Crunchy Peanut Pad Thai Salad

Salad ingredients

1/4 large head of white cabbage (or red – which ever you prefer), finely sliced
2 large carrots, grated

Add the shredded cabbage, grated carrot and sliced coriander into a big mixing bowl and toss together.

Sauce:

2 heaped tablespoons creamy smooth peanut butter (I use the Woolworths organic smooth peanut butter or OhMega peanut butter, make sure no added salt or sugar)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon sesame oil (optional)
1 tablespoon maple syrup / local sustainable honey
1 tablespoon water
1 thumb sized piece of fresh ginger
handful of chopped fresh coriander (approx 20g)

Topping:

Sesame seeds – lightly toasted on a dry pan
Pumpkin seeds – lightly toasted

Put all of the sauce ingredients in blender and whizz up until smooth. If you don’t have a blender then whisk together until smooth and add grated or finely chopped ginger (or can use 1 tsp ginger powder instead)

Add the sauce to the salad ingredients and mix it all up with your hands – make sure its all coated.

Top with toasted seeds of choice (I add toasted sesame seeds which you toast on a dry pan for 5 minutes).

TOP TIP:

If you want to take this for a big lunch, to make it more filling consider adding some delicious tofu – stir fry for 5 minutes until the edges are crispy then add soy sauce and fry for another minute until caramelised.
This sauce is also amazing to add to buckwheat noodle salads – basically just add same ingredients (minus half the cabbage) and some sliced cucumber and you are all set !
I also use this sauce as a dipping sauce for Vietnamese summer rolls (see one of my first posts for full recipe)

Heavenly Hummus

This home made hummus is the simplest, easiest and most delicious hummus that I make every single week at home. A trick to ensure an ongoing supply is to buy dry chickpeas in bulk and cook a lot up at the start of each week, therefore allowing you an endless supply of all things bean based.

Ingredients

2.5 cups cooked chickpeas (best to soak and cook from dry but 2 tins of drained chickpeas work just fine too)

4 tablespoons tahini

1/3rd cup lemon juice or juice of 2 lemons

1 large garlic clove

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup water / just enough water to cover the chickpeas

Method:

Add all of the ingredients to a blender / nutribullet and process until the hummus is smooth. If too thick, taste and add more water or lemon juice to your liking.

Top with paprika or zaatar spice, chickpeas and a glug of olive oil.

Enjoy 🌿

Health facts:

Chickpeas are high in fiber and protein as well as antioxidants. Recent studies have shown that eating a single portion of chickpeas (or red lentils) promotes the feeling of satiety after meals, contributing to improved weight management. They also have the potential to modulate the intestinal microbial composition to promote intestinal health in humans.

References:

1. https://nutritionfacts.org/video/benefits-of-lentils-and-chickpeas/

2. http://whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=58

Blueberry Oats

These oats are a top favorite and easy breakfast, packed full of whole grains and nutrients – enough to keep you full and ready to go all morning. Oats are an incredible source of fiber which is important for gut health, aiding in digestion as well as having the special quality of regulating blood sugar and cholesterol levels. Blueberries are rich sources of antioxidants, anti-inflammatory components and aid in lowering blood pressure levels.

Some of their antioxidant properties may traverse the blood-brain barrier, potentially providing neuroprotective effects by defending against free radicals—that is, protecting against the “rusting” of the brain. Indeed, blueberries appear to improve memory abilities in older adults exhibiting early cognitive deterioration and may protect against Parkinson’s. Blueberries have also been shown to reduce the oxidative stress in athletes caused by long-distance running and doubling the counts of their natural killer cells, white blood cells that are vital members of the immune system’s rapid-response team against virus-infected and cancerous cells.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup plant based milk of choice m

1/2 cup blueberries (or mixed berries / raspberry / strawberry)

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp turmeric + a shake of black pepper

Optional toppings (pimp yo’ porridge)

– Nut butter: peanut and almond are a favorite

– coconut flakes

– raisins / goji berry

– seeds: pumpkin, sunflower, ground flax, ground chia, hemp

Method:

Put oats, water, milk, blueberries and spices in a pot and heat over low heat for 5-10 min until thick and creamy with a deep colour.

Pour into the bowl and add toppings of choice –> enjoy 🌿

References for nutritional information: