Vegetarian | Irma Green

All posts tagged “Vegetarian”

18th March 2015

Simple Crimini button mushroom soup

Inspired by some very pretty looking mushrooms at my local green grocers, I thought I would make a nice and easy mushroom soup . I love quick & delicious dishes as they really make a big difference to a busy day. And of course no… Read more

Crimini button mushroom soup– Serves 3-4

400 g crimini mushrooms – sliced
1 medium sized onion or a couple of shallots – sliced
2-4 tbsp of olive oil
25 g of ghee ( or butter)
1-2 springs of fresh thyme
750 ml of vegetable or chicken stock
Fresh flat leaf parsley ( optional -another one for the window sill)
1 tbsp of dried mushrooms -soaked in the vegetable stock
Pepper, sea salt, (Parmesan to garnish – optional)

Method:
Peel and finely slice the onion and set a side. Prepare the stock in a jug or separate pan, boiling 750ml of filtered water (quickest way to do it is to use a kettle), add the chicken or vegetable stock cube or homemade stock, stir until dissolved and add table spoon of dried mushrooms to enhance the flavour of the stock. Carefully wash the mushrooms, cut off the dry end of the stem, then finely slice and set a side.

Take another handful to keep aside for the topping (optional). For the soup: heat the olive oil and sweat the shallots for 2-3 minutes, then add thyme and mushrooms and cook for another 3-4 minutes, before adding the stock. Leave to simmer for about 5-7 minutes.

Set pot aside and leave to cool down for 5 minutes, then blend until smooth, towards the end of the blending process add the 1 tbsp of ghee . As for what to use for blending the soup, I usually use a handheld blender as it is very quick to clean, but the most smooth results you will get in using a food processor or blender. Once blended well, season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serving options: just on its own or topped with a tbsp of sauteed mushrooms, freshly chopped flat parsley, some Parmesan shavings, finely chopped roasted chestnuts when in season, serve with freshly baked sourdough or multi-seed bread.
Bon Appétit !!

11th March 2015

Bircher muesli with carrot cake granola

Bircher muesli rocks and somewhat seems to be in fashion. I am sure its creator the Swiss nutritionist and doctor Maximilian Bircher-Benner would be very happy having found that many fans, if he was still with us. He could be calling himself a bit of… Read more

Bircher Muesli– serves 2-3
2 cups of organic rolled jumbo oats
1-2 tbsp of soaked almonds ( roughly chopped)
1 organic apple ( British if possible- I love breaburn)
300 ml of cashew milk ( or plant based milk of your choice e.g. rice, oat, almond, coconut etc)
1 tbsp of raisins & 1 tbsp roughly chopped dates
1-2 tbsp of walnuts ( roughly chopped)
1-2 tbsp of pecans ( roughly chopped)
1 tbsp of chia seeds
2 inch of vanilla pod or a dash of vanilla extract (optional)
1 tbsp maple sirup to sweeten if desired

Topping: a hand full of prunes soaked over night with a dash of cinnamon (optional) , kefir or natural yoghurt also works nicely as a topping.

Carrot cake granola
300g of organic rolled jumbo oats
50g-100g of carrot pulp ( left over from juicing) or 1/2 cup of finely grated carrot
2 tbsp of cashew pulp (left over from making cashew milk) or finely chopped cashew nuts
25g of coconut sugar or 2-3 tbsp of maple syrup or honey
2 tbsp of coconut oil
1/2 cup of walnuts – chopped
1/4 cup of pecan nuts- chopped
1/2 cup of pumpkin seeds -chopped
1/3 cup of raisins
2-3 tsp of cinnamon
1/2 tsp of nutmeg
2 inches of vanilla pod (scraped out , you can add the left over pod to the muesli) -optional
Pinch of salt

Method:

For the muesli: I usually prepare this in the evening: grate the apple including the skin and put together with all other dry ingredients into a mason jar, then add the milk, make sure it soaks through well and add some milk in excess as the chia seeds will soak up some extra liquid. Stir well, close tight and give it a good shake before putting it in the fridge.

That’s it-done- breakfast ready prepared for the next morning/day. You can already eat it after a 2-3 hours but its just nicer soaked over night. Shake/stir well again before serving, that way you ensure a delicious flavour throughout.

For the granola: preheat the over at 170c and line two baking trays with baking parchment and set aside. Put the oil, sugar or maple syrup, vanilla (if using), cinnamon and nutmeg into a large bowl and whisk together. It helps to place the bowl in the heated oven for a few minutes so the oil binds better with the other ingredients. Next add all other ingredients and mix together well, this is best done with your hands, as it makes it easier to combine everything . The mixture is quite sticky but delicious if you want to try some raw.

