Freshfit

Make your own:
ITALIAN HERB VINAIGRETTE
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup red-wine vinegar
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning blend
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly-cracked black pepper
1 teaspoon lemon juice

Whisk all ingredients together until well combined as simple as that my friends!

Butternut squash indian curry

200g brown basmati rice
1 tbsp olive oil
1 butternut squash, diced
1 red onion, diced
2 tbsp mild curry paste
300ml vegetable stock
4 large tomatoes chopped
400g can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
3 tbsp vegan Greek yogurt
small handful coriander, chopped

Method
Cook the rice in boiling salted water, as per pack instructions. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large frying pan and cook the butternut squash for 2-3 mins until lightly browned. Add the onion and the curry paste and fry for 3-4 mins more.

Pour over the stock, then cover and simmer for 15-20 mins, or until the squash is tender. Add the tomatoes and chickpeas, then gently cook for 3-4 mins, until the tomatoes slightly soften.

Take off the heat and stir through the yogurt and coriander. Serve with the rice and some wholemeal chapattis if you like.

İndian winter soup

100g pearl barley
2 tbsp vegetable oil
½ tsp brown mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 green chillies, deseeded and finely chopped
1 bay leaf
2 cloves

1 small cinnamon stick
½ tsp ground turmeric
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 parsnip, cut into chunks
200g butternut squash, cut into chunks
200g sweet potato cut into chunks
1 tsp paprika

1 tsp ground coriander
225g red lentils
2 tomatoes chopped
small bunch coriander, chopped
1 tsp grated ginger

1 tsp lemon juice

Rinse the pearl barley and cook following pack instructions. When it is tender, drain and set aside. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a deep, heavy-bottomed pan. Fry the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, chillies, bay leaf, cloves, cinnamon and turmeric until fragrant and the seeds start to crackle. Tip in the onion and garlic, then cook for 5-8 mins until soft. Stir in the parsnip, butternut and sweet potato and mix thoroughly, making sure the vegetables are fully coated with the oil and spices. Sprinkle in the paprika, ground coriander and seasoning, and stir again.

Add the lentils, pearl barley, tomatoes and 1.7 litres water. Bring to the boil then turn down and simmer until the vegetables are tender. When the lentils are almost cooked, stir in the chopped coriander, ginger and lemon juice

Indian week begins with:

VEGAN CAULIFLOWER &, PEA CURRY
GOBI MATAR

Ingredients
1 tsp oil
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
3 cloves of garlic finely chopped
1 (265 g) small head of cauliflower choped into florets
Sauce:
1 cup (236.59 ml) coconut milk
1 tsp flour or rice flour for glutenfree
1 inch ginger chopped
3 Tbsp tomato paste
1.5 tsp dried onion flakes or 3/4 tsp onion granules powder
1/3 to 1/2 tsp cayenne/red chili powder
1.5 teaspoon garam masala
1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
1/2 teaspoon coriander powder
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
1.5 tsp dried Fenugreek Leaves (kasuri methoptional
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 tsp sugar or maple syrup
1/2 cup (118.29 ml) water divided
Other:
1/2 cup green peas or use 1 cup cooked chickpeas or other beans
cilantro, pepper flakes, lemon for garnish
Instructions
Drizzle and spread or spray oil on a (9 by 9 inch or 10 by 7 or similar) baking dish. Add cumin and garlic, then cauliflower and sprinkle 1/4 tsp salt.
Bake at 400 def F (205 C) for 12 mins.
Meanwhile Blend the sauce ingredients and 1/4 cup water. Drizzle over the cauliflower. Use 1/4 cup water to rinse out the blender and add to the dish.
Add the peas (or add a cup of cooked chickpeas instead). Add a chopped small tomato for texture if you like, and bake for 25 mins. Check the cauliflower if tender to preference.
Continue to bake for another 5 to 10 mins if needed at 350 F (180 C). Garnish with cilantro and lemon juice. Serve with rice/grains or flatbread and a side salad.
To Store: Refrigerate for upto 3 days, freeze for upto a month.
Stovetop: Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add oil, cumin seeds and cook until cumin seeds are fragrant, then add garlic and cook for a minute. Add cauliflower and a pinch of salt, toss well and cook for 3 mins, stirring once in between.
Meanwhile blend the sauce ingredients then add to the pan. Partially cover and cook for 13-14 mins or until cauliflower is tender. Add in the peas, taste and adjust salt and flavor. Take off heat. Cover and let sit for another 2 mins.
Notes
Variations: Add other veggies such as small (1/4 inch) cubed potato, zucchini, peppers, root veggies etc. Fold in greens like spinach at the end.
*If adding more total veggies, then double the sauce, use a bigger baking dish so that the veggies are more than 2 pieces deep. Baking time will also increase depending on the volume, by 10-15 mins.
Fenugreek leaves sub: Fenugreek leaves add a bitter sweet flavor to the sauce. To substitute, use 1/4 tsp ground mustard and 1 tsp maple syrup(omit the sugar).Coconut milk sub: Use an alternate non dairy milk. If the non dairy milk is too thin, blend it with 1/4 cup cashews until smooth and then use.
Oilfree: Bake the cauliflower without the oil for 10 mins. Blend the sauce and add to the dish and continue.

