Hi everyone and welcome back to the blog! I know that I have been quiet on here recently due to work commitments but this year I aim to spend more time blogging my food adventures. As I’m sure many of you know, my passion for high quality, healthy and fresh food has always transgressed into cooking at home and experimenting with a range of different ingredients and recipes. For me, cooking is an escape and the act of creating home-made meals from scratch is one of my favourite past times.

With ‘veganuary’ upon us and the health benefits of a (mostly) plant-based diet being shouted far and wide, I thought that after my own research into the many benefits of plant-based eating that I would give it a try. Having eaten an abundance of fruit and veg throughout my life, incorporating a range of plant-based dishes into my weekly schedule has been fun and reinvigorated my love of cooking. I’ve found that cutting down on the amount of meat and dairy (daily chocolate is still a thing, sorry not sorry) I am consuming has not only boosted my energy levels in the gym and daily life but has drastically improved my uncomfortable bloating that arose from a sensitive stomach. As a result, I wanted to share some of my favourite and easy-peasy lemon squeezy plant-based recipes with you all, right here on the blog!

Spicy Sweet Potato and Bean curry:

I made this warming dish on a chilly evening in January using some left-over veggies out of the fridge, half a tin of beans I had hanging around, and a range of herbs and spices that I always keep to hand in the cupboard. I found that with this dish, the addition of chilli flakes adds a neat kick that balances really well with the sweetness of the squash and sweet potatoes, and with a mountain of couscous or rice on the side, what’s not to like!

Ingredients:

Raw:

1 x diced green onion, 1 x tin of tomatoes, squeeze of tomato puree, 0.5 tin of mixed beans, a handful of raisins (optional), diced sweet potato and squash mix (pre-done or fresh), 1 x chopped garlic clove or tbsp of garlic granules.

*These measures are approximations so feel free to change and adapt to individual taste preferences!

Dry:

1 x tbsp of cumin, 1 x tbsp of paprika, 1 tsp of chilli flakes, salt and pepper.

Method:

1. Saute the onions in a pan on high heat until translucent in colour. Then add the herbs and spices and the tomato puree, mixing for one minute to allow the flavours to be released.
2. Add the tinned tomatoes to the pan and the diced squash and sweet potato chunks. Add a splash of water, cover, and cook on high heat for 15 minutes or until the potato is soft.
3. Mix in the half tin of beans and cook for another 5 minutes until the beans are heated through.
4. Finally, add a handful of raisins if desired to add an extra fruity kick to the dish, and serve with a mountain of couscous and a generous sprinkle of coriander!

I hope you like this fruity and sweet winter curry as much as I did. If you try out the recipe, please leave your comments below and let me know what you think!

Much love, E x