Best Vegan Christmas Pudding (with allergy options too!)

Every year it is my intention to bring you a Christmas Pudding recipe BUT before I know it Christmas is almost here, I make my pud but then the only photo I have is from the big day itself… which is of course too late!

Last weekend Christmas pudding happened to pop into my head and then I wondered when ‘Stir Up Sunday‘ was (usually I miss that too!) - it happened to be the next weekend - in six days time as I write this, yay!

So you have a few days to get your ingredients in and join me on Stir Up Sunday to make your very own pud AND make a wish - it’s the day wishes are said to come true! You can of course make your pudding any time before Christmas ;-)

Stir Up Sunday is the last Sunday before the first Sunday in advent and if you are interested you can read more of it’s origins here.

I made this recipe last year and the pic below is from last Christmas. You’ll have to forgive the fact it’s not the best photo… we were all full flow in Christmas mode, the lighting was bad (no good daylight!) and there was a table of hungry people eagerly waiting to eat it!

I also added some allergy options to the recipe (that I have also experimented with in the past) so that the recipe caters for as many people as possible… other than the crazy Christmas Pudding haters! ;-)

I’ll let you into a secret, for most of my life until I reached my 30’s (maybe it coincided with going vegan- not sure) I didn’t like dried fruits so I never ate Christmas pudding and mince pies…. wow, I was missing out on so much! But not any more!

For more Christmas pudding inspired ideas check out the links below the recipe…. you can have pudding for breakfast dessert and snacks.

Enjoy… let me know if you make it and tag me on instagram

Best Vegan Christmas Pudding

Serves approx 6 people.

With options for: gluten free, alcohol free, palm oil free, refined sugar free.

• 1/2 cup plain flour (also works with oat flour or gluten-free flour blends)

• 1 tsp ground nutmeg

• 1 tsp mixed spice

• 1 tsp cinnamon

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1/3 cup soft brown sugar or coconut sugar

• 2/3 cup breadcrumbs (use gluten-free if preferred)

• 1/2 cup vegan suet*

• 2 tsp baking powder

• 1 ½ tbsp black treacle or blackstrap molasses

• 1/3 cup of liquid - this can be plant milk, juice, gingerbeer, stout, ale, sherry, brandy or rum

• zest and juice of one orange

• 1 medium apple - finely grated/pureed (I have also added grated carrot before but that is not traditional!)

• 2 cups mixed dried fruit of choice - sultanas, raisins, currants, mixed peel, cherries, apricots (optionally you can also soak the fruit in alcohol of choice for up to a week before).

• 1/2 cup chopped dates

Method

Sift the flour with spices, salt and baking powder into a large mixing bowl.

Add all the other ingredients and mix well to a soft dropping consistency.

Grease a 2-pint basin well and fill with the mixture leaving about 1 inch free from the top to allow for rising. Cover with a circle of greaseproof paper that slightly runs up the inside of the rim and then aluminium foil over that wrapping it tightly over the edge, secure tightly with string round the outside of the bowl (basically just make sure its well sealed as it's steaming). I then make a string 'handle' by tying to opposite sides the perimeter string to that it is easy to lift out of the saucepan afterwards.

Place a small object - like a saucer - in the bottom of the saucepan and place the bowl on top (so it doesn't directly touch the base) and pour in boiling water halfway up the sides of the basin. Simmer gently for 4-5 hours, topping up the water as necessary.

Once cooked (peep under the foil/parchment and a toothpick should come away clean) the pudding can be kept cold until needed fully wrapped. It will keep for a month (if alcohol-free) or up to 6 months if it contains alcohol since alcohol acts as a preservative. If you want to keep an alcohol free pudding for longer you can also freeze it.

Steam or microwave until warmed through to serve. (steam for up to an hour from room temperature in a saucepan to heat through)

Serve with vegan custard or ice cream, whipped coconut cream or vegan single cream.

* As suet contains palm oil you may prefer to substitute the vegan suet for coconut oil - I have tried this and it works well (this is also a useful recipe resource). I have also read that cocoa butter can be used (but I have not tried this). Measure the oil as half a cup in liquid form.

