EASY HEALTHY VEGAN CHICKPEA AND CARROT TUNA SALAD RECIPE - PERFECT PACKED LUNCH

This is the easiest recipe ever and absolutely delicious. The hardest part is getting hold of vegan mayonnaise. All you need is:

• 2 carrots
• 1 can of chickpeas
• 2 tbsp of vegan mayonnaise

Throw the carrots and chickpeas into the food blender and blend until you have small chunks, resembling the texture of tuna. Add two big dollops of vegan mayonnaise and salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste. And that’s it.

I love having this on wholegrain bread with spinach or slices of cucumber. Perfect for a packed lunch. Enjoy!

HEALTHY EASY VEGAN ZUCCHINI, LENTIL AND CASHEW CREAM LASAGNA 

This recipe requires a little more prep than I normally go for but it is definitively worth it. I like making a big batch at the weekend, which will pretty much feed me the entire upcoming week.

For this recipe you will need:

• 2 onions
• 1 tin of tomatoes or 2 cups of chopped up fresh ones
• 2 tbsp of tomato paste
• 4 tbsp of mixed Mediterranean herbs
• 1 tsp of mustard
• 1/2 a cup of red wine
• 1 cup of red lentils
• 2 zucchinis
• 9 pasta sheets (leave away for gluten-free option)
• 1/3 cup of raw cashews
• 1/4 cup of soy milk (optional)
• 1/5 cup of olive oil (optional)

The prep for this lasagna goes through several steps. Task number one is most definitely soaking your cashews, try and do this a day beforehand, if your short for time, 2-3 hours should do. Task number two is boiling the lentils, ready for the tomato sauce. It’s enough to cook the lentils for 15-20 minutes as they will be cooked again in the oven. At this point it’s probably a good idea to preheat the oven to about 180 - 200 degrees. Now the real cooking can start.

Chop up the onions and start frying them up in a large saucepan with a tiny bit of oil. After a few minutes, add the tomatoes, tomato paste, herbs, mustard, salt, pepper, red wine and lentils to the pan. Put this on a low heat and let it simmer away, like this flavours are properly soaked up by the sauce.

While the red sauce is bubbling away quietly you can start slicing the zucchini or courgette, whatever you want to call it, into fine slices as shown in the picture. The next move is the cashew cream. Drain the cashews and add to a food processor, together with some olive oil, mustard and soy milk. Blend until smooth. Sounds like a weird combo, I know, but comes out surprisingly creamy and delicious.

Once all of the above is completed it’s time to assemble. Get a deep oven proof dish and start layering. Personally I start with the red sauce, then move onto pasta sheets, then cream and then zucchini and continue like that. I usually finish with a layer of zucchini on top, which goes nice and crispy in the oven.

Throw the dish into the preheated oven for about 30 - 40 minutes and enjoy!

EASY HEALTHY VEGAN AND GLUTEN-FREE BLACK QUINOA, BERRY AND CHIA SEED ENERGY BAR TOPPED WITH CRANBERRIES AND DARK CHOCOLATE RECIPE

• 1/2 cup of quinoa
• 2 tbsp of chia seeds
• 1 cup of frozen berries
• 12 dates
• 1/3 cup dried cranberries
• 2 bits of dark chocolate

This energy bar is rammed with goodness! Not only is it the quinoa a complete protein, meaning that it contains all of essential amino acids the body cannot synthesize from other sources, but it also has the highest iron content of any grain! Additionally it is rich in essential amino acids and vitamins A, B2 and E and is an excellent gluten free alternative to other grains. I get mine from the wonderful people at Real Foods. The dates and berries are full of vitamins and dietary fibre and keep the whole bar stuck together. And well, the chocolate is a little happiness booster, filled with antioxidants and caffeine to get you pumped up and ready to go :)

And the best point is they are so easy to make! Start off with rinsing the quinoa in cold water, then bring to the boil and let it simmer for approximately 15 minutes, drain and set aside to cool (if you have the time, let it cool in the fridge overnight). Next step is the base: throw the chia seeds, berries and dates into the food processor and blend till its a gooey sticky red mess. I like to add apple sauce and vanilla for extra flavor. In a bowl mix most of the dried cranberries with the black quinoa and red mess. Spread the mixture on a sheet of baking paper, it should have a fairly dense consistency. Bake at 190 C/fan 170C/gas 5 for thirty minutes, depending on the thickness of the energy bars. Once crispy, remove from oven and cut into portions. Now’s the time to melt the dark chocolate in a small saucepan and cover each bar liberally, then sprinkle chopped dried cranberries on top while the chocolate is still warm. Let the whole thing cool et voilà! Enjoy as a workout snack, a posh biscuit or a lunchbox snack.

HEALTHY EASY VEGAN BREAKFAST / BRUNCH APPLE, PEAR AND MUESLI CRUMBLE RECIPE

(makes about 4 helpings)

• 1 pear
• 1 apple
• 12 walnuts
• 1 small cup of muesli
• 1 dollop of vegan butter / margarine
• 1 tsp of sugar if you’re feeling crazy

Start off by setting the oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5 then start chopping up the fruit into small chunks. Add to a frying pan with some lemon juice and a sprinkle of brown sugar. When I have a spare minute, I pick the raisins out of the muesli and add them in too. While the fruit is softening in the pan throw the walnuts into a food processor or crunch them up yourself in a pestle and mortar. Once you have fairly small walnut pieces / powder, you can mix them in with the muesli and a small amount of butter, just enough to bind it. By this time the fruit should be soft, sweet and slightly caramelized. Place the warm fruit in ramekins or any other small or large oven-proof pots you have. Fill to the top, then start adding the muesli mixture until all fruit is covered. Place in the oven for 35 - 45 minutes et voilà! You have yourself wonderful sweet and warm apple and pear crumble. Great for a luxurious breakfast or for brunch with friends. Enjoy!

*For more yummy and healthy recipes visit theveggieblackboard.com*

OIL-FREE HEALTHY VEGAN SPINACH, WALNUT, BASIL AND SUN DRIED TOMATO PESTO RECIPE

• 1/2 clove of garlic
• 1 handful of fresh spinach
• 8 walnut halves
• 1 handful fresh basil
• 4 sun dried tomatoes
• 3 tbsp of lemon juice (the more the better)
• salt and pepper to taste

This recipe is simple, delicious and wonderful for you. Take the garlic, spinach, walnuts, basil, tomatoes and stick it all into a food processor. Blend until semi-smooth, now start adding the lemon juice, salt and pepper. Keep tasting as you go along. I love mine very lemony. And voilà, you have yourself a dressing that goes beautifully on pasta, tomato salads or even on toast. You can make a larger batch and keep it stored in the fridge, it should comfortably keep for about a week. Enjoy!

*For more yummy and healthy recipes visit theveggieblackboard.com*