It’s finally the end of January and we find ourselves in the season of love, with 29 days to pack full of delicious meals, why not try incorporating some of the best seasonal February ingredients? Potatoes, asparagus, broccoli and cauliflower are all fresh this month as well as carrots, rutabaga and radishes.
Green-supreme potato salad
This is luxury and health piled into a bowl, the greenery from the avocado, asparagus and spring onions makes it vibrant and the potatoes bring that comfort food vibe. This is perfect on its own as a light meal but also goes well with salmon, chicken or tofu. This meal is also 100% vegan.
Ingredients – Serves 2-3
- 1kg potatoes, skin on and diced into 1-2cm cubes
- 1 bunch asparagus, tough ends removed
- 1 small bunch spring onions, finely sliced
- Salt and pepper
- 3tsp olive oil
- 150g avocado flesh
- 4tsp lemon juice
- 2tbsp fresh dill
Optional extras – chilli flakes if you fancy a bit of spice.
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 220c/425f.
- Spread potatoes in an even layer on a baking tray and drizzle with half the olive oil and season with salt and pepper and chilli flakes if using.
- Put the asparagus on a separate tray and drizzle with the rest of the olive oil and season to taste.
- Roast the potatoes for 35 minutes, turning halfway. When there is 15 mins left on the cooking time, add the asparagus to the oven and roast for the remaining 15 mins.
- Transfer the potatoes and asparagus to a bowl and add the spring onions (reserving a small amount for serving)
- To make the dressing, blitz the avocado, dill and lemon juice in a blender and then season to taste.
- Toss the roasted veg in the dressing while they’re still warm and sprinkle the remaining spring onion on top.
- Serve as a side or a light meal and enjoy!
Carrot and Coriander Falafels.
These little nuggets of flavour are really versatile, they are once again vegan and can be used in a wrap, in a salad or simply dipped into your choice of condiment for a snack.
Ingredients: Serves 3-4
- 1 carrot, peeled and grated
- 1 onion, peeled and finely diced
- Ground cumin
- 1 tin chickpeas
- 1 handful of fresh parsley
- 1 handful fresh coriander
- 1 tbsp plain flour
- 1tbs oil
Method:
- Heat the oil in a pad and Sautee the inion and carrot for a few minutes until softened.
- Add the dried cumin, I use around 1tbsp but measure with your heart, stir and keep sautéing for another minute or two.
- Tip the onion and carrot mixture into a mixing bowl and add the chickpeas, finely chop the fresh herbs and add them to the bowl with a good pinch of salt and pepper.
- Mash everything together with a fork or your hands until everything is all combined and you can shape it into balls.
- Dust your hands in flour and shape the mix into 12 balls (add a tsp of water if it’s too dry)
- Fry them in the pan with a drizzle of oil until golden both sides.
- These are now ready to eat as they are or pop them into a wrap with salad and hummus and some sweet chilli sauce for a delicious lunch.
Warming carrot cake porridge
Dessert and breakfast all in one! What could be better? These oats have all the flavour of a traditional carrot cake and will really fill you up, warm you up and get you ready for the day.
Ingredients – Serves 2-3
- 200g porridge oats
- 1 large carrot, peeled and grated
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 75g raisins/sultanas
- 1tsp Grated or dried ground nutmeg
- 900ml milk (plant or dairy)
- Optional – honey, nut butter, grated apple to serve.
Method:
- Put everything apart from the optional extras in a large pan and cook gently for 15 minutes or until the oats and carrots soften and everything thickens, stirring frequently.
- When it is your preferred consistency, serve in bowls and top with honey, nut butter or grated apple and brown sugar. Eat while it’s warm and enjoy!
All the recipes from this blog are vegan but you can tailor them to suit your family. February has some great seasonal fruit and veg to make the most of. Eating a rainbow of what’s in season is a great way to keep healthy and feeling fine throughout the month.
