VEGGIE STIR FRY

Another one of my favourite dishes I like to keep in circulation is this Asparagus, Broccoli, Ginger and Mint stir fry. This dish is full of feel good ingredients; ginger is renowned for aiding colds and flu's, mix this with hot chillies and colourful veggies and you've got the perfect combo to combat Winter. 

Ingredients (Serves 4)

1 tbsp sesame oil or vegetable oil

2 fresh red chillies, deseeded and finely chopped

5 cm of fresh root ginger, sliced into fine strips

1 bunch spring onions, cut into 5cm (2in) lengths

2 garlic cloves, grated or finely chopped

1 red pepper, deseeded and sliced into fine strips

1 head broccoli, about 300g, cut into florets

1 bunch fine asparagus spears, trimmed and halved

1 tbsp caster sugar

1 handful fresh mint leaves

1 pinch salt

1 pinch freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a wok over a medium-high heat, and swirl to coat the surface. Add the chillies and ginger and toss for a few seconds, then add the spring onions and a few seconds later add the garlic. Stir-fry for 5 minutes until soft.
2. Add the pepper, and stir-fry for a few minutes. Add the broccoli, and stir-fry for a few minutes more, before adding the asparagus. Continue stir-frying for another minute or two.
3. Sprinkle over the sugar, and season well with salt and black pepper. Stir-fry for a few seconds until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat, and stir through the mint leaves. Serve immediately either on its own, or with some fluffy rice.

This recipe is another Ocado beaut and can be found here, if you shop with Ocado you can add the ingredients straight to your basket. The only changes I made were to substitute the sugar for a light agave syrup and I served mine with brown rice to make it a bit healthier. 

As the recipe states you have to be quick with this and keep constantly frying the veggies in the wok so they don't burn.  You can use fresh or frozen veggies, I prefer fresh (although it takes a bit longer to prepare) as they cook easier, taste better and have more nutrients!

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.