Coconut and Berries - Page 7 of 51 - Healthy, Vegan Recipes by Emma Potts

Granola & Coconut Yogurt Banana Pops (with Spoon Cereals)

I’ve been asked more than once recently if I could recommend a good packaged granola and have had to answer, “no” (I can recommend “rawnola” though!). Almost all granolas out there are filled with ingredients which don’t do us much good and which I certainly don’t have any desire to eat.

I make my own granola fairly often but know not everyone is interested in doing the same, or maybe, just like me, like to keep a packet of good-quality cereal in the cupboard for when you’ve run out and need an emergency cereal fix or quick breakfast.

Spoon Cereals is definitely a company I feel happy to recommend.

They’re a very new company but set to go far it seems – already having secured investment from Deborah Meaden on BBC 2’s Dragon’s Den!

Annie and Johnny are the team behind the company, two cereal enthusiasts believing that breakfast should not be ignored and definitely should not be boring!

The Spoon Cereals range currently consists of 4 products: Fruit + Nut Muesli, Peanut + Apple Granola, Cinnamon Granola and a Granola/Muesli Mix.

I was lucky enough to get my hands on a bag of their award-winning Cinnamon Granola. This stuff is exactly what I expect from a good granola- ultra crisp, a nice balance of sweet, spice and salt, and very very moreish! I definitely appreciate the short, whole foods ingredients list too [Jumbo oats, Coconut flakes, Hazelnuts, Maple syrup, Rapeseed oil, Vanilla extract, Cinnamon, Salt].

My favourite way to enjoy granola, as boring as it might sound, is simply with sliced banana and non-dairy yogurt or homemade almond milk, but sometimes it’s nice to shake things up…but not too much.

These Granola & Coconut Yogurt Banana Pops are basically my favourite breakfast with a little twist in presentation!

They’re practically as quick to make as pouring a bowl of cereal but do make the morning meal especially fun!

Halve your bananas and stick them on lollipop sticks or skewers, dip in coconut yogurt, roll in cinnamon granola and munch! I froze the bananas when making them for the pictures but actually prefer them fresh (especially now it’s turned cold!). You must use coconut yogurt if serving them fresh though as it’s so thick that it doesn’t drip everywhere.

Granola & Coconut Yogurt Banana Pops (with Spoon Cereals)

Ingredients

Bananas
Coconut Yogurt (such as Coyo or Coconut Collaborative]
Granola (Spoon Cereals cinnamon granola recommended!)
Lollipop Sticks/Wooden skewers

Instructions

Halve your bananas and stick each half on a lollipop stick.
Dip in coconut yogurt (a knife is helpful to spread the yogurt evenly)
Roll in granola, pressing gently with your hands to stick.
Serve immediately or freeze and serve frozen.

http://www.coconutandberries.com/2014/11/10/granola-coconut-yogurt-banana-pops-spoon-cereals/

Spoon Cereals products aren’t stocked all that widely yet, though I have no doubt they’ll be all over the place before too long. For now, check out Harvey Nichols stores across the country or see here for a list of London stockists. You can also buy online directly from their website.

Also, if you’re a fellow Londoner, keep an eye out for their regular pop-up events.

If you’re new to Coconut and Berries, please sign up for email updates and join me elsewhere! I’m on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram (@coconutandberries), Google + and Twitter! You can also follow Coconut and Berries with Bloglovin or Feedly.

[Disclosure: Spoon Cereals kindly sent me some free samples of their cereal for review purposes, but, as always, I received no other compensation and all opinions are my own]

Hearty & Wholesome Meatless Ragù

Pumpkin lanterns have all been cleared away, spooky cupcakes have been eaten up and Halloween is over for another year – but it’s already time for the next holiday – no, not Christmas yet, but Bonfire Night!

I’m not sure how widely known the story behind the celebrations is outside of Great Britain, so for my readers further afield I’ll give a quick summary… in short, on the 5th November, 1605, a man called Guy Fawkes attempted but failed to blow up the Houses of Parliament. Since that day, every 5th of November Britons celebrate the survival of King James and the defeat of the plot with displays of fireworks and bonfires.

I’ve always liked the occasion, definitely much more so than Halloween anyway, and growing up I enjoyed going to a local fireworks display, waving sparklers and eating my Granny’s homemade toffee – a special Bonfire night treat!

