Modified Kale Pasta Eats

Firstly, Hello to anyone coming over from the link on For those of you who don't know what Operation Beautiful is, please visit the site. The primary aim is to tackle 'Fat Talk' by sharing positive notes in public spaces. It goes further than this though, and in my opinion, empowers all through the acceptance that appearance is subjective, and we are all beautiful.

Now, onto the eats!

Since first trying 'Matthew's Spicy Tomato Peanut and Kale Pasta' recipe from The Dolce Vegan, I've eaten it regularly, possibly around once a week. This is for three reasons

1) Its a very good way of eating my greens that even my Husband likes
2) I'm overwhelmed with Kale, grown in a container in my front garden
3) It's very, very tasty!

However, the original recipe calls for tomato juice, which we don't often have in the house. The recipe calls for a can of tomato juice, of a size I've never seen in the UK. This meant buying a carton and freezing the left overs, which never works.

Necessity being the mother of invention, I've tweaked the recipe a lot to make it more of a 'store cupboard + Kale' type of thing.

Adapted Kale & Tomato Pasta - Serve 2


Pasta for Two (150g)
Bunch of Kale, Chopped (About 2 big handfuls)
Can of Chopped Tomatoes
1 Tbs Tomato Purée

2 Tbs Peanut Butter
1/2 Tsp Garlic Purée
1/2 Tsp Hot Pepper Sauce (Tabasco is fine)

1) Cook the pasta
2) While the pasta is cooking, put the chopped kale, tomatoes and purée in a small pan. Bring almost to a boil, reduce heat and simmer gently for 8 minutes
3) After 8 mins, add the peanut butter, garlic and hot pepper sauce, stir
4) Leave another 2 mins, drain the pasta and mix it into the tomato mixture

Finn!

Don't be tempted to skip the tomato purée, this really thickens up the sauce and gives it a tomato tang which is otherwise missing.

Dragon Bowl & Natural Balance Foods Box

I’m feeling a little lazy today, so you are only getting a very quick post.

Got home today to a wonderful box full of foods from the good people at Natural Balance Foods ltd. They kindly sent this to me free of charge after I mentioned on their Facebook page that I had been hunting high and low for their new flapjacks. How awesome is that?

Anyway, they have updated their website today… funky flash on the front page and everything.

From Ready, Veggie, Cook

The box contains;

Trek Protein Flapjacks
Oat Crunch
Cherry Crunch

Raisins
Orange infused raisins
Pineapple infused raisins
Cherry infused raisins
Lemon raisins

Nākd bars - 100% natural wholefood bar
Apple Pie - 30g and 68g
Cocoa Loco - 30g and 68g
Berry Cheeky - 68g and 30g
Banana Bread - 30g

JC’s TREK™ Wholefood Energy Bar (68g)
Peanut and Oat
Cocoa Brownie
Mixed Berry

Anyway, I will be reviewing a product each night, so if you like tasty, healthy snacks which also happen to be vegan/vegetarian suitable, keep um peeled!

Anyway, onto what I’ve yomped today ;-)

Dinner this evening was lovely!
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Dragon Bowl - Serves 2

From Ready, Veggie, Cook

Main Bowl
190g Brown Rice
Kale - Few large handfuls
Carrots - 1 or 2
Tofu (about half a pack)
Spring Onions

Sauce
2 Tbs Soy Sauce
1 Tbs Sherry
2 gloves garlic (sliced)
1 tsp Tabasco or other chilli sauce
1 tsp cornflour
Pinch ginger

Put the brown rice in rice cooker, or saucepan… you know, whatever baby. Add twice the volume in water.

Cook

While it’s cooking, chop the kale, dice the tofu, grate the carrot, slice a couple of spring onions

When rice is cooked, Throw kale, carrots, tofu and spring onions top of rice to heat up a bit (5 mins or so)

Mix all the sauce ingredients together in order in a small sauce pan. Bring to light simmer, simmer gently for about 3 mins. Tip onto the rice, and mix together.

Yum! I’ve give it 4 carrots out of 5.