Creamy Red Lentil Rosé with Roasted Red Peppers (Vegan & Nut Free)
This pasta sauce is creamy and comforting while being both nutrient-rich and naturally vegan & gluten-free. Most vegan sauces call for cashews which can be costly. My recipe calls for red lentils which are an excellent source of protein and fibre. The added nutritional yeast delivers a satisfying cheesy taste and is a significant source of the B-complex vitamins.
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Creamy Red Lentil ‘Rosé’ with Roasted Red Peppers (Vegan & Nut Free)
Author: Milk & Marigolds Yields approx. 3 cups of sauce
Total Time: 30 – 40 minutes Serves: 4 with the pasta
Equipment: A high speed blender, one small cooking pot and one large pot
Note: The sauce yields enough for 2 separate meals (serving 8 in total). I like to make this batch and freeze half of the sauce for later. If you do not wish to do this, then halve the sauce recipe.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup of dried spilt red lentils
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 heaping tablespoon of finely minced garlic
2 1/2 tbsp of fresh lemon juice
100 g or 3/4 cup cauliflower
1 full cup of roughly chopped roasted red pepper (I used jarred), plus a 1/4 cup for garnish
3 tbsp nutritional yeast
2 1/2 tbsp of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Gluten Free stock cube
1 400 mL sized can coconut milk (you will need 1/4 cup plus 1 tbsp of the coconut cream only. This is the coconut fat that sits at the top of canned coconut)
salt & pepper to taste
250 g or 8.8oz of pasta
Garnish:
A small bunch of fresh basil, roughly chopped
roasted red peppers, roughly chopped
jarred artichokes and/or olives your choice
extra virgin olive oil
dried chili flakes
Instructions:
1. Gather all the ingredients and equipment required. Begin by rinsing the lentils with cold water and drain. Add the lentils to a small pot along with 1 1/4 cups of water. Cover and bring to a simmer. The spilt lentils should take about 10 – 15 minutes to cook. Stir occasionally and add a bit more water if needed.
2. Meanwhile, chop the onion and mince the garlic. Also, chop and set aside your garnishes for later. Cut the cauliflower into small chunks and place it in a bowl of water to cook quickly in the microwave or stovetop if preferred. I usually steam it in the microwave for 3-4 minutes.
3. At this time you may want to prepare your large cooking pot for the pasta. Always salt your water prior to adding the pasta to it. A couple generous pinches will do. Cover the pot and bring the water to a boil. Add the pasta to the boiling water when you are ready. Stir occasionally so the GF pasta noodles don’t stick together.
4. Once the lentils have cooked, scrape them into the blender. Reserve the cooking pot to add the oil and warm it on medium heat. Then, add the onions and sauté until tender. Add the garlic and sauté for a couple more minutes. Lower the heat and add the stock cube along with a pinch of salt and pepper. Scrape the contents into the blender. Also, add the cooked cauliflower, the coconut cream, roasted red peppers, lemon juice and the nutritional yeast. Blend until completely smooth.
5. Strain pasta and then add it back to the pot. Then, pour out about 1 cups worth of sauce into the same pot as the pasta and combine it well. Add more sauce if desired. Generously garnish with fresh basil and roasted red peppers, dried chilies and add more salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle with more extra virgin olive oil and serve while warm. Enjoy!
Copyright 2014 – 2021 © Milk & Marigolds
Sweet & Spicy Broccoli Tender Stems with Cashew Crumble
Happy New Year!
I have been quiet here lately. The reason for that, is because we are happily expecting another baby. For the past few months food wasn’t the top thing on my agenda but now I’m feeling good (and hungry) again and I am ready for 2021. I hope 2021 treats you and your family well.
If you care to, please share your creations of my recipes by using the hashtag #milkandmarigolds or tag your post on Instagram @milkandmarigolds
I would love to see your creations!
Sweet & Spicy Broccoli Tender Stems with Cashew Crumble
Prep Time: 15-20 minutes Cooking Time: 10-12 minutes (if roasted)
Author: Milk & Marigolds Serves: 4 as a side (easily scalable)
Ingredients:
- 400 g sweet broccoli tender stems or broccolini
- 3 tbsp Tamari or other GF soy sauce
- 1/2 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp finely minced ginger
- 4 tsp honey or maple syrup
- 2 packed tsp chopped cilantro or parsley
- 3/4 cup crushed salted & roasted cashews
- zest of 1 lime
- 3 tbsp fresh lime juice
- a few pickled hot banana pepper rings roughly chopped
Instructions:
- Decide on whether to steam or roast your broccolini. Make rice if desired.
