This is one of those super easy recipes you’ll want to keep handy for those last minute salad dressing moments, or for when your just wanting that little something else on your roast vegetables, or falafel.

Grab your blender and lets get this done,

Your going to need:

2 cups of herbs, parsley and cilantro/ coriander are my favourite ones

1/3 cup tahini paste

juice of one lemon or lime

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup cold water

I take a knife and roughly chop my herbs to get them in the blender then add in the lemon juice along with all the other ingredients.

blend for 1 min until everything mixes and you have a beautiful green mix, stop and check seasoning, can add salt and pepper now, also add a little more water if you want a thinner dressing.

At the moment I’m putting garlic in everything so I’m going to say add half a clove of garlic if you like the taste of it.

enjoy this healthy delicious dressing and as always

message me if you have any questions.

with love

cupcake xx

 

This Stir fry is super easy and loaded with delicious veggies.

Lets make the sauce first and leave it to infuse and dance together so the flavours have time to blend.

In a measuring jug place

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup rice wine vinegar

2 tbsp honey

1/4 cup water

6 tbsp oil

2 Tbsp fresh ginger finely minced ( more if you love it!)

4 cloves of garlic finely minced (can you less if your not a fan!)

Mix these all together and let them infuse to deliciousness!

Then lets get your block of tofu preferably a firm block and drain place it on a paper towel to rest for a few mins, then chop into small cubes spreading out to dry out a little still.

For the Stir fry vegetables you can use whatever you have on hand and what you like.

I used mushrooms, onions, carrots, peppers, broccoli and zucchini – enough for the portion you feel like.

Start by sautéing  the onions first add another clove of minced garlic in here if you like then add the carrots too cook out a little, adding a small scoop of the stir fry sauce to help it along, place this into a bowl and leave to rest for a second while you cook the tofu.

Heat the pan back up add a splash of oil to help the tofu not stick due to the sauce and fry the tofu till golden brown on all sides, then again add in a few scoops of the sauce and cook out.

Place the tofu with your carrots and onions in the cooked bowl.

Sauté the rest of your vegetables, when they are almost cooked add in the tofu carrots and onions then more of the sauce, add the broccoli last as I like it hold its colour and be quite crunchy still! But that is just me! add more sauce If you wish at this point then move into your serving bowl and sprinkle over freshly chopped cilantro, serve with some steamed jasmine rice.

Hopefully that all makes sense, please let me know if you have any questions or comments.

Enjoy

love always cupcake. xx

Bolognese or Bolognaise?! same same right?!

This vegetarian gluten free recipe is just so good, even my meat eaters have been converted. 

The red split lentils probably are the only ones that won’t really work with this.

Here is what your going to need:

1 medium onion finely diced

3 garlic cloves minced

1 tbsp mixed dry herbs

1 tbsp tomato paste

2 cups diced tomatoes or 1.5 cans of diced toms

2 large carrots finely diced

2 celery stalks finely diced up

2 cups cooked lentils ( anything but the red ones – they just mush up!)

 

Heat oil in a med/ large pot and add garlic onions and herbs and sweat off.

Add in your tomato paste and 1/2 of the diced tomatoes and cook out for a few mins

Add in your carrots and celery cook out for a bit longer then add in your lentils followed by the rest of the tomato mix.

Season with salt and pepper then cook out for around 10 mins until the veggies are cooked through.

before serving add in some fresh chopped parsley.

Serve with spaghetti!

hope you enjoy, let me know any questions! 

take care, stay healthy

love cupcake xx

 

 

 

 

This is a power salad!

We’ve got so much goodness in here!

This is one of those I looked at a picture then made my own version so hopefully this makes sense!

1/2 head broccoli cut into small florets lightly steamed

1 1/2 cup cabbage, red and green mixed finely shredded

1/ 2 cup cooked quinoa

1 cup grated carrot

1 can of rinsed chickpeas – keep the juice and make chocolate mousse! 

1 tsp fresh ginger finely grated

1/2 cup red bell pepper cut into small pieces

1 cup snow peas sliced

handful of mixed herbs,  mint cilantro and parsley

For the dressing were going to use

1 tsp honey

1 tbsp lemon or lime juice

2 tbsp tamari or regular soy

1 tbsp rice vinegar

if you have 1 tsp white miso paste you can add this too.

