Vegan Chickpea Curry with Garlic Cauliflower Rice ft. Magimix

Back in May, which seems like a lifetime ago, I published my first recipe with Magimix and today it is finally time for the second recipe which is a comforting mild vegan chickpea and sweet potato curry with cashews, corriander and garlic cauliflower rice that's tasty, comforting and filling for the summer. The curry could be paired with Naan bread and a refreshing coconut yoghurt raita alongside cucumber and fresh mint.

Some of my favourite foods are comfort foods especially the BBQ mac 'n' cheese that I posted a couple of months ago with Magimix and curry is another comfort food of mine but as I have the tastebuds of a newborn, I can't handle anything overly spicy or hot. I think some people confuse spices with heat, so this curry is spicy and flavoursome but it isn't hot so it's ideal as a summertime curry!

For the first recipe I created with Magimix, I used the blender aspects of my *Magimix 4200XL (£280, Black) to produce a creamy BBQ, smoky sauce for my vegan mac 'n' cheese but for this recipe I used the large grating disc included with the Magimix food processor to create the delicious and healthy garlic cauliflower rice.

I have been using the Magimix 4200XL almost constantly since I received it to help with meal prepping as while it isn't completely ideal for small batches of food, it is amazing for meal prepping larger amounts or cooking for numerous people, maybe a summer picnic or dinner party. The components of the Magimix that I've been using the most include the large bowl and blade and the grating discs which are perfect for shredding veggies for salads and for creating garlic cauliflower rice! The food processor comes with so many attachments including a dough blade, slicing discs, various blades and more so in my opinion, it's well worth the money.

As well as my Magimix 4200XL, I also used a couple of other products I was very kindly sent from the lovely people over at Indigo Herbs, who I've been lucky enough to work with a few times now and Hambleden Spices. From Indigo Herbs I used their organic raw cashew nuts as a garnish and from Hambleden Spices I used their organic garlic powder for the garlic cauliflower rice.

Let's start with the recipe which I would say makes three medium sized portions or two very large portions; additionally it could be added to a large serving dish as a sharing meal or made into small portions for a sharing picnic. The curry and cauliflower rice could easily be added into a pitta bread for on the go snacking or it can be transferred to a microwaveable container and reheated as a work lunch option. Whatever way you choose, here are the list of ingredients but feel free to add in or remove ingredients you don't like:

Ingredients:

- Sweet potato (two medium sweet potatoes)
- Chickpeas (150-200g)
- Passata (150g)
- White Onion (small)
- Water (100ml)
- Light coconut milk (100ml)
- Cauliflower (one whole medium cauliflower)
- Cornflour (1 tsp)
- Garam masala, garlic powder, turmeric (1 heaped tsp each)
- Salt, garlic pepper (1 tsp each)
- Corriander and cashews as a garish

I'm never one to stick to recipes, even my own, so here are a few suggestions to alter or add to the recipe: I think that you could easily replace the sweet potato in this recipe for lots of chestnut mushrooms (I'm going to be doing this next time I make it) or you could add in pumpkin or butternut squash for the autumnal months which I'm looking forward to already! Replacing the garlic powder with roasted garlic could be a great alternation too but I personally love garlic powder because of how convenient it is. Lastly, switching out the coriander with fresh mint would be incredible but sadly I didn't have any on hand when I make this recipe.

Step One:

The first step of the recipe is to dice and roast the sweet potato and white onion until soft, but not overly soft, you don't want it to be a starchy mush. I roasted mine at 180 degree Celsius for 20 minutes with some coconut oil. I use a spray coconut oil as it's much more convenient, healthier and it means that I don't use too much oil!

Step Two:

Combine your sweet potato, onion and spices in a non-stick frying pan for a couple of minutes until the spices are fragrant but make sure nothing sticks so use a low-medium heat. Then add in the coconut milk and passata - I added water to the passata jar to get everything out and added it to the pan. I used the Mutti passta that I received in my April DegustaBox which is delicious.

