Spinach & Tofu Burgers

For anybody that has been over to my house in the last two years, you have probably already eaten one of our 'famous' spinach and tofu burgers. We probably make them more than any other meal...why?? Because they THE tastiest burgers I have ever eaten!*

*You do not have to agree with this statement as it is a personal opinion; mine!

The wonderful thing about these burgers is that not only are they easy to make but they a) are a good source of iron which is a must for me and b) they are great for getting in your protein which is an important factor for veggies' especially those that spend a lot of time in the gym :)


The Tofu gives them a really creamy texture as well; you can fry them or bake them and if you make to much mixture simply pop them between two sheets of grease proof paper / cling film and stick them in the freezer!



Ingredients
3 large handfuls/half a bag of baby spinach leaves
3 spring onions - sliced
3 cloves of garlic
1 block of firm tofu; squeezed dry
1/2 cup of bread crumbs
1/4 cup of sesame seeds
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
Salt & Pepper to taste

Method
1.Cook spinach for 1 minute until wilted in a saucepan; chop finely and put into a large bowl
2. Put the spring onions and garlic into a food processor until minced and add to the bowl

3. Crumble half the tofu with your hands into the bowl. Place the other half of the tofu into the food processor and process until smooth.
4. Add the smooth tofu to the bowl with the remaining ingredients
5. Combine the ingredients until evenly distributed
6. Use your hands of a burger press to form evenly sized patties (we normally get about 5 burgers out of it)
7. Fry or bake dependent on your preference (frying seals them better but baking is healthier)
8. Serve in buns, pittas or by themselves with salad!

Lentil Moussaka

This week (May 20th to May 24th) is National Vegetarian Week. So, with that in mind each day I will be sharing with you some of my favourite vegetarian dishes for you to try at home. 

National Vegetarian Week is a great opportunity for you to get out of that food rut; experiment with new dishes and ingredients.Although there are a lot of people nowadays that do think outside of the 'meat-and-two-veg box' it is astonishing how many people still can not even imagine a meal without meat in it and, when they find out I'm a vegetarian, still respond with "but what do you eat?"

The following recipe is one of my favourite comfort foods; it's high in protein and you can make it healthier with a less cheesy sauce but that is also one of guilty pleasures! Unfortunately I wasn't able to make this in time for the blog so don't have any pictures; but will try and get some for you at a later date.

Lentil Moussaka

Ingredients
1 Aubergine
1 Sweet Potato
1 large white onion
4 cloves of garlic
1 can of chopped tomatoes
1 can of lentils
Sea Salt
Olive Oil
Milk
Cheddar Cheese
Flour
Parmesan
Butter

Method
1. Thinly slice the aubergine & let rest for 20mins in order for the sour juices to escape
2. Thinly slice the sweet potato & parboil for 5mins
3. Fry the chopped onions & garlic until golden then add the lentils and chopped tomatoes
4. Melt the butter in a saucepan & add the milk and flour; stir until smooth
5. Add the grated cheese, take off the heat & stir until smooth
6. Layer the lentils in a lasagne dish, alternating with the sweet potato & aubergine, finishing with a layer of lentils
7. Bake for 5 to 10 minutes
8. Pour the cheese sauce over the vegetables and bake for 20 minutes
9. Serve, Share and Enjoy!

Go Nuts!

Hope you've all had a great Monday? A lot of people seem to hate Mondays; waking up early again for work, going to work, 5 days left to the weekend... But they have it all wrong! Mondays are the start of a fresh new week; you can make it what ever you want it to be; it's all about perspective. Mondays for me feel like a spring morning, or the first page of new diary; yet to be written.

I have been thinking today about the different subjects I want to cover in this blog; it has been mostly food orientated so far I know, don't worry fitness week is coming up! But diet is a massive part of being healthy; and it is a cause close to my heart as I see so many people putting junk into their body on a daily basis. It has been said that having a healthy body is 30% exercise and 70% diet, now I know that differs dependent on your goals but it is a massive difference to take into consideration.

