Kathy Hester’s Pumpkin Coconut Caramel Sauce & Vegan Slow Cooking Book Giveaway!

Say hello to the latest addition to my household…

Morphy Richards Slow Cooker

yes, it’s yet another gadget for my ever growing collection of kitchen appliances!

I wasn’t intending to buy a slow cooker, but I was recently sent a copy of newly published Vegan Slow Cooking For Two – Or – Just For You by Kathy Hester (best selling author of The Vegan Slow Cooker and the Healthy Slow Cooking blog). I did warn the publishers that I didn’t own a slow cooker, but they sent me a copy anyway. Maybe they knew what would happen 😉

Vegan Slow Cooking For Two Kathy Hester

Before reading Kathy’s book, I always thought slow cookers were for cooking stews and casseroles. However, Kathy has totally blown my preconceived ideas out the water. She seems to cook everything in her slow cookers – porridge, fondues, dips, tapenades, pasta, baked potatoes. She even has a recipe for a full Thanksgiving dinner that’s cooked in just one slow cooker pot!

Kathy describes these as ‘Breakfast Burritos’ but I’d happily eat them for breakfast, lunch or dinner!
Kathy describes these as ‘Breakfast Burritos’ but I’d happily eat them for breakfast, lunch or dinner!

Kathy’s latest book is specifically designed for single and couple households, and includes over 100 recipes for the smaller 1.5 litre slow cookers. The majority of the recipes take 7-9 hours, so you can quickly prep the ingredients in the morning, then come back from work to find your dinner ready and waiting for you. The breakfasts also take 7-9 hours, so you can switch the slow cooker on before bed, then wake up to a warm bowl of ready-made porridge.

Vegan Slow Cooking - Oatmeal

Kathy’s recipes are simple to follow and she provides soy-free, gluten-free and oil-free options for each meal.  Most of the ingredients she uses are easy to purchase in the UK.  There are a few recipes that call for ingredients such as vital wheat gluten flour or liquid smoke, but these are available from online stores, including Amazon.

Vegan Slow Cooking - Portobello Dinner

After reading Kathy’s book, I couldn’t resist ordering a slow cooker so that I could try out her recipes for myself.  The idea of slow cooking on days when we have after-school activities especially appeals to me. When we get back home, rather than having to start cooking (and invariably eating late into the evening), dinner will be ready and waiting for us. We won’t even need to warm it up!

On my study class night, I’m usually rushing around at the last moment, trying to get dinner cooked for the boys and grabbing a quick bite for myself before running out the door, but not this week! I spent 10 minutes in the morning prepping the ingredients for a curry based on Kathy’s Navratan Korma recipe and threw the ingredients in the slow cooker. Dinner was sorted! It was delicious too!

Vegan Slow Cooking - Navratan

Last Friday, I made another of Kathy’s recipes and, this time, I chose something from the ‘Sweet Treats’ section… Pumpkin Coconut Caramel Sauce.  As soon as I read the ingredient list I knew that I was going to love this sauce. It includes some of my all-time favourite spices – cinnamon and cardamom – and with the addition of pureed pumpkin, it has got to be the perfect sauce for this season.

Kathy recommends that the sauce be cooked on low for 7-9 hours but I just couldn’t wait that long to try it, so I cooked it on medium/high for 3 hours instead.

Pumpkin Coconut Caramel Sauce copy 400

And the verdict? This sauce is scrumptious! After testing it, Lil’ L declared it to be “very Autumny!”

In the mornings, we’ve been stirring a couple of tablespoons of the sauce into our porridge/oatmeal. It’s warming, sweet and, for me, it’s the most perfect porridge flavouring for this season.

Porridge with Coconut Pumpkin Caramel Sauce copy

We’ve also been enjoying the sauce in our apple & yoghurt compotes for dessert.

The recipe quantity yields 3 cups of sauce. Kathy tells me that the sauce will keep about a week in the fridge, so I’ve frozen half of it in ice cube trays. That way we can be enjoying the sauce for the next couple of months (and it will stop me from devouring the whole lot in one go 😉 )

Here’s Kathy’s recipe, reproduced with permission from Fair Winds Press:

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Pumpkin Coconut Caramel Sauce (Soy-free / Gluten-free / Oil-free)

Kathy says:”This rich, gooey sauce embodies fall. It’s lightly spiced and perfect in a cup of coffee. But don’t limit yourself – try it on vegan ice cream, dip cookies into it, or stir a bit into your morning oatmeal.”


Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 7 to 9 hours
Yield: 3 cups (700 ml)


Ingredients
1 can (13.5 oz / 400ml) full-fat coconut milk
1 cup (225 g) packed brown sugar (I used coconut sugar)
1 cup (245g) pumpkin puree
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom*
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice (I used mixed spice instead)
pinch cloves (omitted, as I used mixed spice)


*Ground cardamom isn’t readily available in UK supermarkets. I’ve heard that freshly ground cardamom is the best anyhow, so I grind my own. I simply remove the cardamom seeds from the pods, lightly toast them for 2-3 minutes until they are fragrant, then pulse them in a grinder into a fine powder. 1 tablespoon of cardamom pods makes about 1.5 teaspoons of ground spice. I store the spice in a glass jar in the fridge.


Method

Add all the ingredients to your slow cooker and cook on low for 7 to 9 hours. Store in the fridge and use a few teaspoons (15-20 ml) in your hot or iced coffee.

Per 2-tablespoon (28ml) serving: 42.9 calories; 0.5g total fat; 0.4g saturated fat; 0.2g protein; 13.1g carbohydrate; 0.4g dietary fiber; 0mg cholesterol

Products I used
– Chaokoh Coconut Milk, from the World Food aisle at Tesco. I like this brand as it doesn’t contain any strange preservatives, thickeners or E numbers.
– Coconut sugar, available from online stores, including Elements for Life and Amazon
– Libby’s 100% Pumpkin Purée, purchased from Waitrose

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GIVEAWAY TIME!

Are you already a fan of slow cooking? Or, like me, are you a newbie that’s intrigued to try it out? Either way, Kathy’s latest book is bound to give you lots of inspiration. Would you like to check it out for yourself? If so, I’m very pleased to tell you that the publishers have kindly offered me a second copy to give away 🙂

The main way to enter the giveaway is to leave me a comment below, answering the question featured in the Rafflecopter. Do make sure you tick the box in the Rafflecopter to register that you have done so!

If you’re new to Rafflecopter, it’s pretty easy! You simply ‘log in’ by clicking the ‘Use Your Email’ button and entering a name and email address (which won’t be published anywhere) or you can log in via the Facebook button. A quick demo of how to use Rafflecopter can be accessed via this link.

There are a number of additional ways you can enter in order to increase your chances of winning. You will find these listed in the Rafflecopter. All entries will be verified prior to the winner being selected.

The giveaway is open to residents (aged 18 and over) living in the UK, USA & Canada

The closing date is Thursday, 31st October 2013 at midnight GMT.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck everyone! 

 

Please note: This post contains Amazon Affiliate links – if you click on the link and purchase something I will receive a small percentage from Amazon which will goes towards the development of Bit of the Good Stuff. Thanks in advance!

 

World Food Cafe Review & Giveaway plus a Japanese Vegetable Curry Recipe

Recently, I was lucky enough to be sent a copy of the new World Food Cafe book, which launched this month.

World-Food-Cafe-Quick-Easy

This cook book is a compilation of vegetarian recipes that Chris and Carolyn Caldicott collected during their latest travel adventures to Bangladesh, Bhutan, Burma, Chile, Cuba, Japan, Laos, Helsinki & Lapland, Namibia, Syria and Vietnam!

Whether it’s crispy rice cakes from Laos, vegetable stew with an avocado and red onion salsa from Cuba or an iced rooibos sundowner from Namibia, every recipe has been carefully conceived to be quick and easy to make at home.

World Food Cafe Book 2 500

Each chapter focuses on a particular country and includes stunning photography and anecdotes from their travels, alongside descriptions of the countries’ cuisine and a selection of the authors’ favourite recipes.  It’s a truly beautiful read!

World Food Cafe Book - Bhutan 500

I’m a huge fan of world cuisine and have already tried (and loved!) two recipes from the book, and bookmarked plenty more for the weeks to come.  I need to tweak the recipes a little to suit my family’s tastes (as I do with most recipes!) but this won’t be a problem at all.

