6 ingredient Chocolate & tahini protein bites

Being a nutrition therapist ‘in training’, I’m always looking for ways to max the nutrients in everything I eat! So when I want to nibble on something sweet after dinner, I like to have something like these chocolate treats in the fridge that are full of protein, fibre, vitamins, and minerals.

That’s not to say I don’t ever eat cake or biscuits, but I try to limit the amount of low-nutrient, high-sugar food that I eat.

Obviously, Medjool dates are naturally high in sugar, but they are also a good source of iron, calcium, magnesium (for nerve and muscle function), and copper (for bones, blood vessels, nerves, and immune function).

Fibre can help slow down the digestion of sugars, reduce blood glucose spikes, and provide longer-lasting energy from the food you eat. So, natural date fibres and the addition of cashews should help regulate the blood sugar response.

Tahini works well with chocolate and contains copper, selenium (which supports immune and thyroid function), and calcium, which can be a good alternative to dairy for vegans.

Dark chocolate and cacao are rich in flavonoids—antioxidants that can reduce oxidative stress and inflammation in the body (the same for dates!)., potentially supporting heart health. Cashews provide protein and healthy fats to support the cardiovascular system, plus iron and zinc for energy and immune function.

ingredients

Makes one 20cm x 20cm tray

• 170g toasted cashews, toasted, incl 20g for topping 

• 6 tbsp cacao powder 

• 4 tbsp bone broth protein powder (Plant Paleo) 

• 2 tbsp tahini, plus 2 tsp for topping 

• 20 Medjool dates, pitted

• 150g dark chocolate 

  method

• Line a 20cm square baking tin with parchment paper.

• Add the cashews (reserving 20g for the topping), cacao, protein powder, and 2 tbsp tahini to the food processor. Blitz, and then start adding the dates one at a time so they don’t clog the mixer.

• Mix for 1-2 minutes until it has a sticky, crumbly texture—you should be able to pinch a bit between your fingers and roll it into a ball.

• Tip the mixture into the lined baking tin, flattening it with a spatula or cake slice. Press firmly into the tin.

• Melt the chocolate in a bowl in the microwave. I usually do 1 min on 600W and repeat until melted. or you can use a Bain Marie

• Pour over the chocolate and spread evenly by gently tipping the tray from side to side or use a baking spatula for thicker chocolate.

• Drizzle the extra teaspoons of tahini over the chocolate, and then draw squiggles with a spoon. 

• Spread the remaining cashew pieces over the top and then put them in the fridge for at least 30 min to set.

Roast cauliflower, broccoli & sweet pepper salad with tahini dressing

When I have time, I like to roast a big tray of veggies and store them in the fridge to use with various dishes throughout the week. I find they really elevate an average lunch in terms of flavour and, most importantly, nutrition! 

Here I have added a lemon tahini dressing, and finished with fresh herbs, but you could top with roasted nuts or seeds, or even feta cheese. I also love to have a pot of this dressing in the fridge as, again, it works well with lots of different dishes, like  salads, chicken, fish, but I think my fave combo is with fried tofu. I often mix in a spoon of rose harissa paste to make the dressing spicy. 

In this recipe I have used cauliflower, broccoli, sweet pepper and red onions, but it's totally flexible as you can use whatever veg you have in the fridge - but remember to adjust the cooking times. 

Here's a few nutrition highlights if you use this veggie combo: cauliflower and broccoli contain a compound called sulforaphane that is understood to help with liver detoxification, plus they are also great source of fibre for gut microbes. All the veggies in this recipe may be good sources of antioxidants and can help the body protect against free radicals - unstable molecules that can cause damage to cells and tissues and may be linked to chronic diseases such as Type 2 diabetes, heart disease and some cancers. Similarly, tahini is high in antioxidants and is also a rich source of healthy monounsaturated fats, which may have an anti-inflammatory effect in the body. 

I think the main takeaway for this recipe is the potential antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effect of the ingredients which can support long-tem health and reduce the risk of disease. 

Ingredients

Serves 4 - 6

• 1 small cauliflower, large florets

• ½ head broccoli, large florets

• 2 red onions, sliced in 1/2 cm half moons

• 1 sweet pepper, sliced

• 3 tbsp olive oil

• 1 tsp fennel seeds

• 1 tsp ground coriander

• ½ tsp cayenne pepper

  Dressing

• 4 tbsp tahini

• 3  tbsp water

• Juice of 1 lemon

• Small garlic clove, finely grated

• Good pinch of salt 

Method

• Preheat the oven to 180°c.

• Put all the veggies in a large tray, mix with the olive oil, fennel seeds, coriander and cayenne and a pinch of salt.

• Place in the oven for 15 mins, then turn and repeat for 10-12 minutes.

• While the veggies are cooking make the tahini dressing by putting all the ingredients in a bowl and whisking with a fork.

• Spread the cooked veggies on a serving plate, drizzle with dressing, and finish with fresh parsley, coriander, or toasted sunflower/pumpkin seeds.

Quinoa, broccoli & red pepper salad with herby tahini dressing

Nutritious and tasty, this salad delivers a ton of flavour and over 10 of your 30 plants a week! Nutrition researchers at the Zoe project recommend eating 30 different types of plants weekly to support gut microbes, long-term general health, and weight management (read more).

The veggies and quinoa are full of fibre, which feeds gut bacteria and has been linked to weight loss, improved energy levels, and even reduced menopausal symptoms such as hot flushes, mood swings, and anxiety.

This recipe is also a good source of B vitamins (tahini and veggies), which can help with weight management; B1 (thiamine) helps the body burn calories from carbohydrates, and B6 and B9 (folate) can boost metabolism.

Quinoa and chickpeas contain manganese, a co-factor for many different enzymatic reactions in the body, including those that support weight management by encouraging carbohydrate and fat burning. Manganese also protects against oxidative stress by neutralising free radicals.

Oxidative stress occurs when our body has high levels of free radicals that can damage the surrounding cells and tissues. When free radicals react with important molecules in our cells, like DNA, proteins, or fats, they can disrupt their normal function and lead to damage. This damage is associated with health issues, such as accelerated aging, inflammation, and increased risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and certain cancers. The good news is that broccoli and red pepper also contain high levels of antioxidants, including vitamin C, which reduce the risk of oxidative stress and inflammation by supporting the immune system

It’s a vegan salad, but you can eat whatever you want with it … last night, we had Mexican-spiced fried chicken breast, and leftover carrot, and kohlrabi slaw, but grilled meat, fish, halloumi, fried tofu, feta, edamame would all work really well.

If you want to simplify the recipe, you can use raw chopped cherry tomatoes (vine if possible for flavor) or roast the tomatoes for 15-20 minutes at 180°c rather than the slow and low method I have used to dry them out. You can also swap the crispy chickpeas for toasted pumpkin, sunflower seeds, or hazelnuts. I recommend you try the chickpeas once, though, as they are super delicious and add a nice crunch.

ingredients

Serves 6 as a side dish

• 250g vine cherry tomatoes, halved

• 1 tsp balsamic vinegar

• 1 x 400g tin chickpeas

• ½ tsp sweet smoked paprika

• 150g quinoa (I used tricolour, but you can use ‘normal’)

• 200g tenderstem broccoli, ends trimmed

• 1 large red pepper, thickly sliced

• 30g fresh herbs (any combo of flat-leaf parsley, coriander, dill, basil) chopped roughly

Dressing

• 4 tbsp tahini

• 6 tbsp chickpea water

• ½ clove garlic, peeled

• Juice of ½ lemon

• 10g herbs (taken from the 30g listed above)

method

• Heat the oven to 120 °c

• Drain the chickpeas and retain the liquid. Pat dry with a paper towel.

• Spread the tomatoes on a baking tray, drizzle with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and sprinkle with salt.

• Next, spread the chickpeas on a baking tray, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with paprika and a pinch of sea salt.

• Place both trays in the oven and cook for 1 hour. The tomatoes should be caramelized and blackened on some edges, with most of their liquid evaporated. The chickpeas should be very crunchy; if not, put them back in for 10-15 minutes.

• Simmer the quinoa for 20 minutes, then drain and rinse in cold water. Set aside to drain well.

• Once the tomatoes and chickpeas are cooked, turn the oven to 180°c.

• Put the broccoli and peppers on a baking tray, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt.

• Place in the oven for 10 minutes, then remove the broccoli and put the peppers back in for 5 minutes.

• Meanwhile, chop the herbs and make the dressing; put all the ingredients, including ⅓ of the chopped herbs, into a small mixer and blitz.

• Assemble the salad by layering quinoa, veggies, herbs, dressing, and repeat, finishing with veggies, dressing, herbs, and chickpeas. I like drizzling each layer with extra virgin olive oil and a squeeze of lemon to add flavour and moisture.

Tip

• If you don’t have a mixer, use a whisk and bowl if you don’t have a small mixer, but make sure your herbs are chopped finely.

Purple broccoli & potatoes with celeriac, quinoa & green tahini

Bit of a different one from me today as I don’t often cook with blue anneliese potatoes or celeriac, but wow, I need to pick them up more often! This salad was so tasty and even won over my celeriac-hating other half! I think the way forward is roasting the celeriac to get the sweetness and a softer flavour.

The veggies all arrived in my Able & Cole box (as did the celeriac); I’ve been trying them for the past few weeks and I’m really enjoying cooking with different ingredients and creating dishes to include them in.

This salad was so tasty and amazingly healthy, here are a few nutrition facts you might find interesting:

purple potatoes have more potassium (fluid balance, muscle contractions and nerve signals) than bananas surprisingly and contain lots of antioxidant polyphenols, which mop up the free radicals in your body that cause cell damage.

Celeriac is also packed with antioxidants plus Vit C (immunity), K (blood clotting and bone health) and B6 (supports neurotransmitters that regulate mood, such as serotonin, dopamine and GABA).

Purple sprouting broccoli is another great source of antioxidants (like anything purple!) , Vit K, C, folate (mental health, cardiovascular and immune system health, cell division and DNA creation) .

And last but not least quinoa, a complete source of protein as it contains all 9 essential amino acids. Amino acids are the building blocks of protein, and protein forms the basis of all tissues in your body. It is also packed full of: manganese (metabolism, growth, development), phosphorus (tissue health), copper (heart), folate, iron (energy), magnesium (muscles, energy), zinc (immunity, growth and around 100 essential enzyme reactions).

Note: if you can’t get blue anneliese then switch for sweet potatoes.

Ingredients

• Serves 4-6, or 8-10 as part of a mezze

• 3 blue anneliese potatoes, 1cm slices, halved

• ½ large celeriac, 2 cm rough cubes

• Pinch of dried thyme

• 150g tri-colour quinoa

• 100g purple spouting broccoli

• Dressing

• 100g tahini

• 20g fresh parsley

• 1 small garlic clove

• Juice 1 ½ lemons (approx 3 tbsp)

• 3 tbsp water

• ¼ tsp sea salt

  Method

• Pre heat the oven to 180ºc.

• Spread the potatoes and celeriac on 2 large trays with a pinch of thyme and drizzle with 1-2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, roast for 20-25 minutes until soft and browned.

• Rinse the quinoa really well and cook as per the packet instructions, rinse and drain well. Toss in a good pinch of salt and set aside in a pan with the lid on to keep warm.

• Blitz the dressing ingredients in a mini chopper or use a stick blender in a deep jug.

• While everything is still warm layer the quinoa, veggies and dressing, serve immediately if you can, but if you have to make ahead then this salad is lovely at room temperature too.

Vegan banana, pecan & tahini bites

Looking for a healthy snack recipe? Well, stop right here as these bites are super tasty and so full of good stuff: protein (growth development, muscle building, bone mass), fibre (healthy gut microbiome), zinc (immunity), B1 thiamine (energy production), manganese & phosphorus (bone health)!

They’re really quick to prep and will keep in an airtight container for up to a week, although they will go a little crumbly after a few days, (if they last that long), but they’re great on top of natural yoghurt! If you’re making them for kids to take to school then leave out the pecans or switch for pumpkin, sunflower or flaxseeds, but do check your school’s policy on allergens first.

Ingredients

• 60g pecan nuts

• 4 tbsp coconut oil, melted

• 1 large banana 150g

• 6 tbsp tahini

• 4 tbsp maple syrup 

• 250g oats

• Pinch of sea salt

Method 

• Preheat the oven to 180ºc and line a 20x20cm tin with baking parchment. Scrunch it up into a ball and then it will mould into the tin more easily.  

• Spread the pecans out on a baking tray and toast in the oven for 5-6 minutes. Set aside to cool. 

• Melt the coconut oil in a pan on the hob or a bowl in the microwave for a minute. 

• Mash the banana in a large bowl, then mix in the tahini, maple syrup and coconut oil. Stir well and then weigh the oats in the same bowl. Mix together well. 

• Break up the pecans with your fingers or chop roughly and stir into the mix. 

• Scrape into the lined tin and bake for 20-25 minutes until starting to brown on top. 

• Cool completely before cutting up. 

Roast tomato, sweet potato & quinoa salad with tahini dressing

My new favourite salad: red and white quinoa with tomatoes, sweet potato and red onions roasted with cumin, fennel and coriander. Ok, so my favourite changes weekly, but this is a super tasty and definitely one to add to your menu! The dressing is made with roast garlic, tahini and deglazed tomato juice from the roasting tray (see the swirls in the little bowl), to really pack in the flavour. It would also be nice to add some crunch by serving with toasted nuts, or feta if you want to add cheese - I had both!

Ingredients

Serves 4 as a main, or 6-8 as a side

• 250g baby plum tomatoes

• 2 large garlic cloves

• 1 small sweet potato, 1cm cubes

• 1 medium red onion, half moon slices

• 1 tsp cumin seeds

• 1 tsp fennel seeds

• ½ tsp ground coriander

• 250g quinoa

• ¼ tsp sea salt

• A handful of parsley and/or coriander, chopped

  Dressing

• 6 tbsp tahini

• 100ml water

• ¼ tsp sea salt

Method

• Preheat the oven to 180ºc. Spread out the tomatoes and garlic on a roasting tray, drizzle with rapeseed or olive oil and add a pinch of salt, mix well.

• Put the sweet potato and red onion on two halves of large tray, drizzle with oil and sprinkle with ½ tsp cumin seeds, ½ tsp fennel seeds and the coriander, plus a pinch of salt. Mix well and place all the vegetables in the oven for 15 minutes. Turn and put back in for another 5 minutes. The sweet potato and onion should be cooked by now, but the tomatoes will need about another 10-15 minutes - they should be starting to blacken.

• While the vegetables are roasting, rinse the quinoa really well and then simmer in boiling water for 20 minutes. Drain and set aside.

• Put the remaining cumin and fennel seeds in a frying pan and warm gently for about 1 minutes util you can smell their aroma, set aside.

• Use the two roasted garlic cloves in the dressing - squeeze the soft clove out of the skin and mash in a small bowl. Next add the tahini and mix well. Deglaze the tomato tray with 6 tbsp of boiling water and mix into the tahini. Add an extra tablespoon of water if needed. Stir in the salt.

• To serve, put the quinoa in a large bowl, gently stir in the vegetables, herbs, salt, then pour over the dressing and lastly sprinkle over the cumin and fennel seeds. If you’re not eating all the salad straight away, leave the dressing separate, so it stays fresher.