With this in mind on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of this week I'm going to let you know about some of my favourite foods; the health benefits of these and some of my favourite recipes! Today, as you may have guessed from my title, is all about nuts!

For a vegetarian, nuts are a great source of protein they also provide us with lots of energy and are rich in vitamins and minerals. Often people can be a bit cautious when it comes to eating nuts due to the high fat content, however these fats are mainly unsaturated fats; particularly mono-unsaturated fat. These fats actually help to maintain healthy levels of cholesterol! Studies also sow that a diet rich in nuts can help prevent the risk of type 2 diabetes and lower the risk of heart attacks.

I use almonds all the time; you will see all my baking has almond butter in and I LOVE almond milk. Almonds contain magnesium and calcium for strong bones, vitamin E and interestingly  compounds called phytochemicals which are believed to protect against cardiovascular diseases and even cancer! Plus!

Walnuts are another of my favourites; I add them to salads as well as incorporate them into a range of hot meals from gnocchi to a good old fashioned nut roast! Walnuts contain vitamin A, potassium and magnesium. Studies have shown that walnuts added to a diet resulted in a decrease in cholesterol. 

If I'm honest, I only enjoy brazil nuts if they are covered in chocolate! But with 17% protein they are a winner. They are also very high in selenium and contain potassium, phosphorous, calcium and vitamin B.

Below is a quick and easy recipe that has the added benefit of being amazingly delicious! 

Creamy Leek and Mushroom Medley!

Ingredients
2 leeks - sliced
5 chestnut mushrooms - roughly diced
1 red onion - diced
2 cloves of garlic - diced
Handful of baby leaf spinach
Handful of pine nuts
Handful of cashew nuts
Handful of walnuts
2-3 tbsp of cream cheese
1-2 tsp of green pesto
5 halved cherry tomatoes

Method
1. In olive oil; begin to fry the garlic an red onions; when soft add the leeks and mushrooms
2. When almost done, add the spinach and cherry tomatoes
3. Once the spinach has begun to wilt, add the nuts, cream cheese and pesto
4. Stir until the cream cheese has melted into a creamy sauce and all the ingredients are well and truly mixed together
5. Serve and enjoy! :)

Monday Madness

Happy Monday! It's a fresh new week and can be whatever you make of it...

If you're anything like me Monday is one non-stop crazy day that flies by and you don't have enough time to get anything and everything done. Work is rushed, the gym is packed and you need some quick fix energy to keep you going in between.

With that in mind I thought I'd share a delicous recipe with you this evening; my homemade chocolate and cranberry protein bars. They are absolutely delicous; high in protein and great for on the go in between work and the gym!

Chocolate & Cranberry Protein Bars

These are a great snack before or after the gym; you can adjust the recipe to add flavours that you like and are great on the go. The recipe makes 8-10 bars annd they keep in the fridge for about a week; I like to have them as my mid-afternoon chocolate fix as they soothe that sweet craving whilst providing the energy I need for my evening workout.

Ingredients:
1 cup of oats
1/4 cup of flaxseed ( I like Linwoods Flaxseed, Cocoa and berry mix)
2 scoops of chocolate flavoured soya protein powder
2 tsp cocoa powder (optional)
1/4 cup of peanuts (chopped)
1/4 cup of almonds (chopped)
1/4 cup of dried cranberries (chopped)
1/4 cup of dark chocolate chips
3 tablespoons of honey
1/2 cup of organic peanut butter
1/2 cup of almond milk

Preperation:
1. Add all your dry ingredients into a bowl; you can add more or less nuts, fruit or choclate dependent on your taste. This recipe is great with lots of other fruit too (so I'm told) but I'm not a big fan of dried fruits so cranberries were my limit!
2. Mix in the honey and the peanut butter
3. Slowly add the almond milk; you may need more or less than the recipe dictates. You want the mixture to be thick; kinda like the consistency of erm...mud!
4. Line a square dish or baking tin with greaseproof paper and fill with the mixture. Using a spatula spread the mixture evenly in the tray and push down so it is nice and compact
5. Put the mixture in the fridge for 20-30mins to set
6. Enjoy!