Carrot & Coriander Soup with Nutty Quinoa

Well that was the quickest half term to ever exist! I can’t believe it’s already over!

As well as time flying by, it seems like the seasons are changing in the blink of an eye!

It’s getting much colder and the evenings are looming upon us faster. Even when I leave school, it’s already pitch black out – where’s the time going?!

To be honest, I do quite enjoy this weather – it’s perfect for layering clothes (buy all the jumpers and scarfs! I’m joking – #studentbudgets) and eating warm, cozy comfort food and warming yourself from the inside!

Carrot Coriander Soup with Nutty Quinoa vegan, gluten free, dairy free
Serves 2

This is a simple and comforting soup for the colder months. There is natural sweetness from the carrot along with freshness from the coriander and the nutty quinoa salad brings it all together – of course, you don’t have to add the quinoa to the soup but you can serve it separately instead! The quinoa also tastes delicious with some orange zest in it.

1 1/2 cups chopped carrot
Handful of coriander, chopped roughly
1 white onion, sliced
1 garlic clove, crushed
1/2 vegetable stock cube (you can also use chicken stock)
Cinnamon
Salt and pepper, to taste
Extra virgin olive oil

1 cup cooked quinoa (tutorial here)
Handful of toasted walnuts
Handful of coriander, chopped
Extra virgin olive oil
Lemon juice and zest

Sauté the onions until caramelised and add the garlic until fragrant.

Once onions and garlic are fragrant, add a splash of white wine and let it evaporate.

Add the carrots and cinnamon and stir until everything is coated.

Cover the carrots with stock and let it come up to a boil then simmer for 20 minutes until carrots are tender.

You can then blend the soup with a hand blender or a high speed blender like a Vitamix.
Once all the chunks are out, add the coriander and blend slightly until soup is completely smooth.

Season more to taste is necessary.

To make the quinoa, combine all the ingredients in a bowl.

To serve, put the soup in a bowl or mug and add the quinoa to the top. Garnish with coriander.

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Green Quinoa Salad

Guys, this is a flavour bomb. It may be the best recipe I’ve ever made on the site. Ever.

This is perfect for pre- holiday detoxing or keep this recipe bookmarked for after the holiday season! Just whatever you do, you gotta try this out!
I’m not even joking right now I can’t believe how good this tastes – creamy avocado, crunchy edamame, nutty burnt cashews, cooling cucumber and quinoa to make it a full meal.

And, OMG don’t even get me started on the dressing. I can’t! it’s just SO GOOD!

Green Quinoa Salad vegan, gluten free, dairy free
Serves 2

This salad is the perfect combination of healthy and delicious. Filled with lots of green, clean ingredients and topped off with an Asian inspired dressing.

1/2 avocado, cut into small cubes
Chunk of cucumber, cut into small cubes
1/2 cup edamame (out of shell)
1 cup cooked quinoa (tutorial here)
Handful of cashews (peanuts can also be used here)
Tamari or soy sauce
Toasted sesame oil
Grated ginger
1/2 lemon, juice and a bit of zest
Pepper

optional: coriander, mint or other herbs

You first want to cook the quinoa (tutorial here).

Once quinoa is cooked, mix it with the cucumber, edamame and most of the avocado. Set aside.

Make the dressing by combining lemon juice, grated ginger, sesame, tamari and pepper. (Make sure to taste as you go.)

You can then toast the cashews on a dry skillet. Toast them around of a few minuted until slightly burned.

Add the dressing and half the cashews to the quinoa.

Serve immediately and top with remaining cashews and avocado.

If not serving straight away, leave the avocado and cashews out as the avocado will brown and cashews may become soggy.

Chicken, Kale & Coconut Rice

I remember seeing this recipe yeeears ago on Tracy’s blog and wanted to try it for so long.
I don’t know why I didn’t, I guess I never go round to it as I didn’t have all the ingredients on hand yada yada yada.
But the, I finally made it and OMG BEST DECISION EVER!

Such an easy, healthy meal: tender chicken thighs (they’re more flavourful than their breast counterpart), garlicky kale and crunchy toasted coconut, all on steaming hot brown rice. Comfort food at its finest.

Chicken, Kale & Coconut Rice dairy free, gluten free
Serves 2

This is one of my new go to meals, adapted from Shutterbean‘s Kale Salad w/ Coconut and Sesame Oil. Quick, easy and super delicious – what more could you want?! You can use left over chicken to make things even speedier and you can also make this into a fried rice situation by dumping everything into a wok.

2 chicken thighs, cooked and shredded (you can poach, bake or pan fry them)
A few handfuls of kale
Thick coconut chips (unsweetened)
1 garlic clove
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (or coconut oil if you want more flavour)
Salt and pepper (you can also substitute for soy sauce)
Sesame oil, for drizzling
Brown rice (you can also use quinoa, white rice, farro etc)

notes: to make this vegan, simple omit the chicken, you can eat it as is or add tempeh or tofu (which you may want to marinade in soy sauce, chilli flakes and sesame oil and bake till crispy.

Heat a dry pan and add coconut chips.
Frequently stir around so that they don’t burn.

Once browned, put in a bowl and set on the side.

Heat oil in a pan and add garlic and kale and cook the kale has started to wilt.

Add the shredden chicken and keep cooking until hot and kale has started to brown.

Drizzle the kale and chicken with sesame oil for extra flavour.

Serve ingredients on top of rice and dig in!