Other vegan Christmas Pudding recipes that inspired me:

• https://avirtualvegan.com/ultimate-vegan-christmas-pudding/

• https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/vegan-christmas-pudding

• https://www.thevegspace.co.uk/recipe-the-ultimate-vegan-christmas-pudding/

• https://www.vegansociety.com/resources/recipes/special-occasions/christmas-pudding

---

Here are some other Christmas Pudding creations from my recipe archives, if you fancy giving them a go!

View fullsize

Quick Xmas Pudding For One!

View fullsize

Mini Xmas Pud Porridge... in just 3 mins!

View fullsize

Mini No-Bake Xmas Puds!

If you feel inspired this festive season... grab a digital bundle featuring my best selling 'Ultimate Bliss Ball Guide' AND 2 x Christmas Recipe Cards for just £5!

---

Pumpkin ideas for Halloween and beyond...

Looking for ways to use up your pumpkin?

Halloween celebrations may almost be over - but if you are lucky you may still find some super cheap pumpkin in the supermarket… or may simply be wondering what to make with this seasonal autumnal veggie.

Sweet or savoury, pumpkin has you covered!

Here are some ideas as a round-up from my blog archives, and with many of these recipes (such as the oat loaf) I have tried using both the blended scooped out flesh of fresh pumpkin and pumpkin puree from a can- both work well so use whatever suits you.

Squash or sweet potato would also likely be a good substitute… but don’t hold me to this as I haven’t tried in these recipes specifically.

What’s your favourite pumpkin recipe?

Looking for a sweet potato recipe? (or maybe more pumpkin!)

I recently made this yummy recipe for Real Food Source… check out their recipe here.

This sweet potato cake recipe makes quite a dense almost gooey cake, like a cross between a cake and a pie! I used sweet potato in this cake, but you could also try with other sweet root veg such as beetroot, pumpkin or parsnips. It is especially great served warm with cashew cream or yoghurt and a drizzle of light agave syrup. For added indulgence, throw some dark chocolate chunks into the mix! 

Try not to eat it all at once though, I thought the flavour and texture of this cake was even better the next day. 

---

Easy Matcha Nice-Cream

Summer is in full swing! Yay...

I have been spending as much time outside as possible, walking to the gym with an audio book in headphones, making big dreamcatchers in the garden (I have a commission to make a collection of big ones for Soul Circus festival!)... and eating refreshing summer snacks.

Matcha tea came to mind recently, as I have just introduced a friend to it and he's become something of a little obsessed with matcha lattes. But for summer time it's nice to have something of the chilled variety on hand!

If you haven’t tried matcha. It’s a form of green tea that super high in antioxidants as the whole leave is ground and consumed (rather than just an infusion as per regular green tea bags). It is reported that just one serving of matcha tea has 137 times more antioxidants than 10 cups of regularly brewed green tea (source).

I love that is also has a milder, smoother flavour than regular green tea and a lot of people love it as it provides a caffeine boost of steady energy and focus but without the crash. Winner!

On the the recipe…

I love this twist on the classic vegan 'nice' cream. You could also make this into a creamy chilled thick shake by blending half and half with a plant-based milk of choice. It’s a two-way recipe :-)

Enjoy!

Recipe: Easy Matcha Nice-Cream

Ingredients - serves 2 (ish)

• equivalent of three frozen bananas cut into chunks (I pre-freeze big batches to have to hand at all times)

• 1 teaspoon matcha tea powder

• pinch of vanilla bean*

*this is optional, another option would be a few drops of peppermint with some choc chunks or cacao nibs mixed through (matcha mint chic chip!!)

Other optional toppings: nuts, cacao nibs or dried fruit sprinkled on top. Go crazy ;-)

Method:

Simply blend in a powerful blender that can handle frozen banana chunks for about 30-40 seconds until super smooth. Dollop into bowls (or tall glasses with a long spoon for special effect) and sprinkle with toppings of choice. This can also be frozen if not serving immediately.

