Warming Carrot and Coconut Soup

I love soup! I could eat soup every night of the week and be perfectly satisfied. There are so many flavour combinations, so many ingredients that the possibilities are almost endless. As it is nearly March and there are signs of Spring in Devon (my absolute favourite time of the year) I was inspired to make a bright and cheerful soup to warm me up on a blustery evening. School is pretty hectic as usual and with only 5 weeks of this half of term I am beginning to feel rising panic! Our year group is being moderated this year and with parents' evening next week I needed a bit of cooking-therapy. This soup was thrown together as a little trial but it came out so wonderfully well that I thought I should share. It is a Paleo friendly recipe and completely vegan, gluten free, dairy free and grain free. I hope you enjoy it!

Serves 4-6

You will need:

Blender

a little coconut oil or olive oil to fry off the vegetables

700ml -1l of home-made or good quality vegetable stock (check it has no hidden sugar, gluten etc)

1 red onion, roughly chopped

2 garlic cloves, diced

2 large leeks, trimmed and cut into semi-circle coins

600g carrots, cut into coins

1 tbsp freshly grated ginger (take off skin first)

1 heaped tsp turmeric

3 cardamom pods

1 cup full fat coconut milk plus a little extra to serve

handful of coriander - about 2 tbsp - roughly chopped plus extra to serve

salt and pepper 

Chop all the vegetables and prepare the stock and keep it warm. Warm the coconut oil or olive oil in a deep pan. Gently fry off the onion, garlic and leeks until soft and beginning to brown. Add the carrots and grated ginger and cook for a further 2 minutes. 

Whilst this is happening prepare the cardamom. Break open the pods, pick out the seeds and discard the cases. Grind the seeds and then add this, as well as the turmeric, to the vegetables. Add a little salt and pepper - add more after blending if needs be.

Stir the mixture until all the vegetables are coated in the spices and the aromas develop. Add the stock and bring to the boil then reduce the heat and simmer for 20-25 minutes until the carrots are fork tender. At this point add the coconut milk and the chopped coriander.

Transfer to a blender and blend until smooth. Transfer back to a clean pot and warm through. Taste and then add salt and pepper to taste.

Ladle into big bowls and garnish with finely chopped coriander and a little extra coconut milk. Enjoy with a piece of my Caveman Paleo Bread. Springtime in a bowl!

Vegan Chocolate Fudge Brownies

I think it is now quite obvious that I am a chocoholic. I use cacao in most things - smoothies, pancakes, baking, coyo and sometimes in stews. It is such a great taste and also extremely good for you. Bonus! These fudgy chocolate brownies are too good not to share. They are moist and gooey - exactly how I like my brownies. They are not fluffy and crumbly so if that's your thing stop right now and move on....They are made with sweet potatoes which gives the gooey texture and sweetened with dates and a little maple syrup. I added a little cinnamon but this is totally optional as are the nuts, which you could switch up with any other nuts you like. Macadamias work really well and my favourites are pecans as they give an extra caramel taste. These are great on their own or warmed up with some coyo and berries. I used a blend of buckwheat and ground almonds as the flour to bind everything. Contrary to the name, buckwheat is not a wheat and is actually related to the rhubarb family. It is a seed and sometimes called a pseudo-cereal - not a cereal but not quite a seed, so some Paleo followers call it a 'safe cheat'. I follow a Paleo diet 80% of the time so I do use buckwheat occasionally, safe in the knowledge that it is completely gluten free. However, if you are a coeliac, be cautious when using buckwheat as some have had similar reactions to this flour as with gluten. It seems to be different from person to person, so if you are not sure, use brown rice flour instead.