Come November time, it’s usually pretty chilly, so it makes sense to fill your tummy with a warming meal before heading out into the cold to watch the fireworks. Today’s recipe is just the thing!

My “Hearty and Wholesome Meatless Ragù” is much more satisfying and tasty than your average pasta sauce. It’s got plenty of nutrition from the lentils, chickpeas and chunky vegetables, and the sun-dried tomatoes and mushrooms add richness and extra texture.

Pasta gets a bad rap for being rather lacking in the nutrition department and it’s true that your typical white pasta, while it will fill your tummy, isn’t particularly nourishing. I’ve tried whole wheat and gluten-free pastas in the past, but they’ve left a lot to be desired taste-wise.

Fortunately, there are much better options these days and lately I’ve been really enjoying Rizopia’s brown rice pasta. It’s wholegrain and gluten-free but with no gumminess or graininess, just the regular taste and texture you’d hope for for your pasta.

Top it with my super-duper ragù and you’ve got an easy, balanced meal - definitely suitable for a weeknight and the perfect Bonfire night supper.

If you don’t fancy pasta, this ragù would also be nice over a baked potato or mash, or simply with a chunk of good-quality bread on the side.

Hearty & Wholesome Meatless Ragù

Yield: 4 Servings

Hearty & Wholesome Meatless Ragù

Ingredients

1 Tbsp Olive oil
1/2 Onion, chopped
1 Carrot, chopped small
1 Stalk of celery, chopped small
2 Cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp Fresh thyme
Approx 175g/6oz Mushrooms, chopped
6 Sun-dried tomatoes, rehydrated and chopped
1 Tbsp Balsamic vinegar
1/4 C Red wine OR Vegetable broth
1/2 400g/14oz Can Chopped tomatoes
3/4 C Cooked lentils
3/4 C Cooked chickpeas
Salt and pepper
Chopped fresh parsley (optional)

Instructions

Warm the olive oil in a medium-large pan over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot and celery and cook, stirring for approx 10 minutes, or until softened. Add the garlic and thyme and cook for a further minute.
Add the mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes and balsamic vinegar and cook for 5 minutes, stirring from time to time.
Add the vegetable broth and tomatoes, turn up the heat and then allow to simmer for 10 minutes. Add the lentils, chickpeas and plenty of salt and pepper and simmer for 5 more minutes until the beans are warmed through.
Serve over pasta, mashed or baked potatoes or with crusty bread.

http://www.coconutandberries.com/2014/11/04/hearty-wholesome-meatless-rag/

UK readers, will you be heading out to watch any fireworks? Readers beyond, do you know about Bonfire night?!

[Disclosure: Rizopia send me some free samples of their gluten-free pasta to try but I was under no obligation to write about it, and, as always, all opinions are my own]

Orange Pepita Granola and Yum Universe Book Giveaway

I’m talking about a wonderful new book today, Yum Universe, sharing a recipe AND giving one of you the chance to win a copy!

I’ve been reading and introducing others to the Yum Universe website for a long time now and it’s one of the first sites/blogs I started using and cooking from when I went vegan nearly 5 years ago. Everything I love about the site and a whole lot more has been put into this stunning new book of the same name by Yum Universe founder, Heather Crosby.

Almond Pulp Chocolate Pudding-

A great way to use up that leftover pulp when making your own nut milks at home

This is so much more than a recipe book. Heather starts with why you might consider a “plant-inspired diet”, addressing common concerns and bringing some clarity to the huge confusion that exists in the world of diet and health. Though I’m already very committed to this lifestyle, I still found this section fascinating and it definitely reinvigorated my commitment to healthy living.

The “how” section is hugely comprehensive and an amazing resource for everyone, from those who’ve never cooked vegetables to long-time vegans. I’ve picked up so many useful tips I can’t even begin to list them. But what I can say is that the book is helping me cultivate habits which are, in turn, making eating healthily on a day-to-day basis that bit easier. There are complete guides to recommended kitchen equipment and ingredients, storage advice, plan-ahead suggestions and a whole lot more.

Chickpea Flatbread with Blackberries, Balsamic & Thyme-

Heather shares a basic chickpea flatbread recipe and a whole string of variations, all of which sound scrumptious.

I’m looking forward to working my way through them all.