---

SPECIAL OFFER…

I mentioned above I am making dreamcatchers for a festival. Well, I have a super special offer to share with you for Soul Circus Yoga and Wellness Festival from 16-18th August 2019 near Gloucestershire. I would absolutely love to meet and hang out with you at the festival and if you book a ticket directly through me you get a nice discount. I can offer you full weekend tickets for £150 (instead of the standard price of £199).

Special bonus - when you book your ticket I am offering you a personalised 1-1 coaching session with me!

Email me to enquire and book your ticket!

---

Christmas Wreath Cheesecake! (with so many options!)

I recently took a trip to Spain to soak up some winter sunshine and do some work without the distractions of my kitchen. I have lots of travel plans for next year and this was something of a trial for a location independent work life.

That meant as soon as I landed back in the UK… I was straight back in the kitchen to unleash all that repressed kitchen creativity, ha ha

This was something of spontaneous unplanned creation, although the idea was triggered by a toffee wreath sponge cake in the Ocado Magazine. I veganized it, healthanized it, changed up the flavour and tuned it into a cheesecake. Nothing like the original really!

What I love about this recipe is the pure versatility…

• you can make your own plain cheesecake base or if you are pushed for time buy a plain one and focus on making the bliss balls decorations.

• you can use any cheesecake recipe you prefer (if you have a tried and tested version you love- just go for that!)

• you can make it any flavour you fancy - I went for gingerbread but any festive theme (or non-festive) would be awesome.

• You can make the topping ahead of time and then decorate your cheesecake last minute for a super speedy show-stopping dessert.

So have I got your attention yet? :-)

Below, I have provided the cheesecake recipe I used if you want to try it, but as I mention above the main focus of this post is on the decorations, so you could literally use any plain smooth topped cheesecake base you like.

I kept my bliss balls plain for a ‘simple’ understated cake but after I made it I remembered my ‘bliss baubles’ from previous years- they would look absolutely epic on this cake! (Why didn’t I think of that at the time!!)

I developed the ‘baubles’ for a brand so I don’t think I showcase them on my blog at the time - but the concept is simple. Toss desiccated coconut in a little turmeric, greens powder and beetroot powder and roll the balls in it to get a pretty multi-coloured batch!

Recipe: Christmas Wreath Cheesecake!

Makes an 8’ cheesecake

Cheesecake Ingredients:

Base*

• 1/2 cup oats

• 1/2 cup dates

• 1/2 cup nuts

• 1 tbs coconut oil

Cheesecake

• 1 cup water (separated into 2 x 1/2 cups)

• 1 tbs agar flakes

• 1 cup cashews (soaked overnight in cold water or for a couple of hours in hot water, then drained)

• 1/4 cup syrup of choice (I used coconut)

• 2 tbs coconut oil

• 1 tbs lemon juice

• 1 heaped tsp ground ginger

• 1/4 tsp mixed spice

*NOTE: I found my base to be quite ‘bendy’ so it wasn’t as easy to remove from the pan as I would like. (But maybe that’s just me being clumsy as most of the recipe I have looked at use a similar base type)

Method:

Add the base ingredients to a food processor and blitz together until quite fine and clumpy. Press firmly into the bottom of a spring form pan (lining it may also help- optional). Set aside.

Add 1/2 cup water with the agar flakes to a small sauce pan. bring to a boil and then simmer for 2-3 minutes stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, blitz the remaining ingredients together in a food processor until thick and smooth (you may need to scrape down a couple of times). By this time the agar should be ready. Add this to the food processor and blitz for a further 20-30 seconds until the mixture is as smooth as it can be.

Working quite quickly (because the agar will begin to set) spoon/pour the mix on top of the cheesecake base. Tap the tin gently to smooth the top and get rid of any air bubbles. Once cooler enough place the cheesecake in the fridge to fully set (an hour or so).

Meanwhile, make the bliss ball topping as directed below.

