Cashew, Sweet Potato and Tamarind Curry

Our friends at Rude Health have teamed up with ultimate vegetarian foodie and author of The Modern Cook's Year, Anna Jones, for this comforting plant based recipe. 

‘This recipe is a version of a recipe that has become a weeknight classic in my house. The sweet potato and tamarind come together to make a vibrant curry perfectly balanced between sweet and sour.’ – Anna Jones

Serves 4?
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons of garam masala
- 800g sweet potato, peeled and cut into 2cm pieces
- 1x 400g tin of good chopped tomatoes?
- 400ml Rude Health Cashew Drink?
- 2 tablespoons tamarind paste

From the store cupboard: 
- 1 onion (red or white)
- 2 cloves of garlic
- coconut or groundnut oil.
- Brown rice or chapatis to serve

Optional Toppings:
- Toasted coconut flakes
- Lemon wedges for squeezing
- Fresh coriander
- Toasted cashews 

Method:

1.  

1. Peel and finely chop your onion and finely slice 2 cloves of garlic. Heat a little oil in a large deep saucepan, add the onion and garlic and a good pinch of salt and cook for 10 minutes until soft and sweet. ?

2. Next add the garam masala and cook for another couple of minutes. ?
3. Add the sweet potato, tinned tomatoes, cashew drink and the tamarind, together with a good pinch of salt, and allow this to simmer on a low heat for 20-30 minutes until the sweet potato is cooked and the sauce is rich and thick. ?
4. Taste and add more salt if needed and a little more tamarind if the curry needs more of its sour kick. ?
5. Divide between four bowls and serve with brown rice or chapatis and top with add ons above if you like. ?

 

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Planet Organic Queen's Park

 
Planet Organic is extremely excited to open its eighth store in Queen’s Park, Northwest London this August. The shop will be part of Queen’s Studios on Salusbury Road in the heart of Queen’s Park.
 
The pop-up café outside is already set up outside the store serving organic coffee, vegan affogatos and kombucha on tap while we work on getting the store ready for opening. The pop-up will be open 8am-4pm Monday to Friday and 9-5pm Saturday and Sunday for the whole of July, so stop by and say hello to the new team.
 
Our Queen’s Park store is already set up online for click and collect orders during the coffee bike’s opening hours, so simply order online and collect from the team at our pop-up café.  
 
In store, we’ll have fresh juices and organic coffee, wholesome hot food and superfood salads, our unpackaged range of store cupboard essentials, organic fruit and vegetables, a natural health and beauty section and plenty of eco living products for your home. 
 
With a strong, family orientated community, we feel that Queen’s Park is a perfect location for Planet Organic and we are very much looking forward to meeting our new neighbours.

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via How to Save Money When Buying Organic Foods

?Luna & Fennel Cauliflower Crust Pizza with Pesto and Asparagus

Luna & Fennel's cauli pizzas are vegan, wheat free and utterly delicious. This recipe offers a little seasonal inspiration for topping L&F's cauli pizza bases at home. 

Ingredients:

• 2-3 white baby potatoes
• 4 asparagus
• Handful of almond flakes
• Mint leaves
• 1/2 lemon

For the pesto:

• 60g spinach
• 60g basil
• 120g almonds
• 120ml olive oil
• Juice and zest of 1 lemon
• 1 garlic clove
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

 
 
1. Heat the oven to 180°C and line an oven tray with baking paper. 
2. Place the potatoes in a pan and cover with cold water. Add half a teaspoon of salt and bring to a boil. Leave for 5 minutes then drain and rinse under cold water. This step allows the potatoes to cook evenly and ensures you get the best potato slices possible.
3. To make the pesto, put all ingredients into a blender, blitz and set aside. Check for seasoning and adjust if necessary.
4. Once the potatoes are cooled enough to touch, take a mandolin or sharp knife and slice the potatoes thinly length ways. Lightly and evenly brush both sides with a little olive oil, season well and lay out on the baking tray. Roast in the oven for 15-20 minutes until a few charring marks start to appear and the edges are slightly crisp. 
5. While the potatoes are in the oven, prepare the asparagus by snapping off the woody ends and massage with a little olive oil. If they're thick spears, we recommend slicing down the middle before cooking to give a more manageable bite.
6. Lay the asparagus in a hot griddle pan going against the ridges, season with salt and pepper and leave for a few minutes. Turn them over and repeat until beautifully charred on both sides. You want there to still be a nice bite to them.
7. Take your Luna & Fennel pizza base and top with the pesto, then potato slices and lastly the asparagus. Pop in a pre-heated oven for five minutes to heat through and once cooked, finish with some fresh mint leaves, toasted almond flakes and a generous squeeze of lemon juice. 

from Planet Organic Blog http://bit.ly/2KyCWbq
via How to Save Money When Buying Organic Foods

National Refill Day

National Refill Day is a public awareness campaign aiming to make single-use plastic bottles a thing of the past. It helps to prevent millions of the 8 billion single-use plastic bottles sold in the UK annually from polluting our streets and our oceans - today, people are being encouraged to carry a reusable water bottle and refill on the go.
Happy National Refill Day!
 