One of the first recipes that caught my eye was the Okayama Vegetable Curry in the chapter on Japan. While I often make curries at home, I’d never tried Japanese curry before. I was intrigued to find out what it tasted like.

World Food Cafe Book - Japan 500

There was one key ingredient in this curry that I knew would make its flavour distinct to other curries and that was Star Anise. This pretty star-shaped spice has a very striking flavour, similar to aniseed. In the UK, you’ll find it on the herbs and spice aisle of major supermarkets.

World Food Cafe Book - Japanese Curry 500

The authors explain that Japanese curry sauces are like a Roux, made with butter and flour. I opted to go down a slightly less authentic route and thicken my sauce with cornstarch in order to make it low fat and 100% plant-based. I also cut down on the amount of curry powder and garam masala to make it a suitable level of heat for Lil’ L.

I wasn’t sure what Lil’ L would make of this curry as it tastes so different to any curry he’s had before.  I’m pleased to report that it received a thumbs up from him. He absolutely loved it! 🙂

Japanese Okayama Vegetable Curry 1 copy

We’ll definitely be making this curry again. Next time round, I’ll make a big batch of the curry sauce in advance and freeze it. That way, whenever we feel like a Japanese curry, it’ll just be a case of cooking the rice and steaming the veggies. Easy!

Here’s how I made it:

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Japanese Okayama Vegetable Curry (Dairy-free / Gluten-free / Vegan)

(adapted from World Food Café)

If you try this curry sauce and like it, I highly recommend making a big batch next time round and freezing it in portions. That way, whenever you fancy a curry, all you’ll need to do is prepare some rice, steam some veggies, heat up the sauce and you’re good to go!

I’ve made this curry mild enough for children, but feel free to crank up the heat!

Serves 4
Hands-on time: 30 minutes    Cooking time: 40 minutes    Ready in: 50 minutes

Ingredients

Curry Sauce:
½ TBSP olive oil
1 large red onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, crushed
2.5cm / 1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and grated
1 large eating apple, finely grated
2 tsp curry powder (use mild for children)
½ – 1 tsp garama masala (use lesser amount for children)
1 TBSP tomato purée
2 TBSP tamari sauce (or shoyu/soy sauce)
1 tsp sugar
1 litre / 1¾ pints vegetable stock
3 bay leaves
2 star anise
2 TBSP cornflour (cornstarch)
½ cup soya milk (or other non dairy milk), optional

Rice:
1½ cups easy cook brown rice

Vegetables & beans:
500g / 17½ oz mixed vegetables (to save on prep time, I use a mix of frozen veg – cauliflower, broccoli, sweetcorn, peas, carrot sticks, edamame beans, plus a fresh red bell pepper and handful of sugarsnap peas).
160g / 5½ oz marinated tofu pieces (e.g. Cauldron) (or substitute with ½ cup cashews) 

Method

Prepare the sauce:
Brush the bottom of a pan with oil and cook the onion until it starts to soften. Add the garlic, ginger, apple, curry powder and garam masala, and cook for 3 minutes. Stir in the tomato purée, tamari sauce, sugar and stock. Add the bay leaves and star anise. Bring to the boil then reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes.

Remove the bay leaves and star anise, and allow to cool slightly. Blend smooth using an immersion (stick) blender.

Return the pan to the hob. Mix the cornflour with a little water to form a paste, then stir it into the sauce. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer, stirring regularly until the sauce thickens to the consistency of thick gravy. Taste test and add more sweetener, if needed. Season with freshly ground black pepper.

For a hotter curry sauce, first remove any childrens’ portions then add a touch of cayenne pepper or more garam masala, to taste.

To make a creamy sauce, stir in ½ cup of non dairy milk.

This sauce will keep up to five days in the refrigerator or for weeks in the freezer.

Prepare the rice:
While the sauce is simmering, prepare the rice. Place the rice in a sieve and rinse under cold running water. In a large saucepan, combine the rice with 3 cups of boiling water. Boil rapidly, uncovered for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to very low, cover with a tight fitting lid, and gently simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and leave to rest, covered, for 5 minutes.