Step Three:

While your curry is simmering for around 15-20 minutes, you have time to cut up your cauliflower into small/medium florets so they fit in the tube of the Magimix 4200XL. I used the large grating disc within my Magimix food processor as I didn't want it to turn into a cauliflower paste! For the same reason, I didn't cook the cauliflower at all before adding it into the food processor. When you've processed all of your raw cauliflower it will look like large cous cous so transfer it to a frying pan with a little coconut oil and powdered garlic and fry for around five minutes (stirring regularly) until slightly golden.

Step Four:

If after 15-20 minutes your curry isn't thick enough, make a cornflour slurry by combining a teaspoon of cornflour to a couple of teaspoons of water, stir well and add into the curry; heat through until thickened. Lastly add in salt and pepper to taste then spoon into your bowls or serving plate along with the garlic cauliflower rice, Finally top with corrriander and cashews for crunch.

I hope you enjoyed this recipe, make sure you check out the video below of the final dish and let me know what you think in the comments below. Additionally if you make this recipe be sure to tag me (@ofbeautyand) on instagram or twitter!

What do you think of this vegan chickpea and sweet potato curry with coriander, cashews and garlic cauliflower rice? Do you like my vegan recipes? Do you own a Magimix food processor?

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My Vegan Essentials ft. Indigo Herbs

If you didn't know I've had an almost entirely vegan diet for the past three years with between 70% to 95% of my diet being vegan (meat, fish, dairy, gelatine and egg free). Unlike my switch to a vegetarian diet at the very young age of 11 which I chose to stick to overnight, my switch to a vegan diet has been gradual which I think is a good way to do it. I've started posting more about my diet on instagram and I'm planning so many vegan recipes so stay tuned for those but todays post is a list of a few of my vegan essentials:

Rice, Beans & Pulses

Let's start with the basics and one thing that I always see about 'cons' of the vegan lifestyle is that it's more expensive which isn't the case at all. In my opinion any lifestyle (whether you eat meat, you're a vegetarian or if you're vegan), is as expensive as you make it - you can buy the most expensive cuts of meat or delicacies; alternatively you can buy the most inexpensive items.

"Data published by the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) shows healthier foods bought in super markets tend to have a smaller price tag than their unhealthier counterparts" - The Independent 2017

Rice, beans and pulses are some of the cheapest foods, although organic foods do tend to be a little pricier (you obviously don't have to buy organic if you don't want to) but I think that Indigo Herbs has an amazing range of organic wholefoods at really reasonable prices! They have a wide range of rice and lentil varieties. I use rice quite a lot for vegan fried rice *drools*, sushi bowls or stir frys. Additionally, beans such as butterbeans are ideal for adding an interesting texture and protein to your salads or blended with plant milk into a creamy dressing or dip (you do need a high powered blender for this though, I use my Nutribullet).

Nutritional Yeast, Herbs & Spices

Next up are essentials for anyone, herbs and spices. I use dried herbs and spices every single day and some of my favourites have to include basil (with pasta or salad), tarragon (with pasta, dips, dressing or sauce), garlic pepper (on pretty much everything), chives (for vegan ranch) and nutmeg (great with creamy pasta or eggs/egg replacer).

One cooking ingredient that I hadn't heard of until becoming vegan is nutritional yeast. Nutritional yeast is deactivated yeast, that's all, it's nothing unusual but it has such a nice savoury, nutty and slightly cheese flavour. To me it isn't very cheesy (although some people think it is) but I think it's more like salted crisps...I love it blended into cheese sauce or sprinkled onto salad or pasta.

Cashew Nuts & Protein

Speaking of cheese sauce, the most delicious vegan cheese sauce is made with soaked cashew nuts. I've already posted a recipe for vegan mac 'n' cheese using a cashew based sauce so you can check it out for the recipe - I also have an updated low fat version recipe. Nuts are high in fat so I only tend to use them on occasion but soaked cashew nuts blended with plant milk and herbs makes the most incredibly smooth, super creamy and yummy sauce - you don't need single cream when you can use cashew nuts!

Last but not least is another item I don't use too often but it's something I sometimes use in my smoothies - protein powders. I think they'd be great if you are more into your fitness or if you don't want to include other protein sources in your diet. I've tried a couple of pea protein powders and they have been my favourites so far.

Are you vegan or vegetarian? Are any of these foods part of your diet? Have you bought anything from Indigo Herbs?