We think it's a brilliant opportunity to share the positive message of refill so we’ve written this blog to help you think about all the ways you can refill at Planet Organic.
 
We’ve all seen the videos on social media and Blue Planet and the damage that single use plastic is doing to our environment and oceans. The BBC1 documentary ‘War on Plastic’ has highlighted, yet again, the complexity of waste and recycling as well as the problems of illegal plastic waste dumps in developing countries such as Malaysia – who receive a lot of the UK’s exported plastic, supposedly for ‘recycling’.
 
The partnership between Unpackaged and Planet Organic grew because we all believe reuse is a better answer than recycling. But we’re all in this together! For reuse to work, we need YOU to join us and bring your own kit to Planet Organic to refill.
 
We’re going to show you what you can do and why it’s important.
 
Unpackaged Refills @ Planet Organic
Planet Organic have a wide array of ingredients and snacking items in the refill sections in four stores – Muswell Hill, Torrington Place, Westbourne Grove, and Islington (and soon to be Queen’s Park) – from healthy staples such as short grain brown rice, oats and quinoa to nuts, seeds and delicious raw chocolate covered almonds. Did you know Planet Organic have unpackaged coffee beans which you can grind at home for maximum freshness? Bring your own boxes, bags and tupperware from home and use the self-service scale to zero off the weight of any container you bring - sorted!
 
Food To Go - BYO Cups, Cutlery & Boxes
The food to go counter is a great opportunity for refilling, in ways you may not have thought of! The simplest is BYO coffee cups for hot drinks, and remember you can also put juices in a large reusable cup too. Consider investing in a reusable metal straw for smoothies that you can take with you which means you won’t need one of Planet Organic’s compostable straws either.
 
There are lots of reusable cutlery kits available at Planet Organic which are
really compact and easy to keep in your bag - using a reusable cutlery kit means cutting down on
even more compostable usage.
 
If you’re eating in one of Planet Organic’s cafes, you can use an enamel plate or bowl, just ask at the counter.
 
Planet Organic is a proud supporter of the City to Sea and Refill App’s campaigns for free water refills to be available across the country in a bid to slash the 8 billion bottles sold in the UK every year. All
Planet Organic stores offer free reverse osmosis filtered water to anyone and everyone, so pop in for a refill of London’s purest still or sparkling water.
 
Health & Bodycare Refills
Planet Organic regulars will know that the Muswell Hill store is where we first trialled the Unpackaged
concept back in 2015 and where we have a couple of extra refill stations. We offer E-cover washing up
liquid and laundry liquid where the refill is always better value than the bottle – giving you an extra
reason to refill.
 
And we recently added an amazing new #uselessplastic Unpackaged Beauty section where you can
find a really good range of hair and bodycare refills from Faith In Nature and Tabitha James Kraan as
well as super relaxing range of bath salts which you can refill.
 
The key to #zerowaste and refilling is to think big, be bold and try and do as much as you can, don’t worry about getting funny looks when you hand over your reusables!
 
Our best tip is to stock up on a set of small cotton bags and keep those in your bag at all times so that if you’re ever caught on the hoof and you want a croissant or some fruit, you can pop it in one of those.
 
Watch this space for something new and exciting coming to the Devonshire Square store – a new and exciting refill station – a little bit different than we’ve done before – to help your #waronplastic. 
 

from Planet Organic Blog http://bit.ly/2L2C664
via How to Save Money When Buying Organic Foods

Ombar Chocolate & Pistachio Pancakes

VEGAN CHOCOLATE & PISTACHIO PANCAKES
Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS:

For the Pancakes:

• 1½ cups plain flour
• 3 tablespoons coconut sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• Pinch of salt
• 1¼ cups nut milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (or extract)
• 2 tablespoons melted coconut oil, plus more for cooking
• 1 x 35g Ombar 72% chocolate, chopped
• ½ cup chopped shelled pistachios

For the Chocolate Sauce:

• 1 x 35g Ombar 72% chocolate, chopped
• Teaspoon of coconut oil

To Serve:

• 1 x 35g Ombar Pistachio Centre
• Chopped pistachios

METHOD:

For the Pancakes
1. Mix together the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Set aside.
2. In a large measuring cup, whisk together the nut milk, vanilla and melted coconut oil.
3. Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry, stirring slowly to gradually incorporate. Mix well until everything is combined and don't worry too much about any lumps. 
4. Gently fold in the melted chocolate and pistachios.
5. Heat a large frying pan over medium heat and add a little coconut oil. Once the pan is hot, add the batter in ?-cup measurements for each pancake.
6. Cook until the underside has browned and the batter on top begins to form bubbles, then carefully flip the pancake and cook for another minute or so on this side. Keep the cooked pancakes warm in a 100°C while you cook the rest of the batch.
7. Melt the chocolate with a little coconut oil either in the microwave or a bain marie.
8. Finally, stack the pancakes, drizzle with warm chocolate sauce, sprinkle with pistachios and top with a bar of pistachio Ombar. 

