Last flavours of summer...

Summer is ending, school is beginning and this salad is begging to be placed on the table. Perfect for a end-of-summer-BBQ or just a casual meal with friends. Healthy, tasty and vegan.

Sweetcorn & squash salad:

Serves: 4    Prep: 10 mins     Cook: 30 mins

Ingredients: 

1kg Butternut squash, peeled and deseeded, cut into 2cm pieces

50g pumpkin seeds

4tbsp olive oil

2 tsp Cajun seasoning

Zest and juice of a lemon

2 corn on the cobs (or the equivalent in tinned sweetcorn) 

1 tbsp Agave

140g of rocket and spinach 

Instructions:

 1) Preheat oven to 200C/gas mark 6. Place squash and pumpkin seeds on a baking tray, season and toss with 1 tbsp of olive oil. Roast for 30 mins.

2) Meanwhile, mix 1 tbsp live oil with cajun seasoning and half the lemon juice and brush over the sweetcorn. Cook for 15 mins, turning occasionally. Allow to cool slightly before cutting corn of the cob and then stirring into the roasted squash.

3) Mix the remaining oil with lemon zest, remaining juice and agave. Toss into salad leaves. Add butternut squash mixture and serve.

Enjoy the last few glimpses of the sun! 

Laura xoxo

Cookies. Cookies. Cookies.

I cannot get enough of these babies lately. They are so quick, easy and delicious!

Recently one of my best friends went through a break-up and these were our life savers. I would get a call saying 'I need you. Bring tissues. And those cookies, damn bring two lots of the cookies.' They are great.

(Recipe credit to: 'Vegan cookies invade your cookie jar' by Isa Chandra Moskowitz with a few of my own alterations.)

Ingredients:

110g brown sugar
50g white sugar
120ml veg/canola oil
60 ml non-dairy milk
1 tbsp tapioca flour (can sub with two tbsp normal, plain flour)
1/2tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups plain flour (190g)
As many chocolate chips as desired!

Instructions:

1) Combine sugars, oil, milk, tapioca flour- MIX until consistency of smooth caramel.
2) Add vanilla extract, flou, baking powder & salt- MIX.
3) Add chocolate chips (NB: the dough may be stiff, if it's too runny then add more flour and if it's too hard, add more milk)

Spoon mixture on to baking tray (about 8 per tray) and cook for around 8-9 mins at 350F. Leave to cool for 5 mins before moving.

They will mend a broken heart, they really are THAT good. (For best results: eat in cosy winter pjs in the company of a great friend.) Enjoy!

Laura xoxo

Autumn, baking & banana bread...

Autumn is finally here! It's my absolute favourite season. I love the cosiness, the excitement of the lead up to winter, baked goods, halloween & no exams! 

Banana bread. My go-to autumn, heart warming recipe. Everyone loves it. It's moist & reasonably healthy but also filling, warm & makes you want to snuggle down under a quilt with a hot coco and watch a great movie. 

Want that cosy feeling inside? Bake this. 

Serves: 8-10     Prep Time: 10mins    Cooking time: 1 hour

2 cups plain flour
150g white sugar
110g brown sugar
3/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 cup almond milk
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
4 very ripe mashed bananas
1/4 canola/ vegetable oil
1 tbsp maple syrup (can use 2 if want it sweeter)
1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions:
1) Whisk milk & vinegar and leave aside for a few mins.
2) Mix dry ingredients together.
3) Mash the banana and add to the milk and vinegar.
4) Add the milk/vinegar/banana mixture to the dry ingredients (do not over mix, just enough for all ingredients to be combined!)

Pour into baking dish and cook for about an hour at 350F. Check regularly and use a skewer through the middle to see if it baked all the way through- when the skewer comes out clean, it is done. 

Variations:

1) For a chocolatey bread, add chocolate chips.
2) My personal fave: a fruity mixture, add dates and raisins. (about 250g chopped dates, soaked in boiling water until soft, then drained) 

As I said, this recipe is perfect for fall, especially after a nice long walk in the fresh autumn air! The whole family will enjoy and it goes perfectly with a nice warm cup of tea....enjoy!

Laura xoxo