You will need:

Food processor

600g sweet potato (orange)

14 medjool dates - 180g

100g buckwheat flour

80g ground almonds

4 tbsp raw cacao powder

3 tbsp pure maple syrup

1-2 tbsp almond milk

1 tsp cinnamon

50g roughly chopped hazelnuts 

extra cacao for dusting, and your favourite toppings - coyo, berries, flaked almonds

Pre-heat the oven to 160 degrees C for fan assisted. Line a roasting tin with baking parchment and lightly grease with a little melted coconut oil.

Peel the potatoes and cut off the ends. Chop into bite sized chunks and boil for 15-20 minutes until they are super soft. Place into a food processor with the pitted dates. Blend until smooth and creamy.

In a separate bowl add all the other ingredients and stir. Add the sweet potato and dates and stir again until fully combined. Place the mix into the prepared tin and bake for 20-30 minutes. Test with a fork and if it comes out clean, it is ready!

Leave to cool in the tin for at least 10 minutes before cutting into squares and removing to a wire rack. They are yummy warm or leave to cool completely and dust with cacao powder. They should last for 4-5 days in an airtight container. Serve with banana 'nice' cream or with coyo and berries - perfect! 

Spiced Chocolate Orange Brownie Bites

Last weekend a friend asked me to make some Paleo snacks, savoury or sweet but easy to carry and full of energy. Challenge accepted! I was looking forward to a lot of tasting but (sadly) there was not a lot of taste testing as I managed to make these first time round and they are absolutely delicious (huzzah!). So scrummy and packed full of goodness, these are quick to make and will last for a week to 10 days in a sealed container in the fridge. Although I highly doubt they will survive that long, I am really struggling not to eat the whole lot in one go. This mixture makes about 30 bites, depending on how big your bite is. I have wrapped them in batches of 2 or 3 with a little baking parchment so that they are easy to grab and go. 

You will need:

1 mixer

1 small baking tray

baking parchment

For the brownie bites:

200g almonds

400g pitted dates

4 tbsp raw cacao powder

2 tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice

grated zest of half an orange

2 tbsp melted coconut oil

2tbsp almond butter

2 tbsp linseed

1/2 heaped tsp cinnamon

Line a small baking tray with baking parchment. It helps if you scrunch it up first then smooth it out again into the base of your tray. Place the almonds into the food processor and whizz until all crushed. 

Pit the dates and add those, then all of the other ingredients and whizz again for about 30 seconds until everything is mixed.

Tip the mixture onto the tray and spread out. Press the mixture down firmly with your fingertips and pop into your freezer for 1 hour until set.

Cut into bite sized pieces, pop one in your mouth and enjoy a burst of flavours and energy.

To store them I suggest placing a piece of baking parchment between each one to make it easier to grab them. I then wrap 2 or 3 together to make a handy parcel for when I'm on the go. 

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

For me, cooking is a release, it is my own sanctuary and a little bit of daily therapy. There are days when I cannot wait to get home and start cooking, even if it is just a poached egg. I have had a pretty busy week at work and had a soup (this soup) lined up to cook on Wednesday. I got home too late and so had a quick supper of avocado on my caveman bread, rocket salad with tahini and lime dressing and some smoked salmon. Pretty tasty but not quite what I had been looking forward to. The same happened on Thursday, so I finally made this delicious and wholesome soup on Friday. I so enjoyed the process and soon the stress and troubles of the week flowed out of me. It was like having a massage. My muscles released, my brow smoothed again. Does anyone else get this kind of feeling from cooking, or am I just a tiny bit crazy? 

Anyway, angst removed and feathers smoothed I dived into this glorious bowl of nourishing and tasty soup. I added a little honey to the roasting of the squash but you don't have to if you don't want to. It does had a richness to the final taste and the amount is not a lot. This serves 2 as a main course or 4 smaller portions. Serve with a slice or two of thinly sliced and toasted Caveman bread.