And then there are the recipes! All recipes are vegan (except the very occasional honey which can easily be swapped out), gluten-free and soy-free. I’ve only had my copy of the book for a few weeks but I’ve already made a lot. My pictures in this post only show half of what I’ve tried and everything I’ve made has been fantastic. Even more than the recipes themselves, I love that there are so many variations listed and ideas for making the recipes your own.

Sweet Potato, Kale & Lentil Stew-

This sounds humble and is so easy to put together but produces a seriously tasty meal that I’d happily eat over and over.

Buckwheat Noodle Pad Thai-

This is going to be a regular. It’s one of those dishes that tastes far too delicious to be as easy as it is. Perfect for weeknights.

Heather and BenBella Books have generously allowed me to share a recipe from the book as well as hold a WORLDWIDE giveaway for one of you to win a copy of new book! (See bottom of post)

This Orange Pepita Granola is so good, I know you’re all going to love it. If you haven’t made your own granola yet, this one will have you converted. There are just a few ingredients, a short baking time and, best of all, it’s crispy and delicious.

Orange Pepita Granola (Vegan, Gluten-free, Oil-free)

Yield: 10 + Servings

Orange Pepita Granola (Vegan, Gluten-free, Oil-free)

Ingredients

Wet

3/4 C Maple syrup
1 tsp Vanilla extract

Dry

3 C Rolled oats
1 C Shredded coconut
1 C Pumpkin seeds
1 C Almonds, roughly chopped
Zest from 2 navel oranges
1 tsp Sea salt
Pinch ground cardamom

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 300/150C.
In a small bowl, stir together the wet ingredients.
In a large bowl, toss together dry ingredients
Add wet ingredients to dry and fold well.
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper (or just one- you can split the batch, baking one half at a time)
Bake the granola for 20-25 minutes. Granola should look slightly browned and toasted.
Remove from oven and repeat if you are splitting the batch. Granola will harden as it cools.

http://www.coconutandberries.com/2014/10/31/orange-pepita-granola-yum-universe-book-giveaway/

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Yum Universe is available to order now from Amazon and various other retailers. Check out this page to hear what the author herself has to say about the book and for more information.

Spooky Spider Web Coconut Cupcakes with Chocolate Ganache (Vegan, Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, Oil-Free)

I don’t get very excited about Halloween. I’ve never been trick or treating before and I don’t have any memories of carving pumpkins. Children in the UK these days might have a different experience of the holiday but when I was growing up it just wasn’t a big deal.

I know it’s quite the opposite across the Atlantic and that my US readers have probably been looking forward to the 31st October for weeks! The “spooky spiderweb” decoration on my cupcakes was with my American friends in mind, but everyone, anywhere in the world, can and should make these!

I think everyone should be able to enjoy a treat and so I tried to cover as many bases as possible by making this recipe, not only vegan, but gluten-free, grain-free, and oil-free (I couldn’t manage nut-free as well this time, sorry!) too!

I was positively jumping up and down when I tried the finished product! Ultra light, ultra fluffy and ultra moist, you really would have NO idea that I’d made these cupcakes without any of those things.

Check out that fluffy crumb!

A little shout-out to blogger friend Brandi of The Vegan 8 for introducing me to the magic combination of almond flour and potato starch. The almond flour keeps things moist and rich and the potato starch brings structure and lightness. I’ve done some of my own experimenting and have found that, while tapioca starch and potato starch are *fairly* interchangeable, tapioca can dry baked goods out a little.

I made these a little coconutty since we all know it’s a favourite flavour of mine, but without coconut extract the coconut flavour is very mild so the recipe would work well as a regular vanilla cupcake too.

I topped them with an easy chocolate ganache, and, instead of a sugary icing, used pure coconut butter to make my spider web design. The pattern isn’t hard to do and you certainly don’t need any fancy equipment- I simply used a freezer bag (with a tiny end cut off) and a toothpick. Of course you can decorate these any way you like for the appropriate occasion.

