Vegan curried couscous salad

My adaptation from The Daring Gourmet food blog.

Told ya I was gonna spice things up this New Year (literally). So, without further adieu I introduce you curried couscous.

2 cups uncooked wholewheat couscous
2-3 small wild carrots, finely shredded (I used one orange, one white and one yellow)
3 spring onions, sliced small
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 cup canned chickpeas, rinsed
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup raw walnuts

Dressing:
3 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp water
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp curry powder
1 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp black pepper

Cook couscous according to packet instructions then set aside – usually it’s just adding hot water, covering with a plate, waiting then fluffing with a fork.

Prepare dressing by whisking all dressing ingredients together until well combined.

Add carrots, spring onion, parsley, chickpeas, raisins and walnuts to cooked couscous and mix together with a wooden spoon.

To finish, add the  dressing, a little at a time, stirring to combine between additions. For best results, cover and refrigerate overnight so the flavours have time to meld.

Carrot cake everything

My sister and brother-in-law arrive tomorrow! Today, with the help of my beautiful friend Mina, I made my carrot cake cupcakes and carrot cake truffles for them! Hope this shows how much I carrot about them <3

Persian-inspired spinach loaf

Housebound and food-obsessed. Can’t stop baking! Don’t worry I’m not eating everything (seriously) but instead sharing with my wonderful neighbours, friends and colleagues. Yes, I’m sooo lovely.

This savoury loaf is super easy to prepare and tastes/reminds me of a childhood and typical Persian dip: mast o seer (literally: yoghurt and garlic). It’s deliciously fragrant of yoghurt, garlic, turmeric and cumin. Mmmmm I feel I’m back at home with my mama when I’m having it.

3 free range eggs
1/2 cup of yoghurt (you can use dairy-free if you wish)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large grated carrot
1 clove of garlic (mashed)
200grams spinach (roughly chopped)
1 1/2 cups of wholemeal flour (or any GF variety will do)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp sea salt and black pepper
1 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp of cumin

topping:
1/4 cup of pumpkin seeds

Start mixing ingredients together, one by one, in above order.

Pour into a greased or lined loaf tin

Top with pumpkin seeds and a sprinkle of black pepper then bake for 45-50 min at 180C.

Enjoy warm 5 minutes after taking it out of the oven.

Carrot Cake Cupcakes (that children, is ‘alliteration’)

Because the balls alone did not satisfy. (Get your mind out of the gutter!)

2 cups grated carrots
2 cups almond meal 
3 free-range eggs
1/2 cup oil (I used sunflower but you can use coconut or whatever)
1 cup raw coconut sugar (or 1/2 cup honey/maple syrup if you prefer)
zest of one orange
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp baking soda

1 cup crushed raw walnuts
1/2 cup organic raisins

toppings of choice (I used silvered almonds and coconut chips)

Preheat the oven to 160C.

Combine all ingredients (except walnuts and raisins) in a food processor and whizz until well combined.

Pour mixture into a large mixing bowl. Add walnuts and raisins then mix well with a spoon.

Pour batter into a greased muffin tray. Bake for 30 min or until the fork comes out clean.

Let cupcakes cool completely before removing from tray – very difficult, I know. But, patience is key if wanting muffins to stay in tact.

Enjoy X

*gluten-free
*dairy-free
*refined-sugar free

mind blowing carrot cake truffles

Dear carrot cake lovers,

This one’s for you!

For a cake that’s named after a vegetable, carrot cake is usually packed with copious amounts of sugar and oil. These scrumptious bliss balls are not. They’re wholesome, nutritious and naturally free from gluten, dairy, egg and refined sugar! Carrots are one of the best vegetable sources of beta-carotene, which the body converts to vitamin A. Vitamin A keeps our skin, hair, nails and eyes beautiful by promoting natural cell division, regenerating collagen, regulating oil production, and slowing the natural deterioration of eyesight as we age! So go on, make a batch, it’ll take you less than five minutes and your body will LOVE you for it (so will your tastebuds). Definitely an “I accidently ate the whole thing” dish. But, I don’t carrot all! (See what I did there?).

1 cup grated carrots
1 cup almond meal
6 large medijool dates
1/4 cup unsweetened desiccated coconut + a little more for coating
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1 heaped tbsp raw honey or pure maple syrup
1 heaped tbsp nut butter (I used peanut)
1 tbsp water 

Place all ingredients in a food processor and blend for a minute or so until the ingredients begin to stick together (similar to a dough-like mixture).

Using your hand form small balls

To finish, coat the balls by rolling them in the remaining coconut.

Refrigerate for a few hours before nomnom.