You will need:

1 large butternut squash or 2 small, peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks

2 large carrots, peeled and chopped into discs

600-700 ml good vegetable or chicken stock

1 heaped tsp smoked paprika

1 large red onion, peeled and diced

3 garlic cloves, peeled and diced

300g leeks, top and tailed and chopped into semi-circles

1-2 tsp organic runny honey

300ml coconut milk

juice of half a lime

salt

pepper

olive oil/coconut oil

pumpkin seeds to garnish

Re-heat your oven to 190 degrees C and put your prepared squash onto a tray with a generous glug of olive oil, then drizzle over the honey and salt and pepper. Roast for 30-40 minutes, shaking them up halfway through.

Whilst the squash is roasting, prepare all the other vegetables. Fry off the onions and garlic until soft and browning, add the carrots and leeks and fry off until the leeks soften. Add the paprika and stir so all the vegetables are covered. Add the hot stock and bring to the boil. Turn the heat down and simmer for another 15-20 minutes. Add in your squash, lime juice and another twist of pepper. Pour into a blender and blend until smooth. Put back into a clean pot over a medium heat and stir in the coconut milk. Warm through for a minute or so and serve immediately. Garnish with some pumpkin seeds or a little swirl of coconut milk. You can keep this in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 5 days or freeze on the day of making for up to 3 months. 

Raw Smoothie Breakfast Bowl

This week is a big week for me at school so I need a proper breakfast to set me up for the day everyday this week! Not difficult as I love breakfast. I could eat breakfast meals all day. This little gem is a nana-icecream base with my own Chocolate Nut Spread and a pot of coyo added in. If you do not have any raw chocolate spread, and don't feel like making any (although I urge you to do so as it mouthgasmic), then simply substitute for 1 table spoon of almond butter and 1-2 teaspoons of raw cacao powder. I hope you love this as much as I do. I nearly made another batch but managed to resist. Just.

For 1 portion you will need:

1 frozen banana

1 handful of blueberries plus some for the top

1 tbsp of raw chocolate spread (or 1 tbsp almond butter, 1 tsp raw cacao powder)

1 pot of natural coyo

few almonds for the top

sprinkle of cocoa nibs

pinch of shredded coconut

Peel your banana and pop into a blender along with the coyo, chocolate spread and a handful of blueberries. If you are using cacao powder make sure you add it on top of the coyo so that it doesn't get stuck at the bottom. Blend until it is smooth and creamy. Pour into a pretty bowl to make your breakfast even more enjoyable! 

Top with the remaining blueberries, almonds, coconut and cocoa nibs. Prepare for a little rave in our mouth. 

Paleo Pizza with Goat Cheese, Wild Rocket and Prosciutto

Just so you understand, I LOVE PIZZA. Always have. And now thanks to this little beauty of a recipe I always will. I tried a cauliflower version but I'm afraid we didn't agree with one another! This is so delicious, crisp and tasty that I can safely say it satisfies my pizza craving and doesn't leave me bloated or feeling guilty. It is also super easy and quick to make. The base is completely gluten, dairy and grain free. The top is too except for the organic goat cheese, so you can skip that it you like. If you are going to use cheese - of any kind - and follow a Paleo diet use organic and grass fed as a minimum. If possible you need unpasteurised but that is sometimes quite difficult to get a hold of. Even if you don't follow a Paleo lifestyle, it is important to source the best ingredients you are able to as this really does improve the flavours and the quality of food you are eating. Goat cheese obviously has no lactose and is therefore perfectly fine for those with a lactose intolerance. I now follow a Paleo diet most of the time but occasionally I dip into the so-called Lacto-Paleo world and have organic, grass fed butter or a little goat cheese or mozzarella. Sometimes I use capers and anchovies instead of the cheese and prosciutto as a topping and they also go really well with wild rocket. 

You will need:

Baking parchment

Baking sheet

Oven to 180 degrees centigrade

Food processor

For the base:

3 eggs

1/2 cup coconut flour

1 cup full fat coconut milk

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp basil or oregano

2 garlic cloves, very finely chopped

For the tomato sauce:

1 cup passata - check the ingredients to make sure no added sugar or nasties!