 
 
 
 

from Planet Organic Blog http://bit.ly/2I9Sjo8
via How to Save Money When Buying Organic Foods

Asian Stir-Fry Veggies On Noodles

This is really a quick and easy dinner that tastes wonderful. We enjoy it often.

Serving Size: 4

Ingredients:

• 16 ounces broccoli, cut in rosettes and small pieces
• 8 ounces mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
• 1 onion, sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, de-seeded and sliced
• 8 ounces spicy tofu pieces
• 4 ounces ketchup
• 4 tablespoons sweet chili sauce
• 1 tablespoon oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• Asian (udon) noodles for 4

Directions:

1. Cut the broccoli into rosettes and place in a steamer.
2. Steam the broccoli al dente.
3. Plunge the al dente broccoli pieces in icy water to keep the crunch and color.
4. Slice the mushrooms thinly.
5. Slice the onion.
6. De-seed and slice the red bell pepper.
7. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to boil.
8. Heat about a tablespoon of oil in a large frying pan.
9. Add the red bell pepper and begin to stir fry until they soften.
10. Add the mushrooms and stir fry until the begin to become golden.
11. Add the onion slices.
12. At last add the broccoli and spicy tofu pieces.
13. Mix the ketchup and sweet chili sauce. and add to the vegetables that are frying.
14. Mix well and turn the heat to low.
15. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
16. Add the udon noodles to the boiling water and cook al dente (3-5 minutes).
17. Drain the noodles and serve the vegetables on top.

Related Posts:

• Stir-fry Savoy Cabbage with Tofu on Buckwheat Noodles
• Creamy Vegan Tortellini with Fresh Veggies
• Sweet Sour Wok Vegetables with Noodles
• Sichuan TVP, Broccolini, Cashew Stir Fry
• Stir-fry Vegan Chickun, Broccoli and Red Pepper

from Vegalicious http://bit.ly/2WwtXOi
via Why You Should Consider Buying Organic Food

Raw Press PBJ Acai Bowl Recipe

2019 is all about adaptogens. ‘Adaptawhat?’, we hear you ask. Adaptogens are natural ingredients that help the body’s autonomic nervous system to adapt to stress or return to homeostasis. As wellness has shifted from an attitude of just looking good to feeling great, both physically and mentally, many cutting-edge brands are focussing on introducing functional products aimed at boosting mental performance or managing stress.

 

Raw Press has recently brought out a range of adaptogenic granolas, exclusively at Planet Organic, where each flavour (BOOST / CHILL / HAPPY / BEAUTY) integrates a variety of functional ingredients, from everyday fruits, seeds and nuts, through to more exotic Ayurvedic or eastern mushrooms and herbs. This delicious PBJ açaí bowl recipe is a signature dish at the Raw Press cafe, and which pairs perfectly with their rose, raspberry and rhodiola rose BEAUTY granola. 

 

INGREDIENTS 
 

BASE:

- One 100g sachet of açaí sorbet

- 1 frozen banana

- 1 cheek (roughly 75g) of frozen or fresh mango

- A small handful of raspberries (say, 3-5 raspberries) 

- 1 tbsp of peanut butter 

 

TOPPINGS: 

- 50g (1/2 cup) of Raw Press Beauty granola 

- Another small handful of berries to your personal taste 

- Berry chia jam (see below) 

- 1 further tbsp peanut butter 

 

BERRY CHIA JAM:

- One punnet of berries (125g) 

- 25g chia seeds 

 

BLUEBERRY WAFFLE (makes 2 waffles): 

- 150ml almond milk

- 1 tsp maple syrup

- 1 tsp cider vinegar 

- a drop of vanilla essence 

- 100g buckwheat flour

- 20g ground almond

- 15g blueberries 

- 2g baking powder 

- 2g chia seeds 

- 1g cinnamon

- 1g sea salt

- 1g cornflour

- 5g aquafaba (whisked chickpea water - optional) 

 

METHOD 
 

- For the waffles, separately combine the dry ingredients and the wet ingredients, other than the blueberries, and then slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry, mixing in as you go, until you have a smooth batter. 

- Add in the blueberries, and for a lighter texture, whisk up some chickpea water until it forms soft white peaks, and fold this in; chickpea water (otherwise known as ‘aquafaba’) is a great and innovative vegan alternative to whisked egg whites. 

- Cook in a waffle maker until dry and light brown. For ‘toasts’ to go with your PBJ bowl, cut a quarter or a half of a cooked waffle through the centre (to create thin pieces like Melba toasts) and then toast until crisp! 

- For the açaí bowl, blend all ingredients together in a blender or with a stick blender. 

- Top with the granola, berries, a couple of wedges of the blueberry waffle toast, and finally decorate with alternate drizzles of nut butter and your chia jam. 
 

 

The perfect breakfast bowl for all PBJ addicts!! 

from Planet Organic Blog http://bit.ly/2VDTHTN
via How to Save Money When Buying Organic Foods