1/3 cup salted cashews and peanuts as garnish

 

so basically your going to mix up all the fresh ingredients and then whisk all the dressing ingredients together pour over, bit of mixy mixy then place into you serving bowl and top with cashews and peanuts along with some fresh cilantro.

 

Hopefully this all makes sense.

If you please let me know.

stay healthy out there

love cupcake xx

 

This recipe is very easy and totally do able by hand!

Who doesn’t love cheesy bread rolls with lunch?

I had played around with this a lot adding cheese on top, jalapeños through the mix, sun-dried tomatoes through the mix also. Th options are kinda endless really!

So what your going to need is:

3 tsp active yeast

2 Tbsp castor sugar

2/3 cup – 160ml warm water

whisk these 3 ingredients together and set aside for 10 mins and let them dance together until they become frothy.

Next your going to place the following in a mixer bowl of your stand mixer or a regular mixing bowl and knead by hand.

2 1/2 cup white bread flour

1 tsp salt

30 g melted butter

1/2 cup milk

place the flour and salt in your bowl of choice still in the butter and the milk yeast mix mix to a stiff dough knead for about 10 mins.

These only have 1 prove so shape into buns or place into your loaf tin and leave to prove for up to 1 hr.

Then bake in a pre heated oven to 200’c for 12-15mins, depending  on your oven.

 

This is the loaf I made with freshly chopped jalapeños through it and baked with cheese on top! Delicious!

 

any questions please get in touch

Happy bread baking.

love always

cupcake xx

Ok here is the recipe for these tasty little bites that are a fab way to use up your chickpeas and any green herbs you have around, the recipe calls for parsley and cilantro but I often throw in some mint or basil if I can find it.

What your going to need:

2 tins of chick peas, rinsed and drained (keep the juice as its so good for so many things!)

1 handful of cilantro

1 handful of parsley or mint/ basil mix

4 garlic cloves peeled

1/4 red onion medium size

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp cayenne

1/2 cup flour

1 tsp salt

1/4 cup oil to cook

 

So we are going to drain the chickpeas and keep that juice, if you don’t know how magical it is in making vegan meringues or check out Rebel Recipes as they have a delicious vegan garlic aioli that this works so well in.

place the chick peas, garlic, onion, herbs along with cayenne, cumin in a food processor/blender blend till finely ground up but with still a few chunky bits, not super smooth basically!

Remove the chickpea mix from the food processor into a bowl mix in the flour and baking powder, cover and let rest for 1 hr for the flavours to mingle together.

When you’re ready to cook them heat up the pan with the cooking oil, roll balls of the mix and gently flatten out fry until golden either side and crispy.

You can place into a warm oven to keep warm until the others are cooked.

enjoy with your favourite salad, or vegetable side dish.

a yogurt dip also goes well with these.

I’ll post the tahini herb dressing soon that also is vegan to complete the dish.

 

As always feel free to ask any questions 

love cupcake xx

 

 

 

This recipe I’ve had as a  staple in my pocket for many years.

It also makes some delicious sweet chilli and cheese or pesto and cheese scrolls! 

just saying!! 

What you will need:

2 1/2 – 3 cups All purpose flour

1 Tbsp sugar

1 (1/4 oz) Sachet of yeast – 21g  the rapid rise or active kind.

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 cup warm water (Luke warm!)

2 Tbsp olive oil

In a large bowl combine the 1 cup of flour sugar, yeast and  salt.

Blend well.

Add warm water and oil

Blend and stir for few mins

add enough flour to form a dough remove from the bowl and knead by hand or in your fancy pants kitchen aid mixer for 8-10 mins.

Cover loosely and let prove for 30 mins.

After 30 mins roll out your pizza base to your desired size, and top with your favourite toppings.

If you want to make the scrolls roll the dough out into rectangle size, spread over your basil pesto or sweet chilli sauce, sprinkle with cheese roll up like you would a swiss roll, slice into 2cm wide pieces and place on a greased baking tray.