6 baby plum tomatoes, cut in half

1 tsp oregano

pepper

For the toppings:

50 g full fat, organic and grass fed goats' cheese

3 slices of prosciutto 

few olives - check no added sugar, if there is rinse in boiling water before using

5 or 6 sun dried tomatoes - again check no added sugar, rinse in boiling water if needed

1 tbsp toasted pine nuts - be careful not to over do them!

large handful of wild rocket

olive oil to drizzle

To make the base, heat your oven to 180 and place the baking sheet in to warm up. Scrunch up the baking parchment and then smooth out again and drizzle a little olive oil over. Leave this to one side.

Place all your ingredients except the coconut milk into a food processor and add half of the coconut milk. Start mixing the ingredients and add more milk as needed. You want the mixture to form a smooth paste. You need to be a bit careful about the liquid content as it won't cook properly if it is too wet.

Take out the baking sheet and pop the greased parchment on top. Use a spatula to smooth the 'dough' into whatever shape you desire! You want it fairly thin so you get a nice crisp base. Place into the oven for 12-15 minutes but check after 10 to make sure it isn't burning. 

Whilst the base is cooking you can make the sauce. Into a pan, pour the passata and drop in the halved plum tomatoes, a little pepper and the oregano. Bring to a simmer for 5-10 minutes until you have reduced by a third and you have a thicker consistency. Carefully toast your pine nuts in a small frying pan (no extra oil needed), but be really careful not to burn them. 

When the base is slightly golden, take it out of the oven but don't turn it off and spread the tomato sauce on top, crumble over the cheese and then add the olives, sun dried tomatoes and prosciutto. Put back into the oven for another 10-15 minutes. 

To serve scatter the wild rocket on top, followed by the toasted pine nuts and a little drizzle of olive oil. Happy eating!

Hot Chocolate Chia

Oh my goodness it has been ever so chilly in Devon the last few weeks. And I ran out of oil so I've had no heating....brrrrr. I woke up the other day in a room which read 5 degrees on the thermostat and just couldn't bring myself to have a cold chia pudding for breakfast. This little recipe is the same base as my Breakfast Chia Pudding but hot and chocolatey! Even better! Try adding cinnamon and ginger for a spiced version.

You will need:

1 large jar

At least 6 hours!

5 tbsp chia seeds

half a banana 

1 tbsp almond butter

300 ml almond milk

1-2 tsp date syrup

2 handfuls raspberries

flaked almonds

cocoa nibs

The night before, place your banana, 1 handful of raspberries, almond butter, almond milk and date syrup into a blender. Blend until smooth and creamy. Pour into the jar and stir in your chia seeds. I usually let it settle for an hour or 2 then give it a quick stir before going to bed. 

In the morning pour into a pan and heat over a low heat with the cacao powder. Keep string so that the powder is fully combined with the pudding.

Pour into a bowl - or enormous teacup like mine - and decorate the top with extra banana, the rest of the raspberries, flaked almonds and cacao nibs. This is deliciously yummy and warming. 

Caveman Paleo Bread

Before I gave up gluten I would gorge myself on bread. I loved bread. And still do. Luckily I have always been a big fan of rye bread and this Caveman Paleo Bread is as close to that as possible. It is dense, crumbly and oh so nutty. Just perfect with avocado, smoked salmon and poached eggs! I always have a slice or two with soup and it is great with a spread of almond butter on top. Cut it thinly and toast to enjoy it at its best. I have made this with half olive oil and half coconut oil and it came out just as perfectly. Fell free to mix up the nut/seed mix but make sure it all adds up to the same weight. 

