Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Pasta

Smooth, thick and dairy-free - behave!

 Hi guys,

Before getting into this post I just want to say sorry for the sporadic posting lately.

The truth is I have no schedule at the moment and am trying to fit in posts here, there and wherever I can. Don’t get me wrong, I could definitely be more productive with my time if I made a schedule but I am quite partial to being an unproductive sloth that enjoys curling up into a ball under the bed sheets whilst watching Game of Thrones and eating home-popped popcorn.

I acknowledge your judgement and accept its severity.

Soz again.

In my defence, things have been a little up in the air for the last week.

Why?

Gosh you’re so thoughtful, thanks for asking. Well, I made the bold/stupid (haven’t decided which yet) to hand in my notice at work. Gasp! As a result of this little radical life choice, I have been spending more time sorting out my CV and applying to jobs etc. Hence, this blog has been put on hold a little.

I don’t want to drone on too much about it but below are the three main reasons behind why I quit my job as an AutoCAD Drawer (someone who uses a computer to draw 2-dimensional models of pile cages in varying dimensions for use in construction – beyond riveting I’m sure you’ll agree).

1. First and foremost, I simply wasn’t happy. Despite leaving the 14^th Century-like plague of rats, continual rolling black-outs and horrific toilet mushrooms behind in the porta-cabin of hell and moving to a nicely furnished office that probably actually meets health and safety’s standards, the job itself still wasn’t for me. Don’t get me wrong, the people were great, I learnt so much and it was fun to work alongside one of my closest friends but in terms of career progression, it wasn’t what I wanted as I neither had much interest or passion for the role.
2. I was getting slack on looking around for other options and needed a good kick in the rear to get me searching again. Handing in my notice has sparked the fear of long term unemployment into play and ironically fear is actually what spurred me to make the move to leave. One day last month whilst at work I noticed that one of the daily inspirational quotes on our desk calendars was ‘don’t fear change, fear stagnation’ and that was when it hit me – I was on route to becoming that old forgotten pond at the back of the school field. You all know - the one that the teachers tell you not to go near because despite being only a few feet deep it is full of rubbish and it smells. I was stagnating and it sucked (no wonder there were so many flies around the office, sorry co-workers).
3. Lastly, I didn’t feel like I was 100% myself or rather the best version of myself whilst at work. Not that I didn’t have bouts of genuine happiness whilst there but more often than I not I was finding myself in some foul mood either initiated by a rude/angry customer or by the fact that a lot of the technical aspects of the job were quite frustrating. Most of the time, I’m quite happy (despite the sometimes cynical nature of this blog) but I feel like I was losing that a bit. I wanted to be 100% myself and I think that maybe entering a job through a friend is not the best way to find your own feet around new people in that respect – at least I don’t think it was for me. Furthermore, I wasn’t really qualified for this role and sort of fell into it by accident and as a result there was most definitely a lack of the sense of belonging.

Anyway, I have a few more weeks there to kill so I still have some time to sort myself out. Current emotional state: Twangs of excitement mixed with deep underlying dread. I’m ready for the change but not sure if I’m up to the challenge and because of this, everything’s become a bit muddled and has left me in need of good dose of comfort.

In other words: Carbs.

And this is where my creamy roasted red pepper pasta sauce comes into play...

Oh mama! (And it’s suitable for vegans too)

Yep that’s right, despite being thick, creamy and mouth-coatingly rich in flavour, this dish doesn’t contain a drop of cream. It also doesn’t have any cauliflower in it as was the case for my dairy-free paprikash, so fear not all you cauliflower haters, I gotcha covered. There is another secret ingredient however, one that provides this sauce with all of its creaminess and also makes it packed full of protein. Can you guess what it is?

*whispers* White beans.

Gasp again! Two gasps in one post? Outrageous.

Butter beans to be precise are what make up this meal’s base; I know it sounds weird but they do wonders for the sauces’ velvety texture and you cannot even taste them. Undetectable and unbeatable! Or should I say, Un-bean-table…

For the 4^th time in this post, I apologize.

Comforting and rich but also fresh and not too heavy, this pasta is a great option for those summer days with bi-polar weather, which seem to be everyday at the moment. Plus it only takes around 25 minutes max from start to finish – you’re very welcome ;).

Enjoy!