*This is a sponsored post
*Images from Indigo Herbs 

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Vegan Chocolate + Raspberry Muffins

It's almost easter and usually that means scoffing easter eggs and chocolate in general at any possible moment but as I'm now vegan, that's a little more difficult. However, my solution is to make some lovely vegan chocolates and chocolate muffins myself to satisfy my sweet cravings and to take part in the chocolate indulgences of easter with everyone else.

I have featured and raved about the brand Indigo Herbs on my blog and now I'm lucky enough to work with them again for this recipe and easter chocolates. I was very kindly sent the *Indigo Herbs Easter Raw Chocolate Making Kit (£19.99) which is 100% vegan as well as pure, using botanical ingredients without any additives.

The Indigo Herbs Easter Chocolate Making Kit contains all four ingredients that you will need to make the chocolates as well as an exclusive easter chocolate mould that features cute eggs, bunnies and ducks to eat individually or to decorate cakes and muffins with. I've made their chocolates before and this second time round was just as easy! The only thing the kit doesn't come with is a thermometer which you do need to make sure the water is the correct temperature but other than that it is an all inclusive kit that is a little time consuming but it's so worth it as the chocolate are so heavenly, rich and indulgent!

I have made a lot of chocolate cupcakes, cakes and muffins before but when it comes to vegan chocolate muffins, not so much. I have adapted a recipe I found on Essential Vegan UK to make this one that features cocoa powder and raspberry powder! Here are the ingredients you'll need to make these muffins:

- 2 cups of plain white flour
- 1/2 cup of cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup of raspberry powder
- 1 cup of light brown sugar
- 1 3/4 cups of oat milk (you could use almond milk)
- 1/2 cup of sunflower oil
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- 1 tablespoon of baking powder

Optional: vanilla essence (1 teaspoon), vegan chocolate chips (1 cup) or nuts of your choice (1/2 cup). This recipe take about 25/30 minutes total and makes twelve medium sizes muffins but you could add more mixture into each case to make bigger muffins but fewer of them.

Step One: 

Preheat your oven to approximately 190 degrees celsius (fan oven/setting). In a large bowl or kitchenaid sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, cocoa powder and raspberry powder and mix to combine.

Step Two: 

Add in the oat milk and oil (and chocolate chips, nuts or vanilla if you want to add them) to the dry ingredients and mix well but don't over mix; however you don't want lumps of flour!

Step Three:

Add your paper muffin cases (I used tulip muffin cases) to a muffin tray and add in your mixture to approximately just over half full. You could add more or less mixture depending on how big you want your vegan chocolate and raspberry muffins to be. Bake for about 20-25 minutes but keep an eye on them and check with a cocktail stick and if it comes out clean then they are baked.

The muffins turned out so well as did the gorgeous chocolates that non-vegan adore too so I'll definitely be making these again. I wasn't going to make frosting as you don't usually with muffins but I had excess melted vegan chocolate so I made a delicious *if I do say so myself* chocolate frosting. As with every frosting I make, it's complete made up as I go! For this one I used about one cup of melted vegan chocolate combined with 3/4 cup of vegan margarine, 3/4 cup of icing sugar and a splash of water.

I ate two muffins before I managed to get to my camera as they were so yummy! The frosting is heavenly, chocolately and rich so much so that you would never know that it's vegan - it is the same for the chocolate as non-vegans said they wouldn't know that they were dairy free. Due to the raspberry powder, they have a unique flavour that is moreish and chocolatey but it also has a slight raspberry flavour which I adore as raspberries and chocolate are a perfect duo for me. I can't wait to use the *Indigo Herbs Raspberry Powder (£6.49, 50g) again in a recipe or in smoothies!

As I made twelve, well ten when I finished scoffing them, I gave them to my mum to take into work as they were having a bake sale at the primary school I went to, to raise money for a child at the school with cancer so these muffins raised a little money and everyone loved the muffins and chocolates so I will definitely make more to sell.

Have you tried any vegan chocolate? What do you think of these muffins and the chocolate kit?