Chunk BBQ potatoe slices

4 large potatoes unpeeled
a little olive oil
A few fresh rosemary sprigs, leaves stripped
2 garlic cloves, very finely sliced

Slice the potatoes to the thickness of your little finger, discarding the rounded end pieces. Tip into a pan of cold salted water and bring to the boil. Simmer for 3 mins until just cooked, then drain. This can be done a day ahead.

Rub each slice with a little oil and barbecue until golden and charred on each side. Place in a dish and sprinkle with rosemary and garlic. Drizzle with a little more olive oil, season with salt and serve

BBQ Teriyaki Tofu

4 tbsp low-salt soy sauce
2 tbsp soft brown sugar
pinch ground ginger
2 tbsp mirin
3 tsp sesame oil
350g block very firm tofu cut into thick slices
½ tbsp rapeseed oil
2 courgettes sliced horizontally into strips
200g Tenderstem broccoli
black and white sesame seeds, to serve

Mix the soy sauce, soft brown sugar, ginger and mirin with 1 tsp sesame oil and brush it all over the slices of tofu. Put them in a large, shallow dish and pour over any leftover marinade. Chill for at least 1 hr.

Heat the barbecue until the coals are glowing white, or heat a griddle pan. Mix the remaining sesame oil with the rapeseed oil and brush the courgette slices and broccoli. Barbecue (or griddle) them over the coals for 7-10 mins or until they are tender and then set aside and keep warm.

Barbecue the tofu slices on both sides over the coals for 5 mins (or use the griddle) until they turn brown and go crisp at the edges. Serve the tofu on a bed of the veg with the remaining marinade and scatter over the sesame seeds.

Charred aubergine, pepper & bulgur salad

175g bulgur wheat
2 tbsp sundried tomato paste
4 baby aubergines each sliced lengthways into 3
1 red pepper, sliced lengthways into 1cm pieces
2 tsp olive oil
handful basil leaves

Prepare bulgur following pack instructions. Tip into a large bowl and stir through the tomato paste. Season.

Heat a BBQ or griddle pan to high. Drizzle the aubergines and red pepper with the oil and cook for 5 mins on each side until lightly charred.

Stir the aubergines and red pepper into the bulgur mixture, then season and stir through the basil.

VEGAN BBQ burgers

Ingredients

6 large sweet potatoes
(about 1½ kg/3lb 5oz)
2 tsp oil, plus extra for the trays
2 red onions, finely chopped
2 red chillies, finely chopped (deseeded if you like)
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp ground coriander
340g can sweetcorn drained
small bunch coriander, chopped
200g polenta

buns, salsa, onion and salad leaves, to serve

Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Pierce the potato skins and place on a baking tray. Bake for 45 mins until really soft. Remove from the oven and leave to cool. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a small pan, add the onions and chillies, and cook for 8-10 mins until soft. Leave to cool.

Peel the potatoes and add the flesh to a bowl with the chilli onions. Mash together with the spices until smooth. Using your hands, mix in the sweetcorn, coriander, half the polenta and some seasoning. Shape the mixture into 10 burgers; it will be quite soft. Carefully dip each one into the remaining polenta; dust off any excess. Place burgers on oiled baking trays and chill for at least 30 mins. You can wrap and freeze the burgers at this stage.

Light the barbecue. When the flames have died down, place a large, well-oiled non-stick frying pan or sturdy baking tray on top of the bars. Cook the burgers in the pan or on the tray for 10 mins each side until nicely browned. Alternatively, heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7 and cook on oiled baking trays for 15 mins. Serve in buns with a dollop of salsa, some onion and salad leaves.

It's Vegan BBQ week at freshfit:

Vegan Kebabs with avocado dressing

Ingredients:

3½ tbsp olive oil

2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp chilli flakes
3 rosemary

sprigs, finely chopped
4 Portobello mushrooms, each cut into quarters
4 peaches destoned, each cut into quarters
2 large courgettes each cut into 8 chunks
2 large red onions, each cut into 8 wedges (leave the root on)
1 avocado
1 lemon juiced
½ tsp wholegrain mustard
large bag rocket watercress and spinach salad
2 tbsp toasted mixed seeds

You will need
8 metal skewers

Method:

Mix 3 tbsp oil with the crushed garlic, chilli flakes and rosemary. Thread alternate pieces of mushroom, peach, courgette and red onion onto each skewer – you can get two pieces of everything on each. Brush the kebabs with the flavoured olive oil and season with salt and black pepper, then set aside. The kebabs can be made the day before and kept in the fridge.

Heat the barbecue or a grill to its highest setting. Meanwhile, blitz the avocado, half the lemon juice and 50ml water to a smooth dressing and season to taste. Whisk the remaining lemon juice, remaining ½ tbsp olive oil and mustard together, then toss with the mixed rocket salad and toasted seeds.

Barbecue or grill the skewers for 4-5 mins on each side or until cooked through and nicely charred. Pile onto a platter and serve with the avocado dressing and salad on the side.