Prepare the vegetables:
When the sauce is nearly ready, steam the vegetables and tofu until heated through.

Assemble and serve:
Use a small bowl to shape the rice into single servings. Pour some curry sauce around the rice and spoon the steamed vegetables and tofu on top.

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This recipe has been submitted to Ricki Heller’s #WellnessWeekend

Products used in this recipe:
Clearspring Organic Tamari Sauce, purchased from the world food section of Waitrose (this is a gluten-free soy sauce)
Waitrose Organic Frozen Vegetable Mix  
Cauldron Organic Marinated Tofu pieces
, purchased from the chilled aisle in Waitrose

Japanese Okayama Vegetable Curry 2 copy

 

World Food Cafe Quick and Easy: Recipes from a Vegetarian Journey is by Chris and Carolyn Caldicott and published by Frances Lincoln.

International readers, please note that the ingredients in this cookbook are measured in grams/ounces and not in cups.

GIVEAWAY TIME!

Would you like to check out the new World Food Cafe book for yourselves? Well, I’m delighted to tell you that the publishers have kindly offered a copy to give away to you, my lovely readers

The main way to enter the giveaway is to leave me a comment below, answering the question featured in the Rafflecopter below. Make sure you tick the box in the Rafflecopter to register that you have done so!

If you’re new to Rafflecopter, you can access a quick demo via this link.  It’s pretty easy… you simply ‘log in’ by entering a name and email address (which won’t be published anywhere) or via Facebook, then you follow the instructions.

There are a number of additional ways you can enter in order to increase your chances of winning. You will find these listed in the Rafflecopter. All entries will be verified prior to the winner being selected.

This giveaway is open to UK residents (sorry international readers!)

The closing date is Sunday 20th October 2013 at midnight GMT.

Good luck everyone!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Please note: This post contains Amazon Affiliate links – if you click on the link and purchase something I will receive a small percentage from Amazon which will goes towards the development of Bit of the Good Stuff. Thanks in advance!

 

Vegan MoFo and Vegan Comfort Food Book Giveaway!

It’s September!

And this month we’re celebrating Vegan MoFo 😀

VEGAN MOFO

For those of you that are new to this shindig, Vegan MoFo is a month-long event where bloggers are challenged to write as much as they possibly can about vegan food. The signed-up bloggers aim to blog at least 20 times during the month. That’s a serious amount of cooking and writing to squeeze into the working day! Just read a few of their posts though, and you’ll soon feel their enthusiasm and passion for vegan cooking. It’s contagious I can tell you!

There are literally hundreds of bloggers taking part in this event, and I was really pleased to see that some of my favourites have signed up, including Emma from Coconut & Berries. She’s only been blogging for a couple of months but the array of foods she’s created so far is astounding!

These days, I’m lucky if I manage to blog 10 times a month, so I clearly wasn’t going to be a contender for this year’s Vegan MoFo. However, I do want to champion this great event in my own small way. As well as blogging some of my favourite recipes this month, I also be reviewing new cookbooks and running giveaways.

Last month, I was lucky enough to be sent a copy of Home-Cooked Vegan Comfort Food by Celine Steen and Joni Marie Newman. With the summer drawing to a close and the evenings starting to get dark and chilly, I’m already starting to think about cooking more warming, comfort meals, so this cookbook has definitely come along at the right time!

home-cooked-vegan-comfort-food

In this cookbook, the authors have a specific mission in mind – they want to help you to win over your meat-loving family members and friends by sharing their “secret weapon” recipes 😉  In the main meal section, dishes include ‘Barbecue Ribs’, ‘Sweet and Sour Meatballs’, ‘Slow Cooker Russian Chicken’ and ‘Beefy-Cheesy Mac’.  The authors have managed to ‘veganize’ dishes that I never dreamt possible!

Vegan Comfort Food 2

While the cookbook is American, the measurements have been given in grams as well as cups, which is helpful. However, a number of the recipes do call for ingredients that aren’t readily available in our UK supermarkets, such as tempeh, seitan, vital wheat gluten flour and liquid smoke. Local health food stores may stock these products, otherwise they can easily be purchased online, including from Amazon.