Bake in a preheated oven to 200’c for 15mins until golden and delicious!

 

Any questions please reach out, as I’m still figuring out this recipe writing thing! 

love always 

cupcake xx

 

This is so good, and such a great way to use up the juice off that can of chickpeas, incase you hadn’t noticed I’m all about the chickpeas at the moment, while they last anyway, then I’ll move onto something else! 

The recipe is one I found on Pinterest from Blooming Nolwenn.

 

What your going to need here is:

1 Tbsp lemon juice

2 Tbsp maple syrup

1 cup of aquafaba, chickpea juice!

200grm dark chocolate -54% cacao. (I used Lindt 85% as its what I had)

Now your going to put the lemon juice, maple syrup and aquafaba in a mixing bowl and whisk for about 10 mins on med to high speed.

The mix will become stiff peaks and not fall when you tip the bowl upside down.

(Put it over your head and try it! I dare you! )

While this is whisking away in the stand mixer you can put the chocolate into a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water to gently melt.

take of the heat once melted, when the aquafaba as formed stiff peaks slowly fold in the chocolate, you will loose a little volume here but its going be ok!

Place the mousse into your preferred ramekins or dishes and place in the fridge to set, about 3 hrs or longer, decorate how you wish and enjoy!

* I added some wild orange essential oil to the mix and it was just delicious!

 

So off you go, don’t waste that  chickpea juice ever again, I can’t believe It took me so long to try this! 

Happy days and chocolatey hugs!

Love cupcake xx

 

I saw Al Brown refer to these as gold bars today so I had to share my recipe for these.

Like many others I grew up with my Nana making these and it was always what we found when we went through the tins in her pantry.

What your going to need here is:

125 grm butter unsalted

1/2 cup sugar

1 1 /2 cup plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp ground ginger

Cream the butter and sugar till light and fluffy.

Sift flour, Baking powder and ginger together.

Mix into the creamed mixture.

Press into a lined tin

Bake at 190’c for 20-25mins until lightly browned, pour over the icing mix while still warm and let the slice set and rest once cold then slice up and enjoy.

Trust me one piece is never enough!

 

GINGER ICING:

75grm butter

3/4 cup icing sugar

2 TBSP golden syrup

3 tsp ground ginger

Heat all these together till melted and smooth and pour over base.

Enjoy.

any questions please just send me message.

with love

cupcake xx

 

 

How good is making your own bread?

There is something about focaccia that everyone seems to love!

I have had this recipe for many years and I believe that it came from the ever so faithful Simon and Alison Holst many years ago, no idea which book it is from though.

Here is what you’ll need:

makes 1 loaf about 22x32cm.

2 tsp yeast

1 1/2 cup water

1 TBSP Sugar

1 tsp salt

1 TBSP olive oil

3 cups high grade flour

1 tsp oregano dried

1 TBSP olive oil

coarse rock or flaky salt

so what your going to do here is measure out the first 5 ingredients into a large bowl with 1 1/2 cups of the high grade plain flour and mix thoroughly, cover and leave 15 mins or longer in warm place. It will start to look bubbly and active like there is some life there.

Stir in the remaining flour and the oregano, adding a little extra warm water or bread flour if necessary to make a dough firm enough to knead.

Knead with the dough hook of an electric mixer or by hand on a lightly floured surface for 10 mins adding extra flour if necessary, until the dough forms a soft dough that springs back when gently pressed.

Turn the dough in 2-3 tsp of oil in the cleaned dry bowl, cover with cling film and leave in a warm draught free place for about 30 mins.

lightly knead the dough in the bowl for 1 minute.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll out to a 20×30 rectangle and place in a well greased baking sheet.

Leave to rise in a warm draught free place for about 1 hr or until doubled in original size.

Pour the 2nd measure of oil over the top and using your fingers poke some holes in the dough to create a series of indentions.

Sprinkle over the flaky or rock salt.

Bake in a pre heated oven at 225’c for 15 mins or until golden on top.

Enjoy while still warm!

I make this often with soup or use to make roasted vegetable sandwiches its so versatile!

with love

cupcake xx