Walnuts Archives - Coconut and Berries

Roasted Red Pepper, Cauliflower & Walnut Buckwheat Salad

Another super easy and hearty salad for you today!

I love this salad for lunch with some spicy rocket leaves and a dollop of hummus, as a side-dish or all on its own. It’s an array of textures and flavours so really doesn’t need any adornment.

Who’s on team roasted cauliflower?! I absolutely adore it and am (almost) certain that even self-proclaimed cauliflower haters will love it too. I’m not particularly keen on plain ole steamed cauliflower, even less so when it’s steamed to death and sulphur smelling…raw or roasted is the way to go.

I could eat a whole head of it roasted in olive oil with salt and pepper and call it lunch but this salad is more of a balanced meal and even more delicious.

I paired the roasted cauli with beautifully sweet roasted red pepper - Another vegetable that benefits from a stint in the oven, it gets ultra sweet and takes on a slightly smoky taste if you leave it in long enough to pick up a bit of a char.

You might remember the Buckwheat Risotto with Mushrooms & Hazelnut Cream I shared last year? One of my favourite recipes on the blog to date.

Buckwheat works magically there in place of rice with its lovely toothsome texture and nutty flavour. It’s a (pseudo) grain I use a lot in both sweet and savoury recipes and it’s just as good in this salad.

All you need to finish things off are a handful of toasted walnuts for some crunch and parsley, lemon & shallots/red onion for a bit of freshness and zing.

Roasted Red Pepper, Cauliflower & Walnut Buckwheat Salad

Yield: 2-3 Servings

Roasted Red Pepper, Cauliflower & Walnut Buckwheat Salad

Ingredients

1 Small cauliflower, broken into florets
1 Red pepper
2 Tbsp Olive oil (divided)
1/2 C Buckwheat
1/4 C Roughly chopped walnuts
1/3 C Roughly chopped parsley
1/2 Shallot OR 1/4 Red onion, finely chopped
2 Tbsp Lemon juice
Salt & pepper

Instructions

Preheat oven to 190C/400F. Toss the cauliflower florets with 1 Tbsp of the olive oil, salt and pepper and spread on a baking sheet. Add the whole red pepper to the baking sheet. Roast the vegetables for 20-30 minutes until the cauliflower is brown and crisp at the edges and the pepper is charred and soft (You may need to remove the cauliflower from the baking sheet and cook the pepper an extra 5 or so minutes).
Chop the red pepper into pieces, removing most of the papery skin. It should come off easily.
Meanwhile, cook the buckwheat. Rinse well then place in a saucepan with 1C water. Bring to the boil, then turn down the heat and leave to simmer, covered for approx 15 minutes. Once all the water is absorbed, turn off the heat and leave to sit, covered, while you prepare the rest of the salad.
Toast the walnuts in a small pan over medium-high heat or on a small baking tray in the oven for approx 5 minutes.
Stir together all the ingredients, including the remaining Tbsp of olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper.

http://www.coconutandberries.com/2015/05/01/roasted-red-pepper-cauliflower-walnut-buckwheat-salad/

It’s a “Bank Holiday” weekend here in the UK so an extra day of free time for playing in the kitchen! Especially as it’s supposed to be rainy…

What are you planning on making? Long weekend or not.

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Moroccan Meat-less Balls with Pear & Tomato Sauce

Hi folks! Long time no speak! Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and are feeling rested and ready for the new year.

I was busy busy busy working up until Christmas Eve so I definitely appreciated some time off. I didn’t actually do any cooking on Christmas Day as my brother & family hosted again this year and insisted on making a dish for me. They actually chose one of the recipes on my blog! That one’s good for any occasion so definitely give it a try if you haven’t already.

Today’s recipe is a nice change of pace from holiday fare and the endless desserts that seem to come at this time of year. It will ease you back into healthy eating nicely as well since it’s one of those meals that’s so rich and delicious you’d never guess it was good for you.

I adapted the meat-less balls from the lovely Dreena Burton’s recipe which I’ve made a few times as written and loved. They’re made from a combination of nuts, oats and vegetables and have a pretty darn authentic taste and texture, wonderful served in the traditional way with pasta and marinara sauce.

I decided to leave Italy behind with my variation and headed to the Middle East (yep, I’m predictable!)! With this chilly weather I’m unsurprisingly craving warming meals and the dose of fiery harissa does the job nicely. The rich sauce with chunks of melt-in-the-mouth pear, along with the fragrant spices, bring that sweet meets savoury quality I’m so fond of.