---

Bliss Ball Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cup dates (use medjool dates if you haven’t got a powerful food processor)

• 1 cup dessicated coconut (or nuts of choice- cashew/almond/pecan or a mix all work well)

• 2 tsp ground ginger

• 1/2 tsp mixed spice

• handful of goji berries and pumpkin seeds for additional decoration.

*Remember you could use any flavour here or a mix of flavours - e.g orange, cherry bakewell, chocolate, vanilla would all work well depending on what base favour you opt for!

Method:

Blitz all ingredients together in a food processor. The mix should be soft and clumpy and easy to roll into balls. Using your hands, roll into balls of various (fairly small) sizes.

If choosing to decorate as multi-coloured ‘baubles’ - dust a little extra desiccated coconut with turmeric, greens power and beetroot power (plus blue spirulina if you can get your hands on it!- any other colours?!) and roll the balls in it.

Allow them to chill and firm up whilst the cheesecake base firms up.

Once ready to decorate, place the balls gently in a mix of sizes around the perimeter of the cake top. Sprinkle goji berries and pumpkin seeds as desired in the gaps as ‘foliage’.

NOTE: you could make these ahead of time as they will store in the fridge for a couple of weeks. They transport well too if you needed to take them elsewhere to a festive party and decorate a cake there!

The entire assembled cheesecake will keep for 2-3 days in the fridge.

Did you try it?

I’d love to see… tag @johodson on Instagram with your creation!! :-)

---

The Festive Recipe Bundle!

A ‘Bliss’full Christmas?

With the festive season fast approaching… I had a slightly spontaneous idea to create a festive recipe bundle including a new version of my ‘top 5 recipes’ with some new favourites I have created since the first edition.

I coupled the Christmas Recipe Guides with my favourite Bliss Ball Guide (featuring loads of recipes that haven’t appeared on the blog) because, for me, Bliss Balls are the perfect Christmas homemade gift… so many of my customers and friends will likely attest to that, ha ha!

‘Printables’

The fun bonus with these ebooks is that they are designed such that you can print them (ideally on card), cut them along the dotted lines to keep on hand in the kitchen OR even better, use the recipe card as a gift tag when you present your homemade gift… that way your ‘giftee’ can make the recipe again for themselves. Fun, right? ;-)

All the recipes are vegan (of course) gluten free (some use oats so opt for GF versions) and refined-sugar free… so you have an indulgent Christmas without compromise.

*Note… I don’t want to imply that there should be any ‘food guilt’ I aim to inspire your creativity with food NOT make you feel bad about food! So go full out and eat sugar and refined foods if you want to, I just know many of us feel so much better in mind and body when sticking to mostly whole foods and unrefined ingredients if there is the option, and so if that’s you thing… I’ve totally got you covered!

The whole bundle is just £5…

You can buy it HERE (or click the pic below!)

View fullsize

P.s I’d love you to tag me on social media in any recipes you make - Instagram is my favourite hangout- I’m @johodson over there :-)

If you don’t fancy getting the guides right now, you can still get lots of recipe ideas right here on my blog… Here are a few to get you going!

---

My Rawgust Experience... and Raw Avo & Tomato 'Toast'

'Rawgust' is over and we are rolling swiftly into September!

I thought I'd take a moment on this sunny Sunday morning to reflect on a few thoughts of my 'raw food' experience. As I mentioned in my previous post I didn't maintain a 100% raw diet, it was more like 85% as my view was to see it as an exploration and open my mind to new recipes and ideas, rather than a restriction which I may have felt had I been super strict.

>>> NOTE: see my previous post for tips and meal inspiration

This decision to go 'high raw' rather than fully raw was partly based on the fact I had a few family commitments and events I knew I would be attending which would have made life difficult. I decided that a 'high raw diet' would allow me to appreciate most of the benefits and enable me to broaden my raw food repertoire without it feeling pressured or frustrated.

Overall I really enjoyed the month, initially I did miss big hot bowls of porridge (yes, I still eat porridge in the summertime!) and I really missed beans and lentils- such a staple in my everyday diet.

