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.

Hazelnut and Dark Chocolate Cookies

These have literally been called the best cookies I’ve ever made. Not even joking. For some reason I’ve been on a crazy baking tangent recently. Wierd. I’m normally more of a savory kinda gal but recently I’ve been loving bringing baked goods to my friends’ houses! (Side note: how much of a good friend am I? Right?!)

I basically made these because we were literally having an abundance of hazelnuts in the house. Quick back story: no one really voluntary eats hazelnuts round here, even though we always buy the massive pack of mixed roast nuts. Waitrose, why must you put so many hazelnuts in?!

Anyway, I just decided to make these and they turned out FAB!

Hazelnut and Dark Chocolate Cookies
Adapted from this milk chocolate hazelnut cookie recipe

125g butter, softened
75g brown sugar
1 egg
200g plain flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
35g dark chocolate, chopped
45g roasted hazelnuts, chopped (but not too small)

Mix the butter and sugar until creamed together.

Mix flour, baking powder and pinch of salt into another.

Add the egg into the wet ingredients and then add to the flour mixture.

Add the chocolate chips and hazelnuts and wrap into parchment paper into a log shape and put in the freezer for an hour or two.

After an hour or so, preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius and take the cookie dough out.

Cut the cookie dough into equal slices and lay on parchment paper.

When the oven is preheated, bake for about 7 minutes or until they are lightly golden around the edges (as they will harden as they cool).

Let them cool and enjoy!

Note: they last in an airtight container for about a week.