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Onigirazu

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This is the perfect lunchbox food. Try it if you don’t believe us!

Ingredients: 
1/2 cup sushi rice, cooked according to package directions
100g mushrooms, sliced
1 clove garlic
1 carrot, peeled and shredded
1 spring onion, sliced into matchsticks
1/2 avocado, sliced
1/4 red bell pepper (if following the plan, then take the slice from from the side of the pepper and leave the rest of the pepper uncut; we’ll be using it tomorrow), sliced thinly
4-5 sheets nori

Optional: 
2 tbsp vinegar (rice vinegar, preferably, but cider is also acceptable)
1 tbsp liquid sweetener (we used maple syrup)
Pinch salt
1/2 tsp freshly grated ginger
Sweet chilli sauce
Soy sauce

Method: 
1. If you wish to season the cooked rice, heat together the vinegar, sweetener, and salt. Stir through. 
2. To cook the mushrooms, fry over a low heat with the garlic until the liquid that they release has been evaporated. You can also add ginger and some soy sauce if desired. 
3. To assemble the onigirazu, lay a sheet of nori on a piece of cling film. Spread with a little sweet chilli sauce if desired (although they taste great without!)
4. Moisten hands to put a square of rice in the middle of the nori. Top the rice with some of the cooked mushrooms, carrot, spring onion, avocado, and bell pepper. 
5. To fold, bring opposite corners in to just past the centre point, keeping the parcel nice and tight. Repeat with the remaining two corners. 
6. Wrap the parcel in cling film and leave for a few minutes to allow the nori to soften. 
7. To serve the onigirazu, cut through the centre with a sharp knife, cutting through the cling film. 
8. Unwrap to serve, and enjoy.

Peavocado Toast

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Peavocado Toast! It’s our new favourite lunch: the peas give a creamy sweetness to the dish and contrast with the acidity of the balsamic vinegar. This is a filling lunch, and a great post-workout refueller! It serves 2.

Ingredients: 

For the peavocado purée:
2 avocados
1 cup peas (defrosted if frozen)
1 large bunch basil
1 clove garlic
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
Pinch chilli flakes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp lemon juice

For the tomatoes: 
1 clove garlic, minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp olive oil (optional) 
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 large tomatoes, sliced

Everything else: 
4 slices bread, toasted

Directions: 
1. Purée all the peavocado ingredients in a food processor or blender.
2. Meanwhile, mix the garlic, salt and pepper, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar, and pour over the tomatoes. Heat a large frying pan over a medium low heat. Add the tomatoes and cook each side until slightly softened and coloured. 
3. Make the toast. Top with avocado and tomatoes, and enjoy.

Rainbow Grainbowl with Balsamic Maple Mustard Dressing

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A flavoursome and filling main dish that serves 2.

Ingredients

For the grainbowl

2 carrots, grated
1/4 red cabbage, grated
1 parsnip, grated
1 red onion, finely shredded
1/4 cucumber, finely sliced
1/2 red pepper, finely sliced
1/2 yellow pepper, finely sliced
1 avocado, sliced
2 tbsp pumpkin seeds, toasted
1 cup cold leftover grains (e.g. spelt, buckwheat, rice, quinoa)
4 large handfuls salad greens (e.g. rocket, spinach, watercress)

For the dressing

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp maple syrup
2 tbsp suitable-for-vegans Dijon Mustard

Method

1. Layer the base of a bowl with salad greens.
2. Top with the shredded and sliced vegetables, with the avocado and seeds on top.
3. Sprinkle grains over.
4. Mix all dressing ingredients. Serve with salad as desired.

Sweet Potato Confetti Toast

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A colourful, simple lunch or side that takes under 20 minutes to make. This serves 2 people.

Ingredients

1 large sweet potato, peeled
1/4 each red, yellow, and orange bell pepper (or just use 3/4 of one colour of your choice if you prefer), finely diced
1/2 red onion, finely diced
1 avocado
1/2 tsp each garlic powder and onion granules
1 tsp lime juice
1 pinch red chilli flakes
salt and pepper, to taste

Method

Cut the potato into four long, 1/2-cm thick slices. To stop the potato rolling around as you try to cut it, take a thin slice from one side, and use this flattened side as the base to stabilize the potato.