That being said, I really threw myself into creating some amazing salads and lots of raw dressings and dips to go with them. For me, a good dressing can turn any salad from average to amazing :-) 

This is definitely something I'll be continuing, as I'd like to aim for at least 50% raw ongoing- basically, i'll be incorporating a smoothie and a big salad every day- pretty easy, right!

I'll post a recipe round up of loads of sauces, dressing and dips from my vegan community in a separate post- hopefully, there'll be lots to inspire you too!

My boyfriend, who took the challenge along with me- who also reminded me that it was his idea in the first place (credit where it's due!!) has, for the time being, decided to maintain a 75-80% raw diet, so we'll still be eating a lot of raw meals together. 

My downfall (if anything) was eating too many Bliss Balls, ha ha. I often get carried away anyway when I make them, but during Rawgust I fell into the trap of having even more excuse to indulge.

Bliss balls... soooo tempting!!

Many people I know who eat raw, typically follow a high-fruit diet. This is something I have never felt really suits me. When I've experimented with an 801010 (80% carbs, 10% fat 10% protein) style diet in the past I ended up feeling incredibly bloated with the ratio of fruit. I feel I need to incorporate more fats. Maybe that was why one of my favourite meals last month was avocado and tomato on dehydrated flax crackers.

That said, my digestion was, for the most part, really great this last month, even though I have had some tough personal challenges to content with (stress usually impacts my bowels- sorry TMI!) My tummy felt flat and I have lost a little weight. Maybe that's down to the lack of legumes and/or grains... who knows? It will be interesting to see what happens as I add them back.

I'm also not convinced that a fully raw diet is particularly suited to our UK climate during the colder winter months. I know the idea of a nourishing warm meal really soothes me and the abundance root vegetables help ground me. I wouldn't want to forgo soups and stews indefinitely regardless of any nutritional science. 

I know there are ways to create 'warmth' in the body whilst consuming raw foods by using ginger and other warming spices to 'fire up' the body, but nothing compares to a big bowl of soup in my opinion! :-) 

I also query the environmental angle. I like the idea of aiming to eat more seasonally and locally, (although i'll make it clear I'm not perfect at this by any means), so feasting on tropical fruits shipped from far overseas during our cold winter months, doesn't quite sit right with me. I want to enjoy our abundance of winter vegetable roots and brassicas from the ground during this time.

One final point of interest... I was scanning through all my old health and wellness magazines, as part of my declutter ahead of moving house in a couple of weeks and I found various articles on Ayurveda. I am definitely a Vata Dosha and interestingly one of the things it advised 'Vata's' against was to consume raw foods... how interesting!

I have not looked deeply into the reasoning behind this (but now I am curious to know more), but it did remind me that there is never a 'one size fits all approach' when it comes to food, and that we all need to be intuitive eaters when it comes to what we feel our bodies need.  

As an example, I would never directly advise others to eat animal products BUT I do appreciate that we each need to find out own way and tune into what really works for us away from societies expectation and the pressure from the media and those around us.

Most of all, I believe we need to become more curious, more self-aware, more confident and relaxed around food.

Short terms 'Detoxes' and Challenges' (such as Rawgust) create the perfect opportunity for shaking things up, trying new things, re-setting our bodies systems, checking in with any symptoms that might be showing up and reflecting on what we really need deep down.

To break the pattern of the autopilot mode that so many of us function on day to day when it comes to food and lifestyle.

So on that note, I am going to leave you with the recipe for my favourite avocado and tomato salad on raw flax crackers.... ridiculously simple, and definitely one I'll keep on weekly repeat.

I'd love to continue this conversation...

Have you tried a raw diet? Maybe you loosely follow a raw-till-4 approach? Or something else... I'd love to hear your own thoughts, experiences and results. 

---

Recipe: Raw Avo & Tomato 'Toast'

Ingredients:

• 1 avocado

• A large handful of cherry tomatoes

• Dehydrated flax crackers (quantity to suit appetite!)

