1 small butternut squash – peeled and diced small (choose one with a long neck as you get more flesh that way)

1 medium onion finely chopped

4 sticks celery finely sliced

1 large courgette diced small

2 large carrots diced small

1 inch ginger, peeled, grated and finely chopped

4 cloves garlic, crushed

2 tsp mild curry powder

2 heaped tsp marigold vegetable bouillon

1 heaped tsp turmeric

50g barley

100g red lentils

1×400g tin chickpeas in unsalted water

1 x 400g  tin coconut milk

2 tbsp coconut oil or olive oil

1 tsp salt

Fry the onion in the oil in a large pan.

Add the rest of the vegetables, cover and cook on a medium heat for about 10 minutes.

Add the spices,  bouillon, garlic and ginger and cook for another minute or two.

Wash the barley and the lentils in a sieve under a running tap for a few seconds and add.

Then add the coconut milk, chickpeas plus the water from the tin and about a 1/2 litre of water.

Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for about 20 minutes or until vegetables are soft and the lentils and barley are cooked. Add more water if it is getting too thick.

Add the salt.

Serve with good wholemeal bread.

100g basmati brown rice

1 red onion finely chopped

1 red pepper diced small

1 green pepper diced small

2 medium carrots diced small

1 medium sweet potato diced small

3 cloves garlic crushed

4 tbsp tomato paste

1 tsp herbs de provence

2 tsp marigold vegetable bouillon

1/2 tsp chilli flakes

3 tbsp olive oil

1 tin chopped tomatoes

1 tin harricot beans unsalted

1 tbsp agave syrup or brown sugar

1 tsp salt

1 1/2 litres water100g baby spinach

Rinse the rice in a sieve under a running tap for a few seconds. Drain.

Put all the vegetables, rice, herbs, garlic and chilli flakes into a large saucepan with a lid.

Pour over the oil, stir well and heat on a medium heat till everything starts to sizzle.

Add the tomato paste, stir well and turn down to a simmer. Cook for about 8 minutes.

Add the tomatoes and the beans including the liquid from the tin and the water.

Add the bouillon and agave syrup and bring back to the boil.

Then cover and turn down to a simmer and cook for 20 – 25 minutes until the rice is cooked and the vegetables are soft.

Add the salt and stir in the spinach to wilt. I doesn’t need to cook further.

Check the seasoning and serve.

Prannie Rhatigan’s book ‘The Seaweed Kitchen’ is fabulous and when I met her at her cookery demo I promised her I’d use seaweed in one of my recipes!

Serves 6 to 8

I med white onion, chopped

1 med (450g) cauliflower broken into florets

2 leeks, sliced

1 med courgette, sliced

2 good suze cloves garlic, crushed

100g frozen peas

100g raw cashew nuts

1×15cm piece of dried Alaria seaweed (optional)

1/2 bag baby washed spinach

2 tsp mixed herbs

1 bay leaf

2 tsp marigold vegetable bouillon

2 tsp himalayan or sea salt

2 tbsp olive or rapeseed oil

Snip the alaria into small pieces with some scissors and soak in a little water. Set aside.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan and add the onion, celery and leeks. When they start to sizzle turn down the heat and cover and cook for about 8 minutes.

Then stir in the herbs, bayleaf and garlic and cook for a minute or two.

Add in the cauliflower, peas, cashews and alaria plus the soaking water if using.

Add enough water to generously cover the ingredients and bring to the boil, then cover and cook for 20/25 minutes until the vegetables are soft.

Take off the heat, add the bouillon, salt and black pepper and then add the spinach letting it wilt into the soup – no need to cook it further.

Liquidise with a hand blender and check the seasoning. Add more water if it is too thick.

Serve with wholemeal bread.

Nutritional Info

Alaria grows off the coast of Ireland and Britain. It is very high in calcium and other minerals and B vitamins.

Cashews are a great source of protein, magnesium and phosphorus for healthy bones.

The green veg add folic acid for healthy blood cell formation.

Cauliflower is part of the Brassica family and contains compounds that help protect against cancer.

Peas contain protein, fibre, folic acid and antioxidants to protect our cells.