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September Mini Lifebox + Smoothie Recipe

I've tried quite a lot of subscription boxes, from beauty and lifestyle to stationery, fandom and food boxes but nothing like this - I hadn't heard of LifeBox until I received an email and I was instantly intrigued. LifeBox is a monthly healthy snack/food box and there are so many options to choose from including the cleanse box, women's active health box, mens box, everyday box, junior box and the one I have which is the *Mini LifeBox (£14.95). 

The Mini LifeBox is a trial version of the standard box but even so, you wouldn't have thought that it was a trial box as there are so many products in the box - I was so surprised at how many items there were! There are quite a few full size items in the box and sample sizes too; the range of items is great from chocolate, biscuits and snacks to tea, smoothie powders, peanut butter and more! I don't think I've been as impressed by a subscription box for a long time. 

In the box I received: Kiki Health (sachet), Big Treefarms Coco Hydro (sachet), Inspiral Kale Chips, Pip & Nut Peanut Butter (sachet), Chia Seeds (sachet), Big Treefarms Coconut Sugar (sachet), The Raw Chocolate Co Bar, Yogi Sweet Chili Tea (sachet), Pulsin Brownie Bar, Ibiza Superfood Sample (sachet), Raw Gorilla Munchies, Rhythm 108 Tea Biscuits and PHD Natural Plant and Superfood Blend (sachet). 

I have already tried the Raw Munchies Raw Maca & Cinnamon Bites which are so yummy as is the Pip & Nut Peanut Butter, Vanoffe Dark Chocolate Bar and the Pulsin Raspberry & Goji Raw Chocolate Brownie Bar. I can't wait to try the other products, all of which as a vegetarian I can eat - I cannot recommend this subscription box enough and for £14.99, you can so much for your money, there are brands and products in the box that I never would have tried before. Overall rating: ★★★★★, 5/5!

Now onto a quick and easy post-workout smoothie recipe! Since I bought a cross trainer/exercise bike, I've been looking for specific smoothie combinations to drink post-workout and I've been trying out a lot of concoctions, some have turned out better than others...but a new favourite of mine is a mixture of spinach, carrot, ginger, orange juice, chia seeds and a smoothie powder. I have been using the Indigo herbs Cat's Claw Powder recently as it is supposed to help with swollen joints and minor joint pain but the smoothie powders in the Mini LifeBox would be great too. Definitely check out the SimplyHealth train and recovery page - they have some great smoothie ideas too.

What smoothie combinations do you like? What do you think of the Mini LifeBox? Are you subscribed to any subscription boxes? 

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Halloween Treats Ft. Indigo Herbs

I've reviewed a few products from Indigo Herbs on this blog and also on my vegetarian food blog over the past year or so and I've loved everything. I'm really grateful to be able to try these products, some of which are amazing and I probably wouldn't have tried them if I didn't blog. I was very kindly sent some of the Indigo Herbs Halloween themed products (Halloween is my favourite season so I'm super excited about these products, you'll see why if you read on!).

First up, my favourite product of the three, the *Indigo Herbs Organic Raw Pumpkin Seed Butter (£5.99, 250g) which is perfect for the autumn aka. pumpkin everything season. I love munching on seeds and they are great to add to salads and within homemade granola, flapjacks and crumbles; however the only nut/seed 'butter' I've tried is peanut butter so I was intrigued by this pumpkin seed butter. To fit with the halloween theme, the butter is green! It has a rich, nutty/seed and almost smoky flavour which I love! I've been using a small amount (a little goes a long way) on seeded crackers and almost as an icing on cinnamon muffins. The only thing I'm not crazy about is the texture, it's quite runny in the tub but when you eat it, it has quite a thick sticky consistency but for the price I think it is well worth a try! Overall rating: ★★★★☆, 4/5.

Next up, the *Indigo Herbs Cat's Claw Powder (£7.99, 100g). No cats were harmed in the making of this powder, although it's very witch like isn't it? I can imagine the experimenters at Indigo Herbs are looming over a beaker adding powders of various animals and plants into it and crackling...Can you tell I've had too much coffee and it doesn't help that I'm really excited about Halloween!