• Fresh basil

• Salt and pepper

• Sprinkle of nutritional yeast (optional)

• Salad leaves (optional)

Flax Cracker Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cup ground flaxseeds

• 1 cup sunflower seeds, soaked overnight

• 1 cup walnuts, soaked overnight

• 1 stick of celery, roughly chopped

• 1 red onion, roughly chopped

• 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil (including the oil)

• 1 tsp Himalayan salt

• 1-2 tsp mixed dried herbs (or other herbs/spices to suit)

• a few tbs water to create the right consistency (add gradually)

Method for the flax crackers:

Blitz all ingredients together in a food processor, until thick and sticky, adding a little water add needed (I used approx 1/3 of a cup)

Spread the mix to a 0.5 cm thickness over teflex dehydrator sheets. 

Dehydrate at 45C for approx 10 hours, turn over and place onto mesh sheets and return to the dehydrator for another 4 hours. 

Cut into any desired slices. Can be stored in an airtight container for up to two weeks. 

Method for the avo 'toast':

There is no real method.... just assemble everything on top of the crackers!

You can slice your flax bread/crackers into larger 'bread style' squares but because I make mine in a large batch I had pre-cut them into small squares for versatility. Either is fine.

NOTE: I originally made a version of this style of raw bread/cracker HERE. At that time I also tried a second batch and spread it out on a lined baking sheet at 'baked' it for approximately two hours on my lowest oven temperature (approx. 80ºC). I covered it loosely with foil after 1 hour to ensure the most even cook. It worked well so it's an option to try if you don't have access to a dehydrator.

My top #Rawgust meal ideas & raw banana bread recipe!

It's coming up to the end of the month. The end of August.... and therefore the end of #Rawgust

I didn't announce it directly on my blog (kept that to social media) but I made the decision on the last day of their life to give Raugust a go - that's raw vegan for the month of August. My boyfriend was also up for playing along which helped!

I felt very unprepared and aware that it may not run perfectly or smoothly but that's ok. It was the spontaneity that spoke to me in the moment when I saw a post by the Ethcs crew that I really resonated with.

Having spent time at Raw Fest on the last weekend of July, and more recently exploring the connection between a plant-based diet and our innate sense of creativity for my forthcoming book, I am learning that a raw vegan diet has the potential to bring you even closer to that connection with self, with source, with nature.

My good friend Rhiannon Van Der Griffin recently shared her raw journey with me a part of my book research and I was inspired more than ever to try it for myself. 

In moments like this I come back to this quote by Matt Cutts. It's simply about getting curious to explore what becoming the very best version of you could look like. For 30 days.

---

So how did the month play out for me?

NOTE: more in depth update in this post!

Well, I admit I wasn't perfect. I wasn't 100% raw. Probably about 85% in reality. 

One of the biggest reasons for wanting to do it, was to increase my repertoire of raw meal ideas for the future, and that I did for sure. In particular, raw sauces, dips and dressings for salads can REALLY make a salad.... it doesn't often matter what veggies you have in the bowl if you have an incredible sauce to smoother them in, right? ;-) Make enough for the week and you have easy meals lunches you can make in moments. 

I am going to put together a separate post sharing a big roundup of raw recipes from a vegan community I am part of, but for now I'd like to share a few of my favourite discoveries and tips.

I'd also love to hear about your own 'raw' adventures...

Whether that might simply be incorporating a green smoothie each day, or a raw lunch Monday to Friday, or more raw snacks. It's not about hitting 100% perfect, what works for you?

Have you felt any benefits going more 'raw'? Or what are you currently struggling with?

My favourite things to make...

• Raw sauces etc (as noted above) - make a weeks worth.

• Deyhdrated flax crackers which are great as a snack in the go, as cracker as a 'bread substitute' and also as croutons in a salad when sliced into tiny squares- recipe here

• Bliss Balls are also an obvious go-to, BUT I did have a tendency to eat a lot of them and then be too full for a massive salad- ooops!

• Courgetti- spiralised courrgette and carrot for a fun pretty bowl. Also great with the chunky bolognaise- see pic above - recipe to come.

• Smoothies of all kinds - green, berry or banana and raw cacao for a chocolate hit!