Roasted Red Pepper Pasta

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 300g whole wheat pasta/pasta of choice (I sometimes use the whole 500g pack because my friends, my family and I like to eat)
• 2 large red bell peppers or sweet pointed peppers- cut in half with stems removed
• 1 can of white beans (butter or cannellini) – drained and rinsed
• 1 white onion chopped into quarters
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Juice from ½ a lemon
• ¾-1 cup reserved pasta water
• 1-2 garlic cloves
• Salt/pepper to taste
• 1 handful of freshly cut parsley or basil leaves

Instructions:

• Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius and prep the peppers, cutting and lightly spraying them with olive oil or cooking spray then placing them face down onto a baking tray lined with baking paper/foil.  
• Once ready, place the peppers into the oven and forget about them for 25 minutes (set a timer, this will help you remember them again – they get very sad when they are forgotten about). Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to package directions.
• Put the rest of the ingredients (onion, garlic, white beans, herbs, lemon juice, olive oil, reserved pasta water and seasonings) into a blender or high quality food processor.
• Once the peppers have finished roasting and are wrinkly and slightly charred like Dale Winton’s skin, remove them from the oven, toss them into the blender and whizz up everything into a creamy, explosively flavourful sauce. Make sure to taste and adjust seasonings if desired.
• Drain the cooked pasta (if you haven’t already) and introduce it to the sauce. They’ll get along just fine.
• Pretend to be Nigella as you make suggestive faces at an imaginary camera man whilst twirling your decadently smooth pasta. 

Cheesy Spring Vegetable Quiche With Potato Crust

More Green than a salad (and much tastier)

Hellooooooooooooo friends,

I know spring is officially over and I should be posting about summer and ice cream and BBQs and smoothies but before all of that, just hear me out (there will always be time for BBQs). Whilst it may be June, the weather is still anybody’s guess. For those of you who aren’t in England, I’ll put it this way; early last week there was so much rain that a bunch of roads flooded making getting to work more like a trip down splash mountain yet by Sunday it was so sunny and hot that my friend Katy’s arms decided to sport a wonderfully bold shade of lobster red, meanwhile I sweated enough to potentially be classed as a contributing factor towards the Arctic’s rising sea levels. It’s not the melting ice caps, it’s me.

Sorry about that.

Hence, as we are still transitioning into summer, today’s little recipe is full of typical spring ingredients but fear not, if you fancy an attempt at a picnic or BBQ outside, this lightened up quiche will still be a perfect accompaniment.

Another reason that I’ve still got spring on the brain is actually because of a very special reason. Recently my parents (down in the distant land of Devon) made the joyous and slightly surprising decision to get a puppy! Well I say ‘surprising’ but Mum has wanted another dog for ages and we all knew it was just a matter of time until dad caved. In fact, when mum said that they were going for a viewing we basically told dad to kiss goodbye to the concept of half-hour long ‘plodding’ walks with tally (the mature canine of the family) along with both a urine-free living room floor and socks that haven’t been chewed into pulp.

In the space of only a week mum and dad went from pondering over pooches to proud puppy parents.

And here’s the little chap that’s joined the family, happily introducing Ziggy.

‘Hello, very nice to meet you, please allow me to jump around and vibrate with pure excitement before eating dad’s plants and attempting to face hug those cats’.

I actually have a frightening compulsion to bite his face, he’s just so cute, damn it!

But what has this got to do with spring?

Well, Ziggy is an English Springer Spaniel (just like Tally). Wheeeeyyyy! *nudge, nudge*

As the name suggests, this breed in particular are one of the most excitable, hyper, bouncy and energetic. However, we think Tally may be defective because even though she was slightly full of beans when she was younger, she now resides and head moody cow in my parents abode. She honestly makes Victor Meldrew look like a power puff girl. She’s still loveable though, albeit in her own sort of way.Hopefully Ziggy will be loveable too. I’m sure he will be but just to be 100% sure Tasha and I decided that the best course of action would be to take a brief road trip this weekend to visit the family and meet the little ball of marshmallow squidge ourselves.

Now, going to Devon for two days on a week’s notice just to visit a puppy may seem a little irresponsible to some, but I can justify it. In the space of a week, my parents actually contemplated visited, picked out and brought home a puppy. I actually think by comparison, I’m not too bad. I also made Quiche and if that doesn’t scream responsible adult/middle aged mother at a church fete than I don’t know what does. 

And speaking of responsible – let’s talk about this quiche

(Honestly, who writes this stuff? Well that would be me…)

This warm- weathered classic is made out of whole-food ingredients and has been lightened up a bit with a few undetectable subs. Firstly,  I  replaced some of the yolks with extra egg whites - not because yolks are bad, in fact they’re one of the most nutrient dense foods on the planet and are packed full of healthy fats and protein but Grandad has to watch his cholesterol levels and there is such a thing as too much yolk when it comes to that.

