BLUEBERRY SMOOTHIE

This is the best smoothie I've made so far (if I do say so myself). Yes possibly even outranking my beloved peanut butter and chocolate smoothie (recipe for this will be hitting the blog in the near future!). What's not to love about blueberries, they're a superfood containing vitamin K, C and fibre to name a few. They're also full of antioxidents, I like to think of them as natures pearls, nutritious sweets if you will.

Ingredients (makes 2 small servings or one large):

- 3 frozen bananas

- 1 pack of frozen blueberries

- 2 tbsp flaxseed

- 1 tbsp chia seeds

- 1 tbsp agave syrup

- 1 cup almond milk 

- Dash of water

- Small handful of frozen blueberries to add on top

- Sprinkling of chia seeds 

Instructions:

1.) Add all the ingredients to a blender and set on high. If your blender won't handle frozen fruits try using fresh fruit and adding ice for a similar effect.

2.) Decorate with more frozen blueberries and chia seeds on on top

What you can't see in the pictures (as my belly got the better of me - oops!) is the layer of soya vanilla Provamel yoghurt I poured on top. This goes seriously well with blueberries so be sure to give that a try! 

This smoothie got me thinking about the perfect smoothie consistency, mainly because I was arguing with my other half about it, I'm a thick gal myself (watch it!...) and he likes his on the runny side (1st world problems I know). So after much debate we came to a happy medium by adding a dash of water. 

Do you have a preference between thick and creamy or smooth and runny smoothies? What do you add to gain that perfect consistency? Let me know below, would love to hear your thoughts!

DHAL

Another great source for vegan/vegetarian recipes is Ocado as you can filter the recipes by dietary requirement to find something suitable. That's were I found this beauty for Dhal curry, another one of my favourite winter warmers. Be prepared the recipe has a lot of ingredients and takes around one hour to make in total (prep and cooking time) but it's soo worth the effort! I would go as far as to say this is the best veggie curry I've ever made or tried and I've had a fair few.

I served mine with brown rice, I'm trying to swap all my white grains at the moment, 1. because it's healthier and 2. to see if it makes a difference to my weight and digestion (I always feel and look so bloated after white carbs!)

As you can see this dish is so vibrantly colourful and full of different veggies, lentils and spices, making this one nutritious dish.

Ingredients

400ml Coconut Milk 

1⁄2 bag Garden Peas 

1⁄2 bag Spinach

1⁄2 tsp Coriander

1 handful Flat Leaved Parsley, fresh

2 tbsp Blended Olive Oil

1 Large Onions

3 cloves Garlic

1 tbs Root Ginger

1 tsp Ground Cumin

400g Puy Lentils

1⁄2 tsp Mixed Spice

1⁄2 tsp Ground Turmeric

1 packet Fresh Coriander

6 large Tomatoes, cut in to 8 segments

6 whole Sundried Tomatoes, chopped

1 small Butternut Squash, diced in to approx 3 cm squared cubes

Instructions

1. Add the oil to a frying pan and cook the onion until it softens; for a minute or so. Then add the garlic, being careful not to brown, for a further minute.
2. Add the butternut squash, fresh and sundried tomatoes and continue to cook for 2-3 minutes.
3. Then add the dried spices and mix well. Cook for a further 2 minutes before adding the coconut milk. Cover and cook for on a low to medium heat for 15-20 minutes.
4. Add the frozen peas and the lentils, stir and cook for another 5-10 minutes.
5. Remove from the heat and add the chopped spinach and fresh coriander. Stir through just until it wilts and serve immediately with a sprinkling of fresh parsley or even a swirl of natural yoghurt.

Perfect served with popadoms, chapattis or warm naan bread on the side with some mango chutney for dipping, if you want to be a little bit cheeky.