Place the potato in a preheated health grill for 15 minutes, turning once. Alternatively, run it through the toaster for two rounds.

Meanwhile, mash the avocado with the garlic powder, onion granules, lime juice, chilli flakes, and salt and pepper.

Top the toasted sweet potato with the avocado, and sprinkle on the bell peppers and onion.

Spicy, smoky tempeh burrito with avocado, spinach and fresh tortilla

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Simple, spicy and rich, this makes enough for 2 good sized wraps, but easily doubles. For a single large burrito, overlap the tortillas by about 5″ – 6″ and roll everything together.

Ingredients

For the filling
1T avocado oil (or similar)
1/4t coarse sea salt
1 cup sweet onion, 1/4″ dice
1/2 cup red bell pepper, 1/4″ dice
1T fresh garlic, minced
1T smoked paprika
1/2T garam massala
1/2t dried red chilis (or to taste)
125g tempeh, minced (use pasteurized)
1/2 to 1T coconut sugar (start with 1/2T but sweeten to taste)
1/2T lemon juice
1 cup mushroom stock
1/2 cup tomato passata (or puree)
2T nutritional yeast
Coarse sea salt and black pepper to taste

For the tortilla
1 cup heaping whole wheat bread flour
1/2 cup water

For the rest
1 ripe avocado, peeled, stoned and thinly sliced
2 cups spinach, coarsely chopped
2T nutritional yeast
A few pinches sea salt

Optional: Fresh habanero, jalapeno or even poblano pepper will add flavour and some heat to this dish. Maple syrup will do fine in place of the coconut sugar if that’s what you have. Use raw spinach if you prefer, but overall, expect some rolling challenges.

Method

First, start the tempeh, then make the tortillas and then the rest. Warm a large frying pan on medium high heat. Add the oil and sea salt. Add the onion and saute for 2 – 3 minutes. Add the red pepper and spices. Saute another 2 minutes. Add the tempeh and coconut sugar. Saute for 3 – 5 minutes, until the pan is starting to brown a little.

Add the lemon juice and deglaze the pan. Add the stock. Bring the pan to a simmer, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 30 minutes. Uncover, add the passata, and simmer another 30 – 40 minutes until the liquid is mostly cooked off. When done, remove from heat and set aside.

When the tempeh is getting thick, start the tortillas. Add the water to the flour. Knead until a smooth elastic dough forms, and then another 2 -3 minutes. Cover with a warm wet tea towel and let the dough rest about 15 minutes.

When rested, break the dough into 2 balls. Roll out on a floured board to 12″ – 14″, and about 1/8″ thick (or use a tortilla press if you have one). Repeat with the other ball of dough.

Warm a large frying pan on medium high heat. Dry fry until the tortilla is done on one side (it will be lightly browned and bubbled). Flip and fry the other side. Set aside and repeat with the other piece of dough. Cover both with a tea towel while you finish everything else.

While the dough is resting, preheat the oven to 450F. Add the spinach to a baking sheet or roasting pan and roast for about 5 minutes, until it’s nicely wilted. Remove and set aside. When the tortilla and spinach are ready and the tempeh has cooled a bit, season the tempeh to taste and add the nutritional yeast. Stir to combine.

To fill, add the spinach to a tortilla in a long, thin line toward the middle-bottom of the tortilla. Sprinkle with a bit of sea salt and nutritional yeast. Add half of the tempeh mixture. Add avocado slices. Sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt and nutritional yeast, and roll up carefully (warm filing can easily tear through a tortilla).

To roll, bring the bottom of the tortilla up away from you over the filling. Tuck. Fold in the sides. Roll over. Repeat with the other tortilla. Let them stand 2-3 minutes (or wrap in foil if you like), and then serve.