- While preheating the oven or preparing to steam the broccolini, prepare the sauce:
- Begin by zesting one of the limes with a microplane, juice the lime(s), mince the ginger, chop your herbs and the hot peppers. Crush the cashews and set them aside. Combine all but the cashews to make the sauce. Whisk ingredients together until well combined.
- Steam the broccolini until just tender or heat the oven to 425 F. Prepare a pan with parchment paper. In a large bowl, add a little olive oil and toss in the raw broccolini to cover it lightly. Spread the broccolini out on the pan so it is’t crowded. Roast for 5-6 minutes and then flip. Cook for another 5-6 minutes. Remove from the heat.
- Plate the broccolini on a serving platter. Dress the broccolini with the sauce and sprinkle the cashews on top. Serve with rice or alone.
Copyright 2014 – 2021 © Milk & Marigolds
The Farewell Summer Salad with Sweet Basil Oil
As we say farewell to summer and welcome colourful autumn, why not celebrate the season’s beautiful bounty with this grilled salad. You can prepare these ingredients directly on the BBQ or by using a grill pan.
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I would love to see your creations!
The Farewell Summer Grilled Salad served with Sweet Basil Oil
Prep Time: 15 minutes Cooking Time: 10 – 15 minutes
Author: Milk & Marigolds Serves: 2 (easily scalable)
Ingredients:
Grilled Salad Ingredients
- 3 cobs of corn, husk removed & then grilled
- 1 yellow or green zucchini thinly sliced horizontally
- 1 large avocado, sliced horizontally and peeled
- 1 cup of cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 shallot, thinly sliced
- Salt & Pepper to taste
Sweet Basil Oil
- 1/2 packed cup of fresh basil leaves, plus a few more leaves for garnish
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 a small garlic clove, microplane/finely grated
- 1 tbsp fresh lime or lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp Himalayan salt
- A few turns of pepper
Instructions:
- Begin by preparing the basil oil. Finely chop the basil and set aside. Into a measuring cup or bowl, finely grate the garlic, add the lemon juice, oil, salt and pepper and mix with a whisk or fork. Then add in the finely chopped basil. Combine well.
- Next, prepare the salad ingredients. Husk the corn and slice your remaining produce. See how to prepare the produce above in the ingredients list.
- Brush the corn, avocado and zucchini with some olive oil before grilling.
- Begin by grilling the corn first as this will take the longest (approx. 10 minutes). After 5 minutes, add the avocado to the grill and then the zucchini. Grill until grill marks appear and then remove from the heat. Allow the ingredients to slightly cool before serving. Drizzle the basil oil over the salad after assembling it. Salt and Pepper from a height to liking.
Copyright 2014 – 2020 © Milk & Marigolds
Milk & Marigolds’ Cucumber Avocado Gazpacho
This gazpacho (a chilled soup) is refreshing, healthy & bright in flavour.
Planting and growing cucumbers was new for us this season, so when we planted 6 seedlings, they went wild and we ended up with enough cucumbers to feed a small village!
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Cucumber Avocado Gazpacho
Prep: 10 minutes, plus 3-4 hours to chill Yields: 2 small bowls
Author: Milk & Marigolds
Ingredients:
2 large cucumbers, (3 cups roughly chopped, deseeded)
1/2 avocado
1-2 limes (3 tablespoons juiced)
1/2 – 1 whole jalapeño, chopped and deseeded
1/4 cup chopped cilantro (stems and leaves) plus more for garnish
1/2 cup canned coconut milk, shaken
1 spring onion, chopped
1.5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 small garlic clove, finely grated
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup cold water or 1/2 cup ice
fresh ground black pepper to taste
Garnish Suggestions:
thinly sliced cucumber & Jalapeño
coconut milk
olive oil
fresh herbs
Equipment:
high speed blender
fine grater or microplane grater
peeler
Metal spoon
knife
cutting board
Instructions:
1. Begin by peeling your cucumbers and use a metal spoon to remove any seeds. Roughly chop your ingredients and finely grate half of a small garlic clove.
2. Deseed the jalapeño. You can wear gloves to avoid touching the hot seeds if needed. I recommend adding in a quarter of the jalapeño at a time to assess your desired level of spice. Roll (this helps to release the juices) then squeeze your limes to collect 3 tablespoons amount.
3. Shake the can of coconut milk so the coconut cream mixes with its water. Add all of the ingredients to a high speed blender and pulse until smooth or until the desired texture is achieved. Chill for about 3- 4 hours, add salt and pepper to taste, garnish and serve as soon as possible. This keeps in the fridge for about 2 days.
Copyright 2015 © Milk & Marigolds
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