Spooky Spider Web Coconut Cupcakes with Chocolate Ganache (Vegan, Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, Oil-Free)

Yield: 10-12

Spooky Spider Web Coconut Cupcakes with Chocolate Ganache (Vegan, Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, Oil-Free)

Ingredients

Coconut Cupcakes

1 C (125 g) Almond flour (Ground almonds UK name)
1/2 C (75 g) Potato starch (NOT flour)
1/4 C (20 g) Shredded coconut
2 tsp Baking powder
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 C Coconut sugar (75g)
1-1/2 tsp Vanilla extract
3/4 tsp Coconut extract (optional)
3/4 C Coconut milk (the kind from a can),well whisked
1/2 C Apple purée/unsweetened applesauce

Ganache

80 g/ 3oz Dark chocolate (OR 1/2 C Chocolate chips)
2 Tbsp Coconut milk
Coconut butter, melted

Instructions

Preheat oven to 180C/350F and line a cupcake tin with paper/foil cases.
In a large bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients, making sure there are no lumps remaining.
In another bowl, whisk together the extracts, coconut milk and apple purée.
Add wet ingredients to dry and stir well to combine.
Spoon the batter into the cupcake cases (10-12) and bake for 20 minutes.
Allow to cool for 10 minutes then place the cupcakes on a cooling rack and allow to cool completely before topping.
For the ganache, melt the chocolate in a bain marie or glass bowl placed over a pot of boiling water. Whisk in the coconut milk (it should thicken a little).
Spread the cooled cupcakes with ganache then make the spider web design.
Spoon a few tbsp coconut butter into a freezer bag (or piping bag with a fine nozzle) and allow to cool slightly to thicken a little. Snip a tiny corner off the bag and pipe 3-4 concentric circles on top of the cupcakes. Drag a toothpick from the centre to the edge of the cake at regular intervals through each circle to create the spider web effect.

http://www.coconutandberries.com/2014/10/29/spooky-spider-web-coconut-cupcakes-chocolate-ganache-vegan-gluten-free-grain-free-oil-free/

Whether you make these cupcakes for Halloween or for another occasion, I hope you like them as much as me! And please do share your feedback, I love hearing from you.

Eating Vegan in London (Part 1)

Please excuse the terrible pictures in this post. I may be able to take a decent picture with a camera in my own home but dimly-lit restaurants and an iPhone are another story!

Although I love to cook and it’s obviously cheaper and often healthier to eat in, I do really enjoy eating out. One of the things I was looking forward to about my move back to London was exploring the restaurant scene! In Bath, where I was living before, there were a few restaurants I really liked but options were definitely limited. London, on the other hand, has been called “the restaurant capital of the world”!

We have some very good vegetarian restaurants in London and I do think it’s important to support these. But, more and more mainstream restaurants are catering to vegetarians and vegans and I want to support these too! There are also eateries offering food from probably every country in the world, and many of these cuisines are naturally pretty vegan-friendly so there’s a lot to explore. My “to-visit” list is long and ever-growing!

I thought I’d share some of my explorations with this new “Eating Vegan in London” series. Today’s post features just a few of the restaurants I’ve visited lately and is by no means an exhaustive list!

Tanya’s Café

Tanya’s opened just a few months ago and has been THE “must-visit” place for health foodies ever since. Tanya and I have met a few times before and I reviewed her e-book “Nourished: Raw Foods for Winter” and her “Raw Foods Festivities Workshop” on the blog last year. Everything on the menu is “is hand-picked, organically grown, ethically-sourced, raw living and gluten free”. I’d add “totally delicious” to that description!

I’ve only been for breakfast so far but they also serve lunch, cold-pressed juices, milks, raw chocolates and desserts throughout the day and in the evening you can enjoy superfood cocktails, shared raw platters and small plates.

I’ve actually had breakfast there twice. On both occasions my dining partner and I got two dishes to share- so that we we got to try more!

I loved the raw banana crepe which is served with fresh fruit, coconut yogurt and maple syrup but the “un-toast” is probably my favourite. The raw soft raisin bread itself is wonderful on its own but the rawtella or cashew cream cheese & goji jam as toppings made it exceptional.

Above you can see our mugs of “My Fresh Start”, which is a warm alkalising drink of liquid chlorophyll, hot water and lemon. Below are the “My Ninja”- matcha and mint almond/hemp milk and “My Alkaliser”- kale, spinach, apple, pineapple, lemon and cucumber juice.

It isn’t cheap but you do definitely get what you pay for.

La Polenteria

A lovely little Soho restaurant with a fun concept- everything polenta! I’ve got quite a few polenta recipes on the blog so already appreciated polenta before eating here. However, the varied menu featuring little “polentini” bites and substantial “polentoni” main dishes, salads served with grilled polenta and even polenta-based desserts, left me even more inspired.