Secondly, I passed on the fat filled pastry (despite it being oh so wonderful) and made the crust out of…wait for it…

…well you don’t actually have to, it’s in the title of the post…

…you could save time and just scroll up to see for yourself…

…it’s literally at the top of the page…

…ok fine I’ll say it again…

…Potatoes!!!

Yep, good old fashioned spuds, they worked wonders for this and were so easy to work with. I think sweet potatoes (one of my eternal loves) would also be amazing in this recipe.

Finally, to top off this the healthful aspect of this spring pie it’s also chocked to the brim full of vegetables. So, if you want your 5 a day without the bowl of salad or green smoothie, this is a great option.

Easy, vegetarian, fresh and lean, it’s the perfect way to see in the summer. Goodbye spring, hello springers! J

Cheesy Spring Vegetable Quiche

Serves 6

Crust Ingredients:

• 2 large potatoes
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• Salt/pepper to taste
• Optional: any other desired herbs/seasonings 

Filling Ingredients:

• 2 whole eggs + 4 egg whites (you can mix it up here and use 4 whole eggs or 8 egg whites or whatever combination you fancy – I like a bit of yolky goodness so opted for a split)
• 1/3 cup almond milk (any milk will work)
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp mustard powder
• Salt/pepper to taste
• 1 cup chopped asparagus
• 1 diced white onion
• 1 cup chopped mushrooms
• 1 cup chopped spinach
• 1 cup chopped rocket
• A small handful of chopped parsley
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 30g grated mature cheddar (you only need about 1 serving’s worth)

Instructions:

• Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius (350 Fahrenheit).
• Grate the potatoes (you can save time if you have a potato shredder attachment on your food processor – I didn’t and used this as my ‘bicep training’ excuse for the day).
• Place the shredded potato into an old (but clean) towel and wrap it up tightly, twisting and squeezing to ring out any excess liquid.
• Place in a bowl and stir through your seasonings before spraying down a baking paper lined circular pie dish with either cooking spray or oil and pressing the potato into it. Try to make the layer even, covering both the bottom and the sides.
• Spray the top of the crust lightly with some cooking spray/oil and place in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until golden and starting to crisp at the edges.
• Whilst the crust is baking, you can chop up the veggies (if you haven’t already done so and sauté them in a sprayed pan over medium heat just till the peas are no longer frozen and the onion is translucent. Remove from the heat after 5 minutes or so and set aside.
• In a bowl, combine the eggs, almond milk, garlic powder, mustard powder and salt/pepper if desired. Mix the ingredients together well before adding in the slightly cooled vegetables.
• Remove the crust from the oven when it is ready and pour in the filling. Sprinkle over the cheese and return to the oven for 30 minutes. Allow to cool slightly before cutting and devouring. 

Strawberry and Rhubarb Crumble Tart

Ooooohhhh Tarty! 

Hello chums and happy June to you!

Shitake! It’s basically summer! I hope you’re all ready for holidays abroad, family BBQs and extensive trips to the beach…

…Oh you’re not? Well don’t worry, real life doesn’t allow for those sorts of things anyway – at least not all the time ;)

Actually that’s not entirely true. You see, once you reach the age of retirement you can pretty much do whatever you want and nobody can stop you. My Nan for example only has to walk onto a bus and cough for everybody to then throw themselves onto the floor, offering up their seats as if she were a great deity. She’s not a deity but she is a complete boss. Another perk of being on the planet for longer than most other people is that you can go on lots of holidays if you choose. And I mean Lots.  My grandparents are away for probably 1/3 of the year at least and are currently embarking on their annual trend of being away caravanning at least once a month, every month until the autumn comes.

I meanwhile have been left the confines of the bungalow (a harsh image of reality) and charged with watering the garden plants.

Super.

Oh I’m such a moaning Myrtle, it’s not so bad really and there are even lots of fresh strawberries and rhubarb currently on offer so I guess I have nothing to really complain about – except for the fact that something is repeatedly trying to dig them up. I’m not sure who the pesky fructose fiend is but my suspicions lie with the squirrel who used to taunt me on the washing line…Maude. Stick to your nuts Maude! Does he not know these are my my grandparent’s strawberries?

What a knob.

Anyway not to worry, I have a plan. I’m just going to start harvesting everything before he can get his squirrely paws on it, simple and what better time to begin fruit picking than when you have a good recipe in mind.

Crumble.