Evenly spread out the mixture on the baking trays and bake until nicely golden brown and crunchy. During the baking process give the granola a stir now and again, that way everything bakes through well.

Leave to cool down completely before putting the granola into jars. It will keep for up to a 3-4 weeks.

I love dried prunes soaked with a dash of cinnamon, also easily prepared together with the Bircher and soaked over night. You can add some of the prune juice to the bircher muesli its deliciously sweet. If you do not have time to make the granola or don’t like prunes, Kefir or plain natural yoghurt works a treat with this breakfast or just with granola and soaked prunes. 🙂 Enjoy !

4th February 2015

Root vegetable curry and a word on seasonal eating

It’s February and we had some snow this week – it was amazing to wake up to everything being covered in a big white blanket- so beautiful! The snow was a quick reminder to check out what is in season this month. Depending on weather… Read more

Root vegetable curry – serves 3-4

1- 2 cups of brown organic lentils ( soaked as instructed on package )
2 shallots ( finely chopped)
2 cloves of garlic (crushed)
2 carrots ( diced), 1/2 celeriac (cubed), 1 parsnip (diced)
2 pints of vegetable stock
Fresh ginger ( a medium sized knob – crushed )
2 dates finely chopped
1-2 tsp of turmeric
1-2 tsp of freshly ground coriander seeds
1-2 tsp of ground cumin
1/2 tsp of paprika, 1 whole medium sized dried chili (pierced)
2 tbsp of coconut oil , Himalayan salt & long pepper to taste ( you can cook a couple of snapped long peppers in the curry , it gives it some extra spiciness)

Raw kale & sprouts to garnish ( optional)

Heat up the oil in a medium sized pot, add the shallots and garlic and saute for 1 minute, lower the heat before adding all the spices, chili, dates & ginger and cook for half a minute, constantly stirring using a wooden spoon as to not burn the spices. If the pot is still very hot, take it of the hob whilst stirring. Then, add the soaked lentils continue stirring for another 1-2 minutes before adding enough vegetable stock to cover the lentils well.

Depending on the cooking time of your lentils, add the carrots, celeriac and parsnip only for the last 25minutes of the cooking process. That way they stay crunchy and keep a higher nutrient value. Towards the end, season with salt and pepper for taste. If like your curry quite spicy, tear the chili apart and stir well.

The curry is pretty delicious straight way but as most curries it will taste even better the next day, so it is the perfect packed lunch. If you like you can add some raw kale or sprouts after heating it up. Bon appetite !

20th January 2015

Turmeric & honey porridge with papaya & pomegranate

This year is already flying, I cannot believe we are in mid January! I have been surrounded by books and scientific papers over the past two weeks, so I have been keeping a low profile. Yesterday I finally submitted my work. One of the things… Read more

Turmeric porridge with pomegranate and papaya – serves 1-2

1 cup of rolled organic oats
1-2 cups of water or rice milk (alternative milks: coconut, almond, soy, dairy, hemp or just water)
1/2 tsp of turmeric, 1/4 tsp of cinnamon & a pinch of ginger (optional)
1 tsp of honey or maple syrup
1 tsp of chia seeds
1 hand full of pomegranate
1 hand full of papaya including seeds ( seeds are optional)
1 tbsp of shelled hemp seeds ( pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds or chopped almonds, pecan or macadamia)

Porridge is really easily made with water or a variety of milks that are available in the shops now. I love rice milk it gives the porridge a nice creamy taste and texture and with some added fruits and nuts or seeds you are set for the morning. When not using turmeric, I love adding cinnamon, which gives a delicious warming flavor and keeps the blood sugar levels stable, so even less food cravings in combination with oats.

Method:

Place the oats, chia seeds and milk in a pot, add turmeric and honey and cook under medium heat until the the porridge has a nice creamy texture, adding more oats if its too liquid or more milk if its getting too thick. Keep stirring with a wooden spoon to make sure the porridge doesn’t stick to the pan. Chia seeds soak up a lot of liquid, so keep that in mind if you are using them, you might need to add some extra rice milk to get a nice creamy texture. Serve topped with pomegranate and papaya and sprinkle with hempseeds or your favourite nuts & seeds. Enjoy !!