La Polenteria serve meat but actually label their (many!) )vegan options. After a tiny polenta bite with mushrooms and truffle oil to whet my appetite, I enjoyed the Sicilian caponata main-dish which is served over amazingly creamy (but dairy-free) polenta. I had a small salad on the side- rocket with fennel, green beans, oranges and olives and was far too full for pudding. Unfortunate as they actually have some vegan (and gluten-free) desserts.

Le Pain Quotidien

Going out for breakfast at the weekend feels like such a treat but it’s usually much cheaper than going out for dinner. Le Pain Quotidien is definitely up there as one of my favourites and is especially good to us vegans (all vegan menu items are marked with a little carrot icon!). I’ve noticed that, although it’s a global chain, the menu varies quite a bit from country to country so you may well have different options depending where you live.

Vegan breakfast options include the beautiful bread basket which comes with an assortment of organic spreads and jam- most of which are vegan; organic porridge with banana, stewed fruit or berry compote (soy milk no extra charge); avocado toast/tartines; and the raspberry crunola parfait. I recently tried the parfait which is banana yogurt, raspberry compote and crunchy raw buckwheat granola. I quite enjoyed it but probably wouldn’t get it again.

For some reason it’s not marked as such on the menu or display (I should email them about this…) but the blueberry muffin is also vegan! The staff behind the counter should know this so you can always ask for reassurance! It’s a very good muffin- wholegrain, hearty and not too sugary. Highly recommended. There are lots of options for lunch too- almost always (if not always) a vegan soup, a few good salads, tartines and a hot option.

Manna

Probably my favourite vegetarian restaurant in London. It’s fully vegan in fact! I’ve eaten here quite a few times and recently had another dinner there. The menu is very creative, changes seasonally and really does have something for everyone. There are big salads, ethnic and more traditional main courses, and some seriously indulgent desserts. Raw, nut-free and gluten-free options are all marked on the menu too.

On this occasion we got the “Living Pad Thai” to start. A fresh, light salad with lots of crunchy vegetables, sprouts, herbs and a nutty sauce.

For mains, we got 2 dishes and shared. On the left, the chef’s special that day. I can’t remember *exactly* what it was but I think some sort of Indian potato cake with a spinach curry and raita. On the right, the “Baja California Plate”, which featured a grilled vegetable & chipotle tofu kebab, black bean & green pepper taquitos, corn & cherry tomato salsa, guacamole, green salad & sour cream. All very good.

The plate of homemade petits fours was perfect for sharing and especially good for when you can’t manage anything much but still want a little something sweet after your meal.

I still haven’t tried Manna’s famed vegan sunday roast but I have heard great things about it.

The Providores and Tapa Room

A rather special restaurant with a very unique menu. There are some fantastic sounding vegan (or veganizable) options on their current lunch/dinner menu but there are also various options for brunch. I always see a queue of eager customers at the weekend so knew it must be good!

I very nearly went for the freekeh salad (with endive, hazelnuts, grilled aubergine and spring onions, pickled raisin purée, roast tomato miso dressing!) but in the end opted for a baobab blueberry smoothie and the brown rice, apple, maple syrup and miso porridge with tamarillo compote. It was so creamy and the flavours all complemented each other beautifully.

I hope to go back for dinner but I think I’ll have to save it for an occasion as it is expensive.

Ottolenghi (I don’t have any pictures sadly but it was so dark in the restaurant so it really wasn’t worth taking any)

If you haven’t heard of Ottolenghi I don’t know where you’ve been hiding! Known for his fresh, healthy, Mediterranean-inspired food and cookbooks “Ottolenghi”, “Jerusalem”, “Plenty” and “Plenty More”, Ottolenghi also has a selection of restaurants and delis across London. While the delis are small, designed for takeway only, the Islington branch is a proper restaurant too.

The menu is organized into “From the Counter” (cold dishes) and “From the Kitchen” (hot dishes), and while there aren’t many vegan options, those there are are exquisite. From “the counter” I had the green and yellow beans with red peppers, capers, corianders seeds and tarragon- the best green beans I’ve ever eaten! And from “the kitchen” I had the cauliflower with ras el hanout, almonds and celeriac- I savoured every bite of this.

The menu is changed regularly so check when booking for availability of vegan options (reservations required).

Do you eat out regularly? What are your favourite kinds of restaurants?

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