You will need:

1 loaf tin - lined with baking parchment

Large mixing bowl

Hand whisk or free-standing mixer

100g pumpkin seeds

100g sunflower seeds

100g almonds

100g hazelnuts

100g linseed

50g chia seeds

50g flaxseed

5 eggs

1/2 cup melted coconut oil

pinch of sea salt

1/2 mashed banana

Heat your oven to 180 degrees centigrade. Put all the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl and stir to mix altogether. In a separate bowl whisk the eggs and oil together. Pour this into the dry and keep mixing with the hand mixer for 30 seconds. 

Pour into your loaf tine and bake for 40-45 minutes. Take out of the oven and leave to cool for 10 minutes before lifting it out with the edges of the parchment. Leave to cool completely. The bread normally lasts well for 8-9 days in a sealed tin or bag. 

Raw Chocolate Spread

Happy World Nutella Day! I used to be addicted to Nutella and would have in/on almost everything before I cut out sugar and processed foods. I was reminded by the lovely Mrs P that it was National Nutella Day today and I suddenly had a craving to make my own. This recipe is a complete fluke but I am so happy it turned out well. It is not overly sweet so I would add more date syrup if you want a sweeter spread. Equally you may find that the consistency is too thick for you so add more nut milk if you need to. I roasted the nut for a richer taste and it worked very well. If you can, it's worth brushing off the skins of the hazelnuts after roasting them. This will give you a smoother consistency. I was eating the remains out of the mixer but I will be enjoying some on my Caveman Paleo Bread in the morning and on my pancakes on Shrove Tuesday! I hope your taste buds enjoy this little treat. 

You will need:

1 jam jar

50g almonds

100g hazelnuts

4 tsp date syrup 

1/3 cup nut milk (I used almond)

2 heaped tbsp raw cacao powder

Heat your oven to 180 degrees centigrade and pop the nuts on a baking sheet. Roast for 8-10 minutes and then leave out to cool completely. At this point you can brush off the hazelnut skins. 

Place your roasted hazelnuts and almonds into a blender and blend until smooth and liquid-y. This may take 2-3 minutes depending on how strong your blender is. 

Add the date syrup, nut milk and cacao powder and blend again for about 1 minute. You will want to scrap down the sides half way through to make sure it's all combined. Add your milk a little at a time until you reach the desired consistency. To make this a dip for fruit, add more almond milk to thin it out slightly. 

Pace into a jam jar or kilner and this will keep for a few weeks - but no double dipping of spoons! 

Chia Breakfast Pudding

My first experience of a chia pudding was not one I care to remember. It was bland, chewy and frankly I felt cheated out of a proper meal. I really did think that everyone was going mad, for this was not 'awesome' or 'insane'. It was bllurghhhh. Since then, however, I have persevered and tried various different additions which I have come to adore. This recipe was originally from Deliciously Ella with a few additions and tweaks along the way. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. It really is mouthgasmic. This makes one large portion or two smaller ones. You can use honey or pure maple syrup in place of the date syrup if you prefer. 

You will need:

1 large jar

At least 6 hours!

5 tbsp chia seeds

half a banana 

1 tbsp almond butter

300 ml almond milk

1-2 tsp date syrup

2 handfuls of blueberries

1 handful raspberries

flaked almonds

cocoa nibs

The night before, place your banana, 1 handful of blueberries, almond butter, almond milk and date syrup into a blender. Blend until smooth and creamy. Pour into the jar and stir in your chia seeds. I usually let it settle for an hour or 2 then give it a quick stir before going to bed. 

In the morning layer up your pudding - give it a stir first - with the blueberries and raspberries, making ure you have a few raspberries for the top. Sprinkle on your flaked almonds and cocoa nibs. Pumpkin seeds also work well or a little dessicated coconut. Et voilà! A delicious breakfast bursting full of goodness and flavours. 