Tip

• After roasting vegetables, I always deglaze the tray with a 2-3 tablespoons of boiling water to get extra flavour into my salad dressings, stocks and stews. Even if you don’t need that flavour now, it’s worth doing as you can freeze the liquid in an ice cube tray and add to another dish as an extra flavour boost. It also helps to clean your tray before washing up!

Sweet potato soup with harissa & tahini

It’s that time of year again: soup season. This is in fact the second reason to be happy about autumn, the first I posted about yesterday: pies!

Harissa is one of my favourite spice blends, originating from the North African region of Maghreb, it is full of flavour and works so well with a wide variety of vegetables. Here I have used harissa to balance the sweetness of the vegetables and the lemon tahini adds a little zing and nuttiness. I particularly like the Spice & Green harissa blend made by my friend Melanie Hadida, but you could use a good quality supermarket version or even make your own. Here’s a recipe by Mr Ottolenghi if you want to to give it a try.

Ingredients

Serves 6-8

• 1.3kg sweet potato (unpeeled)

• 4 red onions, chopped roughly 

• 3 large garlic cloves, grated

• 2 tsp harissa spice blend

• 1 vegetable stock cube (low salt Kallo)

• 1.6L water

• 1.5 tsp sea salt 

• Toasted sesame seeds - optional to serve

Lemon tahini

• 4 tbsp tahini

• Juice of half a lemon

• 75ml water

• 1/4 tsp sea salt

Method

• Preheat the oven to 180ºc.

• Put the sweet potatoes on a baking tray and roast in their skins for about 45mins-1 hour or until they’re soft right through. This will vary depending on size.

• Heat 1 tbsp rapeseed or olive oil in a large deep pan and add the onions, cook for 20 minutes on low. Peel the sweet potatoes while the onions are cooking.

• Once the onions are softened add the harissa and warm through for a few minutes to release the flavours. Then add the crumbled stock cube, water, salt and sweet potato (break up with a spoon). Bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes.

• Make the lemon tahini while the soup is cooking. Put the tahini and salt in a jug or jar, squeeze in the lemon, whisk with a fork before adding the water whisking again.

• Turn off the heat and use a hand blender to thoroughly blitz the soup to a smooth consistency.

• Serve with a drizzle of tahini (about 1/2 tbsp) and a good pinch of sesame seeds.

Tip

• Tahini goes very thick when you first add water, keep going it’ll loosen up. Or use a small blender to avoid this problem.

• You might need to add a little water to the tahini each time you use it as it tends to thicken up after being stored for a day in the fridge.

• Sesame seeds toast quickly and easily in a dry frying pan. Just sprinkle evenly and place on a medium heat, watching careful as they will suddenly colour. You want a pale gold brown.

Roasted butternut squash, red onion with tahini & za'atar dressing

I could literally eat this salad everyday, it is so tasty in only a way that Ottolengi's recipes can be. It is a gorgeous combination of caramelised squash and onions with nutty, creamy, lemony tahini dressing.

Ingredients, serves 6-8

• 1 butternut squash

• 3 medium red onions

• 4 tbsp tahini

• 2 tbsp lemon juice

• 3-4 tbsp water

• 1 small clove garlic, grated

• 30g pine nuts

• 1 tbsp za'atar, or to taste - try it first to see if you like it

• 1 tbsp chopped parsley

Method

• Heat the oven to 220 degrees.

• Chop the squash into large slices, coat with olive oil on a roasting tray and place skin side down.

• Roast the squash for 20 minutes before adding the chopped onions; make sure they have a coating of oil on them as well.

• Mix the tahini with the lemon, garlic and water in a small bowl or jar, whisk with a fork. Add extra tahini or water to get the right consistency; it should be like a thick salad dressing.

• Heat a frying pan and lightly toast the pine nuts.

• To serve, spread the vegetables on a flat platter and drizzle over the dressing before scattering the pine nuts over the top. Sprinkle za'atar and parsley to taste.

• Dig in.

Shown with aubergine chermoula and puy lentil, oven dried tomato & gorgonzola salad