So who would this book appeal to? In my opinion, it’s best suited to vegans that already know their way round products like tempeh and seitan, and enjoy eating vegan meat substitutes. It could also come in very handy when your meat-loving friends and family are popping over for dinner. Or maybe your partner is one of those ‘die hard’ meat eaters and you want to start sharing meals with them rather than eating separately all the time.  There are literally hundreds of recipes in the book to inspire you!

Vegan Comfort Food 3

 

GIVEAWAY TIME!

Are you intrigued by the sound of this book? Would you like to check it out for yourself? Well, the publishers have kindly given me a second copy to give away on my blog 😀

I’m running this giveaway using Rafflecopter as it makes the administration so much easier, plus it gives you plenty more chances of winning! If you’re new to Rafflecopter, you can access a quick demo via this link.  It’s pretty easy… you simply ‘log in’ by entering a name and email address (which won’t be published anywhere) or via Facebook, then you follow the instructions.

The main way to enter the giveaway is to leave me a comment below, answering the question featured in the Rafflecopter. Make sure you tick the box in the Rafflecopter to register that you have done so!

There are a number of additional ways you can enter in order to increase your chances of winning. You will find these listed in the Rafflecopter. All entries will be verified prior to the winner being selected.

The giveaway is open to residents in the UK, USA and Canada

The closing date is Monday 30th September 2013 at midnight GMT.

Good luck everyone! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Please note: This post contains Amazon Affiliate links – if you click on the link and purchase something I will receive a small percentage from Amazon which will goes towards the development of Bit of the Good Stuff. Thanks in advance!

 

Pink Himalayan Salt & Cacao Nib GIVEAWAY & Recipe for Mocha Frappuccinos (Dairy-free, Sugar-free)

Today, I’m very excited to launch a fantastic giveaway! My good friends over at Elements for Life have given me ten of their Pink Himalayan Salt and Cacao Nib Grinders to give away to you, my lovely readers 😀

It makes me so happy when I get to give away products that I love myself. This blogging gig has some seriously great perks! 😀

The Pink Himalayan Salt is sourced from the foothills of the Himalayas, where it was deposited by primal seas millions of years ago. It is totally pure and packed with trace minerals. I use the salt to season savoury meals and to add a touch of saltiness to my raw chocolate barks.

Himalayan Pink Salt

The cacao nibs are sourced from Peruvian cacao beans. Once the beans have been dried, they are crushed and the papery skins removed, leaving the cacao nibs. Since they aren’t roasted, the cacao nibs retain all the goodness found in cacao beans.  They contain a serious amount of nutrients, including lots of antioxidants, minerals, vitamins and amino acids.  To find out more about their nutrient content, check out my ‘Wonders of Raw Chocolate‘ post.

Cacao Nibs

I like to sprinkle cacao nibs on my porridge,  banana pancakes, chocolate ‘cashew’ cheese cakes, yoghurts, parfaits, chocolate energy milkshakes, chocolate banana icecream and mocha coffees.  If you like very dark chocolate, you’ll love cacao nibs!

Another great feature of this giveaway is that the two products come packaged in their own glass bottles with plastic grinder tops, which have two settings – coarse and fine. I’ve never had a manual grinder that’s had adjustable settings so I’m loving this feature. It saves me having to get out my electric grinder when I want fine nibs for sprinkling on drinks.

Grinder Lid 500

In addition to my Coffee Frappuccinos, another drink I’m loving at the moment is home-made Mocha Frappuccinos / Frappés.  The coffee shop versions are way too sugary for my liking. They seriously make me nauseous and the feeling lasts for hours 🙁 Instead, I much prefer my home-made version. It’s very simple to make and you can adjust the sweetness to suit your individual tastes. As an added bonus, they’re far cheaper to make yourself. ‘M’ loves them too!

Mocha Frappuccino Dairy Free Sugar Free copy

For a Mocha Frappuccino, I simply use my Coffee Frappuccino recipe and add a tablespoon of cacao powder per person.  While the recipe will work fine with regular cocoa powder, I prefer to use raw cacao powder as I find the taste superior, plus it adds more lovely nutrients 🙂

Just in case you’d like to try it too, here’s how I make it:

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Serves: 1

Ingredients
1 cup’s worth of coffee ice cubes (about 7 cubes)
1 cup of soya or almond milk (240 ml / 8 fl oz)
1 TBSP raw cacao powder (or regular cocoa powder)
½ TBSP maple syrup (or agave syrup)
Ground cacao nibs, for sprinkling

Method

1.      Brew a jug of strong coffee using a cafetiere (French Press).  Leave to cool.  When cold, pour the coffee into a large ice cube tray and place in the freezer.  Any leftover coffee can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days and used for iced coffees or to replenish the ice cube tray.

