Wild Garlic & Butter Bean Soup with Roasted Buckwheat

Wild garlic has become all the rage recently and, along with forced rhubarb and asparagus, it has come to symbolise the arrival of spring. It has even become a staple at selected shops – although who doesn’t like to go for a bit of foraging for themselves? 

I loved going with my mum to pick wild garlic as a child – we had an abundance in the woody bit of our garden so we didn’t have to walk far. 😉 She put it in absolutely everything: salads, risottos, polenta, with chicken and fish…just about anything that would respond to a bit of a garlic punch. Looking around on social media, it seems that wild garlic pesto is a firm favourite amongst many but please don’t stop yourself there, as you will see with this soup it works well in many dishes. The sky is your limit with this little green leaf!

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Super Seed & Fig Shards

Have you made any New Year’s Resolutions? If yes, there is a good chance that “health” is high on the list, be it in the form of: exercise, losing weight and/or improving your diet. This usually lasts precisely three week… maybe these will help! 😉

Any health kick will include both  mental and physical lows during which it is just too tempting to grab a consolation chocolate or some sugar laden granola bar. My ‘Super Seed & Fig Shards’ could be your solution, as they have all the “naughtiness” without the unhealthiness. They are packed with seeds and only sweetened with dried figs, cinnamon and maple syrup. You have the impression you are eating a cookie. If your resolution is increasing your fitness levels…well…seeds are packed with protein making them a perfect pre- or post-workout snack! Oh and for all the parents out there…my kids can’t have enough of them! What’s not to love?!?!

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Roasted Red Pepper Hummus & Pitta Crisps

Veganuary being the hype of the moment, a tasty hummus hits the spot perfectly. Hummus is probably THE food staple of vegans and vegetarians, being rich in plant-based proteins, vitamins, minerals and being readily available. 

The beauty of hummus is that there are an endless variety of beans you can use (chickpeas, cannellini beans, lentils…), flavours you can add (pesto, beetroot, caramelised onions…) and even the toppings you can choose (lamb, nuts, cheese, grilled vegetables…)! I’ve created a simple ‘Roasted Red Pepper Hummus’, as red peppers are high in vitamin C and because they add a bit of sunshine to our plate which is very much needed at this time of the year.

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