24th December 2014

Chestnut & sprouted chickpea hummus

The weeks running up to Christmas have been a bit hectic, work, Christmas parties and lunches got the better of me, so here comes a ‘Christmassy’ hummus recipe just on time for the holidays. Chestnut hummus is easy to make and a great way to use… Read more

Chestnut & sprouted chickpea hummus- serves 4

1/2 cup of sprouted chickpeas or canned, if you don’t have time to sprout them
2 cup of roasted & shelled chestnuts
4 tbsp + 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil to garnish
1 clove of garlic
2-3 TBS tahini
1/2 cup of water

Juice of 1/2 fresh lemon

1/2 tsp Himalayan salt

Sprouting chickpeas: soak 1 cups of dried chickpeas over night, drain and rinse in the morning. Leave in the bowl with no added water and repeat the rinsing process morning and evening, so they keep moist all the time, until they have sprouted. You will start to see little tails growing after the first day or two, on day 3 or 4 they should be ready. They not only make a delicious hummus, they are also a great addition to soups and salads or just eating as a snack. Once sprouted they keep in the fridge for about 3 days.

Fro dry roasting the chestnuts pre-heat the oven at 200 degrees C/gas mark 7. To prepare the nuts for baking, using a sharp small kitchen knife, carefully cut a little cross into the peel on the flat side, that way it will be easier to peel them later as the peel opens up during the roasting process. Lay out on baking paper in baking tray and bake for 20-25 minutes. Shake the tray a few times during the process, so the nuts cook evenly. Remove the peel when they are still warm as the peel won´t come off as easy once they are cool. They are super delicious to eat just baked, so you have to be careful not to eat them all during the peeling process.

Put all ingredients in the food processor and blend until you get a smooth paste. Chestnuts are the only nuts that do not contain a lot of oil, so if the paste is a bit stiff, carefully add some more olive oil and water until the hummus has your preferred consistency. Season for taste with extra salt and cumin if needed. Serve with warm multi-seed bread and a drizzle of olive oil. Avocado, pumpkin seed oil and a pinch of salt works really well too. Chestnut hummus and pomegranate also make a very good combination. Enjoy!!

30th November 2014

Pumpkin & Coconut Soup

The winter season is soup season ! I just love having a warming soup after a walk on Hampstead Heath on a cold winter’s day or after coming home from work, having frozen my feet off. And pumpkin soup is always a winner. I love… Read more

Pumpkin & Coconut Soup – Serves 3-4

1 medium sized Tom Fox pumpkin ( or any variety you can find) peeled & cubed
3-4 carrots ( peeled & slices)
2 shallots ( diced)
3-4 cm of ginger
1/2 small orange ( grated skin )
Vegetable stock ( enough to cover the pumpkin cubes & carrots well)
1 tbsp of coconut oil
1 can of coconut milk/cream
1 small dried chili or 1/2-1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp of turmeric
1 tsp of cumin powder
1cm vanilla pod ( optional)
Himalayan salt & pepper
Pumpkin seed oil ( optional)

Method:
Cut the pumpkin alongside the marks, so you ‘ll end up with pumpkin slices. Once sliced, it will be a lot easier to cut away the skin. If you can find a Hokkaido pumpkin you won’t need to peel off the skin, as it is edible. Remove the seeds but don’t throw them away as you can roast them in the oven and use as a nutritious garnish for the soup, add to a salad or nibble on as a snack. Just dry them off a bit, add some olive oil so they are lightly coated, season with ground cumin, Ras el Hanut or some Himalayan salt, spread on baking paper and bake at 180 degrees until crisp, keep turning during the process so they crisp up evenly.

Set the pumpkin cubes aside and peel and slice carrots and ginger, then also set aside. Heat the coconut oil in a pot add diced shallots, turmeric, cumin and ginger and sweat for a couple of minutes, taking the pot off the hob as the oil gets really hot and might burn the spices. Now add pumpkin and carrots and cook for a few minutes, keep stirring before adding the stock and the dried chili or chili powder. If you have some fresh vanilla pods you can add 2cm to the cooking process. Simmer until pumpkin and carrots are tender, this will only take about 15-20 minutes.

Whilst the soup is simmering, start preparing the orange and the coconut cream. Grate the skin of half of a small orange and set a side. Once the vegetables are tender, you can start blending the soup, adding some of the orange peel and the coconut milk during the process, keep on checking for taste, so you don’t add too much as it is always a bit tricky to correct. A hand blender will work fine but a food processor or proper blender make the soup a lot smoother. Once blended add salt and pepper for taste. To top you can add some toasted pumpkin seeds and or a drizzle of pumpkin seed oil, super yummy!