2.      To make the frappuccino, place around 7 coffee ice cubes in a blender along with a cup of milk and tablespoon of cacao powder.  Pulse a few times to break up the ice, then blend on high speed until the ice is fully incorporated.  Add syrup, to taste, and pulse a few more times to combine.  Serve immediately in cool glasses, with a sprinkling of cacao nibs.

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Dairy Free Sugar Free Mocha Frappuccino copy

 

GIVEAWAY TIME! NOW CLOSED!

Elements for Life are selling these refillable grinders for £2.75 and £2.95, which I think is a great price considering that they come pre-filled with 100g of the Pink Himalayan salt and cacao nibs, respectively.

However, five of my lucky readers are going to bag themselves one each of the grinders for FREE! 

There are three ways to enter the giveaway:

  1. Leave me a comment below. Anything will do, but I’d love to find out a bit more about you! Are you already a fan of Pink Himalayan salt or cacao nibs, or have you yet to try them? Have you tried any new drinks lately that you’re loving?
  2. Share this giveaway on Facebook by clicking on the ‘Like’ button at the bottom of this post, then leave me a comment below to let me know you have done so.
  3. Share this giveaway on Twitter with something like “I’ve entered the @GoodStuffSharon @MakeRawChoc Pink Himalayan Salt & Cacao Nib Giveaway”, then leave me a comment below to let me know you have done so.

If you enter all three ways, you’ll triple your chances of winning.

Sorry international readers but this giveaway has to be UK only due to the postage costs.

The closing date is Thursday 1st August 2013 at midnight GMT. After this date, 5 lucky winners will be chosen at random.

Good luck everyone! xx

tibits at home book review & giveaway

tibits is a group of popular vegetarian restaurants that were launched ten years ago in Switzerland by three brothers – Reto, Christian and Daniel Frei – together with Rolf and Marielle Hitl (the owners of Hitl, the oldest vegetarian restaurant in the world according to the Guiness Book of World Records!)  In 2008 they opened the first UK tibits restaurant in Heddon Street (off Regent Street) in London.

To celebrate their 10th anniversary, last year they launched their first cookbook, tibits at home, which includes fifty of their favourite recipes.  Recently I was asked whether I would like to receive a copy of the cookbook to review.  I was delighted to accept the invitation.  While the book is vegetarian cuisine, many of the recipes are in fact vegan, which suits our family perfectly.

tibits at home cookbook

The book arrived the other day and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed reading it.  It’s one of those cookbooks that’s filled with stylish photography, making it a great pleasure to browse through.  The photographs were actually taken at the homes of four patrons of tibits and, in addition to the shots of food, you also get to glimpse into the beautiful, stylish homes of these Swiss families.

Whilst the book is described as ‘stylish vegetarian cuisine’, the authors emphasise that all the recipes are easy to make at home, which I was pleased to hear.  The recipes are organised by season, with an introductory paragraph that encapsulates the essence of each new season.  I do love cookbooks that are arranged by season but, to be honest, I’d happily eat the recipes in this book all year round! 

tibits at home cook book

One of the first recipes that caught my eye – cavatappi pasta with courgettes curry sauce – was in the Autumn/Fall chapter.  If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you’ll know that my family are huge curry fans.  However, I must admit that we’d never tried curried pasta before.  I was intrigued to discover whether this combination worked.

tibits at home cook book

Inspired by the tibits recipe, last week I made a curried pasta dish for the first time.  The family loved it!  In fact, it was such a hit that we chose to make it again this week.  We rarely eat the same meal twice in the same month, so this one is definitely something special! I loved how quick and easy to make it was too.