400g tin butterbeans  (in unsalted water) drained but reserve the liquid

2 tbsp reserved butterbean liquid

50g or 2 small to medium size cooked beetroot

10 basil leaves

1 large clove garlic

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

zest of 1 lemon

juice of 1/2 lemon

1 tsp himalayan or sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

3 extra basil leaves

Put all the ingredients into a food processor and wizz till combined.

Check the seasoning and serve in a bowl with the extra basil leaves left whole on top for garnish.

Delicious on pitta bread or oatcakes with a salad.

1 jar of artichoke hearts drained well

1 large or 2 small cloves garlic

1 tin of canellini or butterbeans in unslated water drained and rinsed through

1 tbsp lemon juice

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1/2 to 1 tsp salt – i use himalayan as it is full of minerals and lower in sodium

approx 2 tbsp chopped parsley – optional

lemon zest and 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil to garnish

Put all the ingredients except the lemon zest 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil  into a food processor and process till smooth.

Check the seasoning and turn into a dish. Sprinkle with the lemon zest and drizzle the tsp oil over the dip.

To serve:

Cut some carrot, celery, cucumber and red pepper into sticks and  toast some pita bread and cut into triangles to go with the dip.

This will keep well in the fridge for a few days.

200g spelt wholemeal flour

200g porridge oats

3 oz unrefined brown caster sugar

2 large eggs – beaten

3/4 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp baking powder

Zest of one large orange

2 small bananas roughly chopped

125 g pecans roughly chopped – reserve 25 g for the topping

4 medjool – semi dried or regular dates finely chopped

4 tbsp yoghurt – cows or soya

100g butter or coconut oil melted

1 tbsp maple syrup

Make the topping first - in a small bowl mix together 1 tbsp maple syrup, and 1/4 tsp cinnamon and 25 g of chopped pecans and set aside.

Heat the oven to gas mark 6 or electric 200.

In a small saucepan melt the butter or coconut oil and leave to cool.

In a large bowl mix the flours and oats together, followed by the cinnamon, sugar and baking powder.

Then add the dates, orange zest, pecans and bananas – mix well.

Make a well in the centre and pour in the cooled oil or butter, eggs and yoghurt.

Mix well and spoon into an oiled muffin tin or paper muffin cases. Nearly fill each one and sprinkle on some topping.

Bake for 25 minutes in the middle of the oven until nicely browned and firm to the touch.

Allow to cool on a wire rack and serve!

6 oz dried green split peas plus 18 fl oz water

1 red onion finely diced

1 clove garlic crushed

1 avocado peeled and chopped into bite size pieces

1 bag of mixed leafy greens – spinach and rocket work well.

1/2 small block of tofu – about 140 grams

1 tbsp tamari and 1 tbsp olive oil combined

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

zest of 1 lemon

Juice of 1/2 lemon

2 oz toasted pumpkin seeds

sprinkle of sea salt and black pepper and red pepper chilli flakes

Rinse and cook the green split peas in the water – bring to the boil and simmer with the lid on for about 25 – 30 minutes – you want them al dente – with a bite – not mushy. When they are done drain into a sieve and rinse through with cold filtered water and leave to drain.

Dry the tofu on kitchen paper and cut into 1/2 inch thick slices. Mix the tablespoon of olive oil and tamari together and lay the tofu in this – the lid of a small casserole dish or a deep plate works well. Leave for about 15 minutes turning once or twice.

Chop the onion finely and crush the garlic and put into a medium size bowl with the lemon juice and zest and the 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil. Mix and add the avocado.

Fry the tofu in a frying pan for a few minutes until golden brown and then cool and chop into 1/2 inch cubes.

Wipe the frying pan dry and put in the pumpkin seeds to toast for a couple of minutes. They will pop with the heat . Cool.

Add the split peas, the pumpkin seeds and the tofu and the salt and pepper to taste to the bowl of avocado etc and stir gently to combine.

Lay the leafy greens onto a serving plate and pile up the split pea mixture on to them and sprinkle with red pepper chilli flakes and some finely chopped tomatoes.

Serves 4 to 6.