Posts

Chia Jam

This jam has three ingredients and takes 15 minutes to put together. While chia seeds are pricier than other ingredients we regularly use, they go a long way, and they’re packed with nutrients. This jam is much lower in sugar than shop bought varieties, and you can control the sweetness yourself–forego the sweetener altogether, if you prefer!

We made a large batch of this jam, but feel free to scale it down; you don’t need to be overly precise.

Ingredients: 
400g frozen mixed berries
2 tbsp suitable-for-vegans sweetener (or to taste)
2.5 tbsp chia seeds, or as desired

Directions: 
1. Heat the frozen berries in a saucepan over a medium heat until they’ve defrosted; lower the heat and simmer until softened (about 10 minutes). 
2. Stir in the sweetener, to taste. 
3. Add the chia seeds, stirring in just 4 tbsp at first. Leave for 5 minutes, and if you prefer a thicker jam, then stir in the other tbsp. Stay tuned until tomorrow to see one of our favourite ways to use this jam.

Italian-Inspired Chickpea Salad

An incredibly bold and lively Italian-Inspired Chickpea Salad from Frances McCormack, this takes just minutes to make andis served with a Wholegrain Mustard and Balsamic Dressing. Packed with flavour, this makes a great sandwich spread or topping for a bed of greens. Serves 1 as a large salad, or 2 as a side or sandwich spread.

Ingredients:
For the salad
1 can chickpeas, drained and minced
1 roasted red pepper (I used one from a jar), finely diced
3 sundried tomatoes, finely chopped
8 black olives, finely chopped
Large bunch basil, chiffonaded

For the dressing
1 tbsp suitable-for-vegans wholegrain mustard
1 tsp maple syrup
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
1. Mash the chickpeas. Mix with all of the salad ingredients.
2. Whisk the dressing ingredients together. Season to taste.
3. Toss the salad with the dressing, a little at a time, tasting as you go (I used all of the dressing, but I like bold flavours).

Miso-Carrot Dipping Sauce

A simple, budget recipe that’s great fun for children, and very versatile. It can be used as a spread, or even a sauce for pasta or vegetables. This recipe makes a large batch, but it keeps in the fridge for up to a week in a sealed container.

Ingredients

2 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped
2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
1 heaped tbsp yellow miso
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1-2 tsp salt
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp yellow or Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic

Directions

1. Boil the potatoes and carrots together until the potatoes are tender. Drain, reserving the cooking liquid.
2. Place all of the ingredients into a blender with 3/4-1 cup of the cooking liquid until you achieve the desired consistency.