I’ve made the recipe below mild enough for small children but, if you prefer, you can increase the spice quantities to add more heat.  The tibits recipes calls for 50g freshly grated ginger (which equates to around 2 x thumb size pieces).  I used this amount the first time I made the recipe and it gave the dish a distinctly ginger-spiced flavour.  We love ginger but this amount could make the dish a little too spicy for some children.  The second time round, I halved the amount of ginger and Lil’ L preferred it.  

Fusilli Pasta with Lightly Curried Vegetables

 

Here’s how I made it:

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Fusilli Pasta with Lightly Curried Vegetables

Serves: 4

Ready in 20 minutes

Ingredients

250 ml / 8½ fl oz / 1 cup coconut milk
250 ml / 8½ fl oz / 1 cup fortified soya milk (or other non dairy milk)
1 x thumb size piece of fresh or frozen ginger, finely grated (or add more if you’d prefer a stronger ginger spiced sauce)
1 tsp mustard seeds
½ – 1 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground coriander
½ tsp garam masala
1 tsp turmeric
1 medium courgette (zucchini), sliced into julienne sticks
2 medium carrots, sliced into julienne sticks
½ medium head of broccoli, cut into tiny florets
2 tbsp corn flour mixed with 2 tbsp water to form a paste
300g / 10½ oz wholewheat fusilli pasta (use GF pasta for those with a gluten intolerance)

Optional ingredients for a nutrient boost (we add all three):
handful cashews
handful sunflower seeds
sprinkling of nutritional yeast flakes with added B12 (we use Marigold Engevita)

Method

  1. Prepare a large pan of boiling water and cook the pasta until al dente (about 10-12 minutes).
  2. Meanwhile, combine the coconut milk and soya milk in a large pan and bring to the boil.  Mix the ginger and spices to form a paste, then add it to the pan and stir to combine.  Add the vegetables and simmer for 5 minutes.  Stir in the cornflour paste and continue cooking for a couple of minutes until the sauce starts to thicken.
  3. When the pasta is cooked, drain it and stir it into the sauce.  Add a sprinkling of cashews and sunflowers seeds, if desired.  Season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste.  (Once removed from the heat, we also like to sprinkle in some nutritional yeast with added B12 as a nutritional boost. It also adds a lovely savoury flavour).
  4. This dish is delicious served hot in warmed bowls for a main meal.  We also like the pasta cold and pack any leftovers into lunchboxes for the following day.

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There are many more recipes in the tibits cookbook that I’m looking forward to trying, including the vegetable jambalaya, red rice salad, coconut and peanut fritters, and goa curry.  All sound utterly delicious!

Giveaway Time! NOW CLOSED!

It didn’t seem fair that I was the only one to sample this beautiful cookbook, so tibits have kindly offered another copy that I can give away to you, my lovely blog readers 🙂

There are three ways of entering:

  1. Leave me a comment below.
  2. Share this post on FB, by clicking on the ‘like’ button below (and leave me a comment below stating that you have done so).
  3. Share this post on Twitter with something like “Check out @Goodstuffsharon for tibits at home cookbook giveaway” (and leave me a comment below stating that you have done so).

If you enter all three ways, you’ll triple your chances of winning!

Sorry international readers, but this giveaway is UK only.

The closing date is Thursday, 16th May 2013 at midnight GMT.  Good luck everyone!

We ♥ Hemp & A Good Hemp Giveaway

If you’ve been following my blog for a while, you’ll have noticed that hemp seeds appear in a lot of my meals.  It crops up in breakfasts, lunches, dinners, smoothies and even hot chocolate!  I have huge respect for this super seed, both for its nutritional content and positive impact on the environment.

Shelled_hemp_seed 500

Source

 

On the nutritional front, hemp seeds are little powerhouses, packed with protein, essential fatty acids, antioxidants and minerals.

Nutritional Qualities of Hemp Seed
A complete protein, containing all the essential amino acids
Very high protein content (over 30%)
Low in saturated fat
Excellent source of omega 3 and omega 6, and in the ideal ratio for your body to absorb it
Natural source of Gamma Linoleic Acid (GLA)
Rich in antioxidants, including vitamin E
Great source of magnesium, zinc and iron

Health Benefits of Hemp Seed
Increases energy levels and metabolic rate
Lowers blood pressure
Improves organ function
Boosts immunity levels
Helps circulation
Reduces inflammation and symptoms of arthritis
Reduces symptoms of PMS and menstrual cramps
Builds strong, healthy hair, skin and nails
Low allergen and easy to digest

Though hemp comes from a variety of cannabis sativa, the plant contains extremely low levels (0.02% or less) of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) (levels comparable to the amount of opium found in poppy seeds).  Here in the UK, it’s legal to grow industrial hemp for culinary purposes.