I loved this dish served over quinoa or couscous but any leftovers are also great stuffed in a pita with some salad and a dollop of herby non-dairy yogurt.

Moroccan Meat-less Balls with Pear & Tomato Sauce

Yield: 4-6 Servings

Moroccan Meat-less Balls with Pear & Tomato Sauce

Ingredients

Meat-less Balls:

2 Tbsp Oil, divided
1 Medium onion, diced
1 Stalk of celery, diced
3/4 tsp Salt
1 Clove of garlic, minced
1 Tbsp Harissa
1-1/2 tsp Smoked paprika
1/2 tsp Chili flakes
Pinch of cinnamon
1/2 tsp Molasses
1/2 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
1-1/2 C Walnuts
1 C Rolled Oats

Pear & Tomato Sauce:

1 Tbsp Oil
2 Cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 tsp Salt
1 Tbsp Harissa paste
1 tsp Smoked paprika
1 Cinnamon stick
1 Bay leaf
1 Tbsp Coconut sugar
1 x 400g/14oz Can of chopped tomatoes
1 C Water
2 Firm pears, peeled and cut into large wedges/chunks
1 Tbsp Lemon juice

Instructions

For the meat-less balls:

Ina large pan, sauté the onion and celery in 1 Tbsp oil for 5-8 minutes. Add the garlic and salt and cook, stirring, for a further minute. Add the harissa, smoked paprika, chili flakes and cinnamon and cook for a further minute.
Transfer mixture to a food processor along with the remaining ingredients and process until the mixture becomes crumbly. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and process again, just until the mixture becomes sticky.
Refrigerate for at least 1/2 hour and up to overnight. Take small spoonfuls of the mixture, and roll into compact balls (N.b. if the mixture is crumbly, add a dash of water).
Heat the remaining Tbsp of oil in a large pan, add the balls and fry for 5-7 minutes, turning to brown all sides.

For the sauce:

In a medium pot, sauté the garlic over low heat for 2 minutes. Add the salt, harissa and smoked paprika and stir well. Add the cinnamon stick, bay leaf, coconut sugar, tomatoes and water and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for approx 30 minutes, or until sauce has thickened nicely. Add the pears and cook for a further 10 minutes, until just tender.
Add the lemon and check for seasoning.
Serve the meat-less balls in the sauce or topped with the sauce.

http://www.coconutandberries.com/2014/12/28/moroccan-meat-less-balls-pear-tomato-sauce/

If you haven’t tried harissa yet I recommend picking up a jar – or making your own! It’s wonderful in soups and stews, spread on flatbread, stirred into hummus and more.

What foods and flavours are you craving right now?

Apple Crumble Shortbread Bars

Hello hello and a belated happy Thanksgiving to my American friends! I got back this morning from a week’s holiday in St.Lucia! Sorry for just disappearing but I wasn’t organised enough to get any posts lined up for while I was away and wanted to take a complete break from blogging, social media, etc. during the holiday.

Anyway, we had a glorious time in paradise. Sun, sand, relaxation, good food and fun — everything I want in a holiday really! After a long overnight flight home with very little sleep I haven’t had the energy for anything much today so I’ve been catching up on what’s been happening in the blogosphere and planning more recipes of my own to share soon. Here’s one I made earlier…

I don’t think many could say they don’t like apple crumble – actually, my younger self would have said so, but as I’ve mentioned before, I was ultra fussy growing up and didn’t like ANY fruit, even in crumble or cakes, until I was in my late teens. But even if I wasn’t eating crumble as a child, it’s still associated in my mind with happy Sunday lunches as a family.

I’m sure nostalgia adds to its appeal, but warm, sweet and crunchy, I think I’d still find it comforting even without any memories attached.

For this recipe I’ve taken my beloved apple crumble (veganized of course) and combined it with another British favourite – shortbread! The buttery biscuit base is especially lovely against the soft apples and nutty crumble topping and takes the popular pudding to new heights.

This is a vegan and gluten-free dessert you can confidently serve to both herbivores and omnivores and expect rave reviews.

Especially topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a spoonful of custard (non-dairy), these Apple Crumble Shortbread Bars are certainly my idea of a perfect winter dessert.

