
Above and beyond what we know – not to smoke, not to drink alcohol, to avoid runny eggs, unpasteurized cheese, coffee and raw fish – it’s recommended to give our bodies a little extra help along the way for our sake, and for the sake of the unborn baby.
 
The best way to receive this extra boost is by taking a pregnancy supplement so I’m going to explain what I take and why. This article is just intended to be a bit of a thought starter to get you thinking about what you might want to take supplement wise. I’m no expert but I have learnt that it’s all about finding the right supplement that works for you and your particular symptoms – it can genuinely turn your pregnancy experience around! With certain brands plastered all over tube stations and NHS leaflets, it’s easy to think that there is only one option. But, with a little help from Planet Organic’s fertility nutritionist, Angela Heap, I learnt that that there are in fact many options out there and a huge difference between them at that.
 
The one I have opted for in the end is a brand called Wild Nutrition and I take one pill once a day with a meal.
 

 

One of the most important reasons to take a supplement is to get folate or as some say, folic acid in to your system as this is crucial for the growth of the baby and helps reduce tiredness and fatigue. Most supplements on the market contain folic acid which is in an ‘inactive’ form for the body. In order to activate this and ultimately get access to this, your body needs to break this down using enzymes, and some people quite simply may have issues doing this and blockages in their bodies that hinders this process due to our own brand of DNA, which is ultimately passed down your family line. The main difference between Wild Nutrition and some of the high street supplements, and what ultimately attracted me to choose it, is the form of folate it contains. Unlike other branded supplements that contain folic acid, Wild Nutrition supplements provide the required 400ug of folic acid as natural Food-Grown folate. This food-grown form is much purer and is in the active form ie. your body doesn’t need to convert it using a huge 4 step process and its less synthetic than folic acid and crucially in this form, it is far easier for our bodies to absorb and reap the benefits from. It also contains nutrients such as Vitamin D, Iron and Vitamin B12 to give support and energy to the immune system and the different stages of development (all those crazy amazing things that make up the growth of the baby from cell division to DNA synthesis to the baby’s bones!) I also love that it contains no fillers and binders (the nasties used to “bulk” out other brand’s pills.)
 
0h and the pill itself is a lovely natural colour as opposed to the bright unnatural colour some of the other supplements can be.
 

 
 
Every pregnancy is different and as I mentioned, it’s all about finding what works for you. This time round being pregnant I found myself suffering really badly with sickness, all day, and although I was not physically throwing up very much, I had a deep-seated, painful, curl-up-in-a-ball horrible, sickness feeling from roughly week 9 to week 16 that left me bed bound much of my free time simply because I felt so unwell, as well as tired. At this point, Angela pointed me in the direction of Wild Nutrition’s Food-Grown Vitamin B6 and I haven’t looked back since. I started taking two pills once a day with a meal and it immediately started to help. Vitamin B6 helps our bodies to process certain proteins which reduces nausea and it also helps us to use and store energy from food and help grow red blood cells. It certainly helped me.
 
Finally, I take a vitamin D supplement – one tiny pill every morning. Unless you are frequently getting good amounts of sunlight (not likely if you live in the UK I’m afraid to say!), many pregnant women are deficient in Vitamin D, and it turned out after having routine blood tests at the hospital that I was really lacking it so I was put on a high does.
 

 
Otherwise, you might want to consider something lighter such as Dlux Vitamin D oral spray which is a (delightful minty) spray you can take in the mornings and will give you that all important Vitamin D boost needed for pregnancy to help your calcium and phosphate levels and ensure healthy bones and teeth for you and your baby.
 

 

 
 
So that’s a summary of everything I am taking to supplement my pregnancy which is leaving me feeling strong and good. Please note that if you’re considering taking any supplement, do talk to your midwife or doctor first. If you have any questions don’t hesitate to get in touch at mamalinauk@gmail.com and I, or Angela, will do our best to get back to you. You can also find me @mamalinauk on Instagram and Twitter. Come and say hello!
 

 
Finally, I wanted to add something about the price of supplements. They can be fairly dear, depending on which brand you take and of course how many. It’s worth knowing that the UK government runs something called the healthy start scheme to help low-income pregnant women. Take a look at the website listed below to see if you are eligible.
 
Thanks so much for reading and stay tuned for more posts about how to simply and effectively nourish your body during pregnancy. Stay happy and stay healthy lovely people!
 
Emma x
 
You can buy Wild Nutrition supplements here: http://ift.tt/1IUy4aN
To see more from Emma, head to www.mamalina.co or check out her YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/mamalina
To find out more about Angela and how to work with her, go to http://ift.tt/1K2xSkJ
To find out more about the Healthy Start Scheme, go here http://ift.tt/1IUy5eJ

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Rutabaga and Leek Frittata

This frittata is a really delicious recipe. Rutabaga is mild and slightly sweet. Rutabagas come into season in the fall and a re a great vegetable through the cold winter months and even into spring.

Serving Size: 4

Ingredients:

• 16 ounces rutabaga, peeled, and grated
• 1 medium leek, white parts only
• 3-4 springs thyme, leaves only
• dash nutmeg
• dash red pepper flakes
• ¼ cup vegan cheese, shredded

for the batter:

• 8 tablespoons chickpea flour
• 1 tomato, cut in 8ths
• 5 tablespoons non-dairy milk
• ½ cup water
• 3 tablespoons vinegar
• 1 small onion, chopped
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• thyme as garnish

Directions:

1. Peel the rutabaga.
2. Using a food processor, grate the rutabaga in large matchsticks using the large holes.
3. Set the rutabaga aside in a bowl.
4. Remove the root end of the leek, and chop the white parts.
5. Add the chopped leek pieces to the rutabaga.
6. Strip the leaves from 3 or 4 thyme sprigs and add to the rutabaga mixture.
7. When the mixture has softened, pour the batter over the top and evenly spread.
8. Cook the frittata until you see the edges beginning to solidify.
9. Place the cast iron skillet in the oven to bake for 15 minutes or until the center of the frittata is solid.
10. If cooking only on the stove top with a frying pan, place the lid on the frying pan so the frittata can cook evenly throughout.
11. 5 minutes before the frittata is done, sprinkle the shredded vegan cheese and a few more thyme leaves on top.
12. Remove from the oven and allow to slightly cool before serving.We enjoyed the frittata with a salad and whole grain bread.

Related Posts:

• Parsnip, Leek and Apple Soup
• Purple Potato and Leek Soup
• Mashed Rutabaga and Pear
• Rutabaga Mango Salad
• Rutabaga Mango Salad

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25 Healthy Life Hacks

We’ve put together our top 25 healthy life hacks, little changes you can make easily to improve your health.

We all want to be healthier, especially in January. All that extra Christmas food and hours spent on the sofa watching Love Actually means we aren’t feeling at our peak physically. However we are well rested, on an emotional high and bursting with motivation for the New Year (mostly), so it’s a great time to make some changes and give your life a healthy makeover.  
 
Changes don’t have to be huge…. there is no need to throw out all your Christmas chocolate, sacrifice your social life for PT sessions and get up 4 hours early for a mindful start to the day. As always, balance is key.
 
Small changes are easier to make than huge overhauls but they can still make a big difference to your health, especially if you make them a habit. We’ve put together our top 25 healthy life hacks, little changes you can make easily to improve your health. 

    

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