Sweet potato and chicken curry

My boyfriend is an amazing cook. He creates these incredible meals with scraps and not much more but they always come out tasting insanely good. He has a gift. Sadly he is away travelling for work a lot so I have taken to trying to recreate his dishes with a Paleo twist. The following is his original recipe but with some additions and maybe one ingredient which some Paleo purists will disagree with. The humble pea. When I originally transferred to eating the Paleo way, I thought all legumes were off limits. I accepted this and carried on cooking without out them. Quite by accident I came across several articles which said that peas could be enjoyed as part of a Paleo diet, so long as you didn't make them a staple. They have much less of the nasty phytates and the lecithins aren't as toxic or as numerous as with other legumes. I read a piece in the Paleo Magazine which helped to make things slightly clearer. It seems if they are fresh and not dried and you eat them occasionally then they are ok. Phew, justification over, let's get back to the serious matter of cooking. You'll need a good spice selection but a pestle and mortar is not obligatory! 

Serves 2 very hungry/greedy people or 4 normal ones!

You will need:

4 - 6 chicken things, preferable free range/organic, take the skin off

1 large sweet potato, peeled and chopped into 1 inch chunks

Plenty of fresh coriander

500 ml of good chicken stock (you may need a little more to add in the cooking process)

2 large white onions

2-3 garlic cloves

1/3 cup coconut milk

1 tsp coconut oil

1 cup fresh peas

pinch sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

5 cardamom pods

few sprigs of thyme

1 tsp garam masala

1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp cumin seed

1/2 - 1 tsp cayenne pepper (to taste)

1/2 tsp allspice

1 tsp fenugreek 

1/2 tsp coriander seed

1/2 tsp ginger

Pop all the spices and the thyme into a pestle and mortar (or small bowl and handle of wooden spoon) and mix them up. Gently and only slightly crush the cardamom pods.

Gently melt the coconut oil over a medium heat in a deep pan. Brown the chicken thighs on both sides. Add the spices, thyme, salt and pepper and stir so that the mix covers the meat. Continue cooking for 1 minute. Take a moment to enjoy the aromas being released. Add the onions and garlic and fry off until the onions begin to soften. 

Add the sweet potatoes and the stock, bring to the boil then turn down and simmer for about 40 minutes (you may need to add a little more stock depending of how thick you want it to be) until the potatoes can be squashed against the side of the pan. Add the peas and a handful of freshly chopped coriander and stir through. Finally add your coconut milk and simmer gently for 30 seconds. 

Serve in bowls with a little extra coriander sprinkled on top. A delicious and nutritious dish that is packed full of flavour and goodness. Enjoy!

Coconut and berry breakfast pot

I slept really badly last night. Woke up in the small hours thinking about what I could be doing instead of wasting time sleeping. I curled up and forced my eyes shut for about half an hour. Then I made a terrible mistake. I looked at my phone. Cue the next hour fiddling around and not really doing much apart from feeding my social media addiction. When I eventually got back to sleep, I woke up feeling groggy and not at all rested. I craved something fresh to try and wipe away the taste of my dalliance with a night-time spent flicking through my Pinterest board, and hoping someone would like a picture from my Instagram. Sad but true and in the end I really did waste time.

My little breakfast pots are quick and easy to make and I find them very restorative after a bad night's sleep. You could use normal yoghurt if you'd rather but the coconut flavour and creaminess of coyo is heavenly. I sometimes sweeten mine with a little date syrup (see earlier post) or add cocoa nibs with the pumpkin seeds. Whatever you do I promise you won't be disappointed and on the plus side this is a hit with children too!

          

Serves 1 hungry, groggy soul

You will need: 

small jam jar or bowl

handful of raspberries

handful of blueberries

1 tsp almond butter

1 tsp pumpkin seeds

1 small pot of coyo

1/4 tsp raw cacao powder

                                                       

Mix the cacao in with the coyo and stir until all combined. Make sure you incorporate all the powder as it will not be a nice surprise if you find a dry bit of cacao when you eat it. Carefully layer the yoghurt and then fruit. Top with your almond butter, seeds and one more raspberry. Not only is this very quick but it is so pretty too! You'll have a smile on your face for that reason alone.