Apple Crumble Shortbread Bars

Yield: 8 squares (recipe can be halved)

Apple Crumble Shortbread Bars

Ingredients

Shortbread Base

1 C Oat flour
1/3 C Coconut flour
Pinch of salt
1/4 C Melted coconut oil
1/4 C Maple syrup
1 tsp Vanilla extract

Apples

6 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
1/4 C Coconut sugar

Crumble topping

1/2 C Oats
1/4 C + 2 Tbsp Oat flour
1/4 C Chopped walnuts
Pinch of salt
3 Tbsp Coconut sugar
1/2 tsp Cinnamon (optional)
1/4 tsp Ground ginger (optional)
Few gratings of fresh nutmeg (optional)
2 Tbsp melted Coconut oil

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F and lightly grease an 8 x 8 " pan with coconut oil.
For the shortbread, combine the oat and coconut flours and salt in a medium bowl, then add the coconut oil, maple syrup and vanilla and mix together to form a dough. Press the mix evenly into the prepared pan and prick all over with a fork. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until just beginning to turn golden. Set aside to cool slightly until the other components are ready.
Place the apples in a medium pan with the sugar. Cover and set over a low heat until the juice begins to come out of the apples. Slightly increase the heat and cook until the apples are soft, then set aside.
Make the crumble by mixing all the dry ingredients together in a bowl (everything except the coconut oil), then add the melted coconut oil and stir to mix through.
Spread the apples over the shortbread base, leaving behind any liquid in the pan as that will make your shortbread soggy. Sprinkle the crumble mixture evenly over the apples then return the pan to the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes.
Leave to cool for at least 5 minutes before slicing and serving.
Serve with non-dairy ice cream or custard

http://www.coconutandberries.com/2014/11/30/apple-crumble-shortbread-bars/

I’ve got quite a few childhood desserts that I haven’t got around to veganizing yet but I’ll certainly share any successes.

What were your favourites growing up? Any special family recipes?

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Autumn Kale Salad (with Roast Pumpkin & Walnuts)

This autumn is only my second writing Coconut and Berries but I did read blogs for a few years before that so I’m fairly used to the pumpkin fever that takes over the blogosphere come October time.

Before that, pumpkins to me were simply Halloween decorations and it didn’t even cross my mind that you could eat the stuff, let alone in desserts! I finally took the plunge last year and was introduced to the deliciousness that is pumpkin pie and also discovered how well pumpkin works in baking- it keeps my Chocolate Pumpkin & Cranberry Muffins really rich and moist.

Canned pumpkin still isn’t the easiest thing to get hold of in England (though it is becoming more common) but I spied some whole pumpkins on my usual Sunday morning farmers’ market visit and thought I’d pick one up and join in the pumpkin fun.

FYI, you can definitely make your own pumpkin purée to use in desserts and baking. It’s hardly more difficult than opening up a can, probably cheaper, and some say it’s actually tastier.

But pumpkin is also delicious prepared as you would your favourite squash. Just dice it, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle over a little seasoning and roast until sweet and tender.

The chunky cubes of pumpkin are lovely in this autumn kale salad, and with beans, toasted nuts and a simple dressing, you’ve got a substantial meal.

You can either briefly steam the kale or just massage it well with the dressing to soften it up before tossing with the other ingredients.

Autumn Kale Salad (with Roast Pumpkin & Walnuts)

Yield: 2-4 Servings

Autumn Kale Salad (with Roast Pumpkin & Walnuts)

Ingredients

500g/18oz Peeled, diced pumpkin OR squash
1 Tbsp Oil
1/2 Bunch of kale, washed, tough stems removed and chopped into bite-size pieces (approx 125g/4oz when prepared)
1 C Cooked white beans
1/4 C (heaping) Toasted walnuts

Dressing:

2 Tbsp Olive oil
1 Tbsp Maple syrup
1 tsp Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp Lemon juice
Salt & Pepper

Instructions

Preheat oven to 200C/400F. Toss diced pumpkin with 1 Tbsp oil, salt and pepper, spread on a baking sheet and roast for approx 25 minutes, stirring half-way through.
Meanwhile, whisk together all the ingredients for the dressing and either steam the kale for a few minutes, just until it turns vibrant green, or massage with half the dressing (use your hands and be aggressive!) until it softens.
When the pumpkin is ready, add to the kale along with half the dressing (if not yet added), beans, and the walnuts. Add remaining dressing to taste.

http://www.coconutandberries.com/2014/10/03/autumn-kale-salad-roast-pumpkin-walnuts/

Don’t forget to enter my giveaway for a chance to win a copy of “The Vegan Cookie Fairy’s Little Book of Chocolate”!