Anyway Cat's Claw is actually a vine that grows up to 30 metres in height in the rainforest of Peru. The bark of the vine is ground into a fine powder and that's what Cat's Claw Powder is. It can be added to juice or smoothies, I've been adding it to the latter. It doesn't have much flavour, it just adds a little earthy flavour if that makes sense - maybe I'm not using enough in my smoothies. It has anti-inflammatory properties which may help if you swollen joints etc but I think you may need to use quite a bit to have a noticeable effect. Overall rating: ★★★★☆, 4/5.

I'm loving all of these product names, first we have pumpkin butter, then Cat's Claw powder and now the *Indigo Herbs Devil's Claw Tea (£3.99, 50g). I love tea, well not traditional English tea but herbal, mint and green tea so I was excited to give this a go, especially with a name like Devil's Claw Tea! The tea is composed of the dried root of a desert plant from Namibia and has been used by the San Bushman for centuries; as with the Cat's Claw Powder it is great for those with joint pain.

Unlike all of the other tea varieties I have, with this one you boil a couple of teaspoons of the tea in 300ml of water on the stove and then strain into a mug. I didn't read this part when I first used it, I just used my loose tea infuser and it made such a strong mug of tea - it was really intense and bitter so definitely follow the instructions! I'm not crazy about this tea sadly but I still think it's worth a try. Overall rating: ★★★☆☆, 3/5.

Have you tried anything from Indigo Herbs? What do you think of these Halloween themed products? Are you excited for Halloween?

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Indigo Herbs Super Cleanse Tea

I've tried a few products from Indigo Herbs and I've been really happy with everything I've kindly been sent, especially the amazing Raw Vegan Chocolate Kit which I cannot recommend enough! I'm always interested in trying new/different products and when this tea arrived, I was excited to give it a go.

I'm trying to switch back to a more vegan diet and to reduce the amount of caffeine I drink so herbal teas are an essential for me. I have the *Indigo Herbs Super Cleanse Tea (£3.99, 50g) which contains fennel seed, liquorice root, nettle leaf, dandelion leaf, red clover leaf and ginger power. It is suitable for vegans, it contains 100% pure ingredients and it is a loose tea.

I use my adorable squirrel tea infuser with my loose tea; I love this herbal tea! Sometimes herbal tea can be really bitter but this one isn't and I adore it. I do get an after taste of aniseed/liquorice which I personally like but I don't think it will be for everyone but it does add a earthy warm to the tea. It's comforting, warming and soothing but there's no caffeine as there are no actual tea leaves in it. I cannot recommend it enough! Overall rating: ★★★★★, 5/5.

Have you tried anything from Indigo Herbs/Indigo Nutrition? Do you drink tea, if so what's your favourite flavour? 

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The Best Smoothie Ever ft. Indigo Herbs

I love smoothies but the one thing that puts me off is that most smoothies made at home can be gritty and bitty but since buying my Nutribullet last year I have been drinking them much more! I cannot recommend the NutriBullet enough, I use it so much especially for vegan meals, smoothies and soup.

Over the past couple of months I have only been making one smoothie as I can't get enough of it, it's so yummy, simple and very healthy! There are only four ingredients and it takes about two minutes or so to make!

- One mango
- Half a tub of raspberries (approx. 75g)
- 150-200ml of orange juice
- One teaspoon of Indigo Herbs Protein Powder

I start by chopping the mango into small pieces and place in the NutriBullet with the raspberries. The amount of orange juice depends on how thick you want the smoothie to be. I usually use about 200ml for a large smoothie - as you can see from the large NutriBullet container, it's almost full! I blend everything for about 20 seconds then I add in one teaspoon or just less of the *Indigo Herbs Superprotein Powder (£5.99, 100g) which is a vegan protein blend of organic chia seed powder. It has a nutty, slightly chocolate scent to me *maybe that is just me* but it's fantastic in smoothies to add a hint of flavour but mostly a boost of vitamins and protein.

I love this smoothie as it is smooth, unlike most homemade smoothies, thanks to the amazing Nutribullet; also I love the mango and raspberries as it makes it sour and yummy rather than overly sweet. It's a filling and super healthy smoothie, especially with the addition of the vegan protein powder.

Have you tried anything from Indigo Herbs? What are your favourite smoothie recipes?

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