Hemp Crop in Peasenhall Road, Walpole, UK 500

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The production of hemp seed actually has a positive impact on the environment!

Hemp seeds on plant 500

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Environmental Benefits of Hemp Seed
A very efficient carbon sequester, locking up to four times as much carbon as a similar size field of trees
One of the world’s most sustainable crops
Extremely easy to cultivate with fantastic yields
Can be grown entirely herbicide and pesticide-free
Excellent for soil structure and health
Doesn’t require any weed control during the growing period (either mechanical or chemical)
Fastest growing plant in the world after bamboo, shooting up 4 metres in 14 weeks

We ♥ Hemp
As a plant-powered family, we consume hemp seed as one of the main sources of our omega 3 intake (along with flaxseed, chia seeds and walnuts).  Since heat can destroy their valuable omega 3 properties, we tend to sprinkle hemp seed into our meals once they are prepared.  Until recently, I’d only ever used plain, shelled hemp seed so I was delighted when I was contacted by Braham & Murray (the company behind Good Hemp) and asked whether I would like to try their new range called ‘Good Seed’.  In addition to the plain variety, they’ve created three flavoured blends: Sweet Cinnamon, Asian Spices and Italian Herbs. All four of them are perfect for sprinkling!

I have to say that these products have been thoroughly tested by my family.  We’ve used at least one of the blends every day for the past month or so!  Here’s a rundown of our favourite ways to enjoy them.

The Sweet Cinnamon blend (hemp seed, ground cinnamon, sugar) has been sprinkled onto breakfast cereals, porridge, and blended into smoothies.

Good Hemp Sweet Cinnamon

The Italian Herbs blend (hemp seed, coriander, salt, oregano, basil, garlic powder) has been wonderful for sprinkling into pasta dishes and on top of pizzas and soups…

Good Hemp Italian Herbs 1

while the Asian Spices blend (hemp seed, oregano, sweet chilli, smoke paprika, garlic powder) has been perfect for adding to curries and stir fries.

Good Hemp Asian Spices

The plain Shelled Hemp has been sprinkled into a whole array of breakfasts, lunches, dinners and smoothies.

Good Hemp Shelled Seeds

We found that all four blends are also great for sprinkling into sandwiches and wraps.

Falafel Wrap

As companies go, I really value Braham and Murray as they take great care to produce a quality product in harmony with the environment.  All their hemp is grown in the UK and is entirely herbicide and pesticide free.  They make use of the entire hemp plant, so nothing goes to waste.

The seed is used for food.
The straw is used to create sustainable building materials for Eco houses.
The fibre is supplied to BMW for the doors of 3 & 5 Series cars (the fibre reduces the weight per car by approximately 1kg, thus enabling fuel efficiency).
The dust cleaned from the seed is supplied to worm farms.
Leaf matter supplies essential nutrients back to the soil as a natural fertiliser.

Giveaway Time! NOW CLOSED!
I’m very delighted to tell you that Braham and Murray have kindly offered to give away three of their Good Seed products to my wonderful readers.  To be in with a chance of winning one of the pots, simply leave me a comment below stating which of the blends you would like to try: Sweet Cinnamon, Italian Herbs, Asian Spices or Plain Shelled Hemp.

There are two bonus ways of entering the giveaway:

– ‘Like’ the Braham and Murray Good Hemp Facebook page, and leave me a comment below stating that you have done so.

– Follow Good Hemp on Twitter @Good_Oil or @GoodHempNutri, and leave me a comment below stating that you have done so.

I’m afraid that this giveaway is UK only, so apologies to my international followers.

The closing date is Thursday 28th February 2013, at midnight GMT.

Good luck everyone!

Are you a fan of hemp seed?  If so, what’s your favourite way of eating it?