Blueberry Coconut Cream Parfaits

Hi folks! Sorry I missed my regular end-of-the-week post on Friday/Saturday. My dissertation was causing me grief, and then some other stuff came up so blogging simply had to wait. BUT, I’ve handed in my dissertation (first draft only…) today, so we’re celebrating!

Blueberries aren’t my favourite berry. That prize goes to strawberries, British of course, which I’ll quite happily eat with no adornment. Blueberries definitely have their place but I like them IN things. Muffins, smoothies, waffles, compote…these Blueberry Coconut Cream Parfaits! I’ve just realized that this is another very appropriate recipe for the blog- coconut and berries again!

For creamy vegan pudding and mousses, cashews are probably the most widely-used ingredient these days, but back when I was a newbie vegan, it was all about the silken tofu. Who remembers tofu chocolate mousse?! That was one of my favourites…

I revisited the magic of tofu in desserts with my delightful Little Lemon Pots and am doing so again with today’s recipe. If you’ve never used tofu in a dessert, there’s nothing to be afraid of. When blended up with a few other ingredients it makes a silky smooth pudding that you’ll love.

There’s a lot of scare-mongering out there about soy, but unless you’re allergic, I’m of the opinion that it’s totally fine to eat soy foods from time to time, especially in their more traditional forms (tempeh, edamame, natto, miso and tofu). Just make sure you buy non-GMO and organic. (UK friends, I use Clearspring Organic tofu).

The coconut in this recipe comes from another of my favourite ingredients-coconut butter. It adds a little extra richness and stability to both the coconut and blueberry layers as well as a hint of coconutty flavour. I like a little textural contrast so I topped the creamy stuff with some crunchy clusters of toasted nuts, oats and coconut.

I hope you enjoy these as much as me. And if you do make them, please share your pictures with me on Facebook or Instagram (using the hashtag #coconutandberries so I don’t miss them). I love seeing your recreations!

Blueberry Coconut Cream Parfaits

Yield: 2-3 Servings (can easily be doubled)

Blueberry Coconut Cream Parfaits

Ingredients

Coconut layer

3oz/85g/1/4 pkg Silken tofu
2 Tbsp Melted coconut butter
1 Tbsp Lemon juice
1 Tbsp Coconut OR Agave nectar

Blueberry layer

1 C Fresh blueberries
3oz/85g/1/4 pkg Silken tofu
1-1/2 Tbsp Lemon juice
1-1/2 Tbsp Coconut or Agave nectar
1 Tbsp Melted Coconut butter

Coco-Nut-Oat Topping

2 Tbsp Chopped walnuts
2 Tbsp Chopped pecans
2 Tbsp Oats (GF if necessary)
2 Tbsp Shredded coconut
1/2 Tbsp Melted coconut oil
1/2 Tbsp Coconut OR Agave nectar

Instructions

Blend all ingredients for the coconut layer together until smooth. Remove to a bowl, cover and refrigerate for a couple of hours to thicken.
Blend all ingredients for the blueberry layer together until smooth. Remove to a bowl, cover and refrigerate for a couple of hours to thicken.
I prefer to toast the ingredients for the topping for extra flavour, but you can skip this step if you're short on time. Place the nuts, oats and coconut in a small pan over medium heat and toast for approx. 5 minutes, or until everything starts smelling really good! Remove to a bowl, stir through the melted coconut oil and coconut nectar then place in the freezer for approx. 15 minutes to harden.
When ready to serve, divide the blueberry pudding between 2-3 glasses, top with the coconut cream (reserve a tiny bit for the very top if desired), then break up the nutty mixture into clusters and divide them between the glasses too. Finally top with a few fresh blueberries and serve.

Notes

*These keep fine for 24 hours in the fridge but are best served immediately after making.

*A magic bullet type blender works well for these small amounts. I use a Tribest Personal Blender

http://www.coconutandberries.com/2014/08/04/blueberry-coconut-cream-parfaits/

I might have got a little snap happy, but just look at that gorgeous colour!

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[I’m sharing this recipe at the weekly Virtual Vegan Linky Potluck]