Spring Recipes
Green Spring Salad
Method
Place the first five dressing ingredients in a small blender and process until emulsified and everything is blitzed well. Taste and season with the salt, pepper and sugar, adjusting the seasoning to your preference.
Toast almonds on a dry frying pan, moving them around the pan from time to time so that they don’t burn. Chop roughly and set aside.
Boil or steam the potatoes. Allow them to cool before adding to the salad.
Boil or steam the peas. Plunge them in ice cold water straight after draining so that they retain their vibrant colour.
Heat up a griddle pan or a heavy skillet on a medium heat and coat it with a little olive oil. Once hot, place the asparagus on the pan in a single layer. Allow it to char on one side before turning to the other side. Keep an eye on it so that it doesn’t cook for too long as it will become limp. Season with fine sea salt and cut into segments.
Combine cooled potatoes, peas, asparagus and zucchini slices with salad leaves in a large bowl or on a big sharing plate.
Just before serving, drizzle some of the dressing on top and scatter with chopped almonds.
Ingredients
Mint Dressing
60 ml / ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
30 ml / 2 tbsp lemon juice, adjust to taste
a handful of fresh mint leaves (approx. 7 g / 0.25 oz), adjust to taste
1 tsp vegan wholegrain mustard
½ small garlic clove
¼ tsp salt, to taste
black pepper, to taste
½ tsp maple syrup or sugar
Salad
2 tbsp almonds
250 g / 0.5 lb small new potatoes
½ cup frozen petit pois (small peas)
2 tsp olive oil
200 g / 7 oz asparagus, wooden ends cut off
1 small zucchini, super thinly sliced
50 g / 2 oz assorted salad leaves
1 baby gem lettuce, leaves torn
Spanish Artichoke and Zucchini Paella
Method
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook garlic and onion in oil for about 4 minutes. Add rice and heat for 1 minute, making sure to constantly stir so that nothing sticks or burns.
Add remaining ingredients, stirring to get everything mixed in evenly. Reduce heat to low, cover, and let simmer for 20 minutes.
Ingredients
3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup white rice
1 (15-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, undrained
1 medium green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1⁄2 cup chopped canned artichoke hearts, drained
2 medium zucchinis, sliced
2 cups vegetable broth
1 tablespoon paprika
1⁄2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1⁄4 teaspoon chopped fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
Herbed Chickpea Pancakes w/ Lemon Tahini & Roasted Spring Veggies
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Make the zesty lemon tahini. In a small bowl, whisk together the tahini, lemon zest, lemon juice, agave nectar, and salt. Once combined, add the cold water to the bowl. Start by whisking slowly to combine everything. Then, move to whisking vigorously until the sauce is creamy, slightly pale, and smooth. Set aside in the refrigerator until ready to use. This sauce will keep for up to a week in the refrigerator.
Roast the vegetables. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the asparagus and radishes on the baking sheet. Pour the avocado oil on top of the vegetables and sprinkle with the za’atar, salt, and pepper. Toss to combine and arrange vegetables in a single layer. Slide the baking sheet into the oven and roast vegetables for 20 minutes, or until slightly tender and browned on the edges.
While vegetables are roasting, make the chickpea pancakes. Heat a saute pan or crepe pan over medium heat. In a medium bowl, whisk together the chickpea flour, parsley, dill, green onion, turmeric, nutritional yeast, onion powder, salt, pepper, and water. Once you have a smooth batter with minimal lumps, you’re good to go.
Swish some oil around in your heated pan. Pour half of the chickpea pancake batter into the pan. Let the chickpea pancake cook until golden on the underside and little bubbles are poking through, about 1 ½ minutes. Flip the pancake over and cook for another full minute, or until the other side is browned and the pancake feels firm in the middle. Repeat this cooking process with the remaining batter.
Serve chickpea pancakes warm with the roasted vegetables and zesty lemon tahini.
Ingredients
Zesty Lemon Tahini Sauce
¼ cup tahini
1 tsp lemon zest
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 ½ tsp agave nectar
sea salt, to taste
¼ cup cold water
Vegetables
½ lb asparagus, tough ends trimmed
6-7 radishes, cut into quarters
2 tsps avocado oil
1 tsp za’atar spice blend
sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
Herbed Chickpea Pancakes
⅔ cup chickpea flour
⅓ cup flat leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped
¼ cup fresh dill leaves, finely chopped
1 green onion, finely chopped
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp nutritional yeast
1 tsp onion powder
½ tsp fine sea salt
few twists of ground black pepper
⅔ cup water
oil, for cooking
Vegan White Chocolate Tart
Method
For the Crust
Preheat the oven to 350F. In a food processor, combine all ingredients and process until coarsely ground. Press the mixture into the bottom and sides of a 9 inch tart pan. Bake for 10-15 minutes until golden. Allow to cool.
For the Filling
In a medium saucepan over low heat, combine the coconut milk and white chocolate chips. Stir constantly until the chocolate melts. Remove from heat. Add the remaining ingredients and stir to combine.
Allow to cool slightly before pouring over the crust. Refrigerate overnight.
Once the filling has set, garnish with strawberries, edible flowers and hemp seeds.
Ingredients
Crust
1 1/2 cups gluten free oats
1/3 cup pecans
4 tbsp coconut oil
3 tbsp maple syrup
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp flax seeds
Filling
1/2 can coconut milk, use the creamy part
1 1/2 cups non-dairy white chocolate chips
1 tbsp agave or maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp coconut oil
Topping
6–8 strawberries, halved
Edible flowers
1 tbsp hemp seeds