• Overnight oats - this one is a little contentious as to whether it's actually raw, since rolled porridge oats are technically heated in the rolling process. But this was often nice to wake up to instead of smoothie or fruit bowl in the morning, or as lunch on the go.

• Mushroom curry - so easy and so good (see pic above) based on this recipe using cashews.

• Lettuce wraps with a peanut satay dipping sauce (technical the peanut butter component wasn't raw) note: gem lettuce leaves work best- those in the picture were from my veggie patch.

Still a few more days of #Rawgust to go, so I will see what creations catch my eye- I will be back with more raw recipes here soon!

For now, I'll leave you with this recipe for a raw banana bread... I totally made this up as I went along, but it worked so well as a spin-off on a bliss ball style creation.

Recipe: Raw Banana Bread Slice

Ingredients:

• 2 bananas

• 2 tbs flax seed

• 1 cup dates

• 1-2 tsp cinnamon (to taste)

• 1/2 cup oats

• 1/2 cup nuts- chopped (I used macadamias*)

• 1/2 cup nuts- ground (I used pecans*)

• pinch salt

* I loved the flavour and texture of the chunky macadamia pieces, but I imagine cashews or almond would also work well. Any ground nut could be used.

If you want a more intense 'double banana' flavour, try using dried banana pieces (not banana chips) instead of dates - or half and half.

Method:

Blend the banana with the flax, cinnamon and dates until smooth. Add all remaining ingredients and mix well to form a stiff slightly sticky 'dough'. (I pulsed the mix together in a food processor but you could do it by hand). 

Form into a log on a liner and chill for at least an hour to firm up. Once firm slice into pieces and serve. Store in the fridge for up to a week. This freezes well too.

NOTE: It makes about three times the amount shown, but I gifted most of it to my boyfriend before I had a chance to shoot it ;-)

---

Veggie pesto pine nut squares

This veggie pesto bake is a wonderful summer recipe, especially using fresh basil from the garden!

I wanted to make this recipe for my family at the weekend. I found the photos in my archives from when I first shot the recipe last year for realfoodsource using their new ingredient range, but I couldn't find the actual recipe anywhere!

I have made variations on it - these sweet potato rostis in particular, so I knew the rough idea. I figured I'd have to wing it and hope for the best.... it turned out really well!

Instead of making it as squares as per the original photos, I cooked it in a square oven dish and served it up hot with a huge salad. The squares are still amazing though.

This is best made with spiralized veggies for a pretty ‘curly whirly’ effect but you could use a julienne peeler or a coarse grater. I used a mix of carrot, courgette and a little onion but you could use fewer or different ingredients such a sweet potato or parsnip if you prefer. You could also bake this mix into pre-portioned muffin cups.

To save time I used bought free-from pesto in a jar, but you could make your own, or use hummus with herbs added to it.

Recipe: Veggie pesto pine nut squares

Makes approx 12 squares (a brownie sized pan)

Ingredients:

• 3 cups spiralized vegetables (I courgette, 2 medium carrots and 1 red onion)

• ¼ cup almond or cashew paste (optional)

• 1/2 cup vegan pesto (or regular pesto or hummus and fresh basil)

• approx. ½ tsp salt (this may depend on the pesto etc used)

• approx. 3 tbs water

• A handful of extra fresh basil, roughly chopped

• 1 cup chickpea (gram) flour

• ¼ cup pine nuts (up to ½ cup more if preferred)

Method:

Spiralize or julienne the veggies, chop a little to avoid very long ribbons.  Set aside.

Mix together the wet ingredients and add to the coat the veggies (taste test and add salt and pepper as desired). Add the gram flour last and mix to coat well. Add an extra splash of water if the mix doesn’t appear quite wet enough to coat evenly. Mix through the pine nuts now or set aside to press into the top if preferred.

Press the mix firmly into a lightly greased brownie sized tin- the mix should be approx 2cm thick. Smooth the top and press in the pine nuts.  Bake at 180C for approx 25-30 mins until golden. Serve hot or allow to cool and cut into squares- great for lunchboxes or picnics when served cold. Will keep in the fridge for a couple of days.

---