For those of you who don’t know. I love crumble – I think it’s deliciously warming, it’s comfortingly cosy and it’s so wonderfully simple to make that I have been known to go through an entire one to myself… in the space of three days. Is that too much crumble? No, there is no such thing.

In fact, I actually think it’s quite acceptable to have crumble for breakfast, especially when it’s made out of wholesome healthy ingredients.

Traditional crumble recipes with all the butter, sugar and refined flour are fine in moderation but as I like to eat it a bit more than ' in moderation' this wouldn’t really be fueling my body correctly. Over the years I have found a few tricks to lighten up one of my favourite deserts and now save my Nan’s buttery, sugar laden puds as treats for when I want to indulge in some classic guiltless comfort. Nout wrong with that!

Here are some of my top tips for crumbling (a term used by many to refer to the act of making a crumble i.e. the crumbler began crumbling away in the kitchen, for everyone knew that crumble was the most respected of all the puds):

• Use a healthy fat source be it coconut oil, rape seed oil or even clarified butter etc and then cut the amount down by ½- 2/3. Replacing the fat with a binder like unsweetened apple sauce can significantly reduce the amount required in a recipe whilst still keeping the crumble topping moist and crumbly preventing it from being too dry.
• Use oat, whole wheat, spelt, buckwheat, coconut or some other whole grain flour as opposed to refined white flour to provide added nutrients and fibre.
• Change how you sweeten up the crumble. I tend to use truvia (as I do with a lot of my cooking) which is a natural sweetener comprised of stevia leaf extract and erythritol (a natural sugar alcohol). It’s not an artificial/chemical based sweetener, is virtually zero calorie and has a much lower glycaemic index for consumers. Other low calorie alternatives to white sugar are xylitol, monk fruit extract or pure stevia extract. Some other more natural sugar alternatives are coconut sugar, maple syrup and raw honey, although bear in mind these have just as much sugar as the regular refined variety but you do get a whole host of nutrient benefits that the plain old white stuff simply lacks.
• Instead of corn flour/starch I now tend to thicken the fruit mix with chia seeds for added omegas, extra fibre (we love the fibre), B vitamins, minerals, protein… the list goes on. Eat chia seeds, they’re awesome.

There we go, we’re now all set to begin crumbling (yay). There is only one slight issue. This time of year when it tends to either get a bit sunnier or instead very muggy, crumbles can be a bit heavy as a desert option. Traditionally they’re more of a autumn/winter dish kind of thing.

Meep.

Don’t worry though, luckily for us crumble is also one of those great foods that can be eaten cold (just like pizza) and are sometimes even better then the warm counterpart.

Hence I decided to make this crumble into a tart/bar format which can be cut up and made portable for picnics and what not. Yes, this crumble is a summer-ised version.

It’s light but filling,

It’s comforting but not heavy,
And I have been most certainly having this for breakfast quite regularly.

I hope you enjoy this crumble, it’s a great way to use up any leftover seasonal fruits or in my case save them from dietary confused tree rodents.

Don’t get me wrong, I love squirrels.

But stay away from my fruit B****!

Ta-ra for now.

Strawberry and Rhubarb Crumble Tart

Serves 6-8

Crumble mix ingredients:

• 2 cups oats flour (just grind up oats in a food processor till flour like, it’s so much cheaper than buying a shop brand) or whole wheat flour.
• ¼ cup truvia or granulated sweetener of choice
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 tbsp melted coconut oil
• 1/3 cup unsweetened apple sauce
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt

Filling ingredients:

• 300g chopped rhubarb
• 200g chopped strawberries
• ¼ cup truvia or sweetener of choice
• ¼ cup water
• 1-2 tbsp chia seeds

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius (fan oven) – roughly 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Combine all of the dry crumble ingredients together in one bowl and all of the wet ingredients in another before pressing 2/3 of the mixture into a baking dish lined with parchment paper and sprayed with cooking spray or lightly greased with oil/butter. Set aside.
• In a saucepan over a medium-high heat, combine the water, rhubarb and ¼ cup of truvia stirring well for 5-10 minutes or until the rhubarb has softened and broken down.
• Add in the strawberries and the chia seeds before removing from the heat and allowing to thicken for 5 minutes.
• Top the crumble/dough with the fruit filling and press over the last 1/3 of the crumble on top. You have now made a crumble tart – congratu-well done!
• Bake in the oven for 20-30 minutes (keep an eye on it – when the top goes golden brown and slightly darker at the edges, it’s time to pull it out).
• Allow to cool completely (preferably overnight) before cutting into slices/bars and nomming down on. 

Crumble hard my friends, crumble hard.