Crispy Curry Roasted Chickpeas

When that mid-afternoon craving for a savoury snack hits, these crispy curry-roasted chickpeas are the perfect solution. High in protein, fibre, iron and zinc, and low saturated fat and calories, they're a healthy snack with a delicious bold curry flavour and beautifully crispy shells. They only stay crispy for a few hours though, so serve them up straight away if you want them crispy. I personally like them for the next few days after they take on a more chewy texture. Have them on their own as a savoury snack, or scattered over a salad. And you can explore with the flavours - I have seen (but yet to try) maple and sesame, smoky paprika, and salt & vinegar - try some different flavour combinations and let me know which work best! 

Vegan Crispy Curry Roasted Chickpeas

Ingredients (serves 6):

• 1 x 400g can of chickpeas

• 1 Tbsp olive oil

• 1 tsp curry powder

• 1/4 tsp garlic powder

• 1/2 tsp cumin

• Pinch of salt

Method:

Preheat the oven to 190C. Drain and rinse the chickpeas, then take extra care to dry them using a couple of sheets of kitchen roll or a clean tea towel. The drier you can get them, the crispier they will get. Then toss in the oil and spices, spread out on a baking tray, and roast for up to 40 minutes, shaking the tray half way through cooking. 

Nutrition (per serving):

• Protein: 2g (Women: 4.0% / Men: 3.6%)

• Iron: 0.6mg (Women: 4.1% / Men: 5.3%)

• Calories: 68 (Women: 3.4% / Men: 2.7%)

• Sugar: 1.7g (Women: 1.9% / Men: 1.4%)

• Total Fats: 2.7g (Women: 3.9% / Men: 3.0%)

• Saturated Fats: 0.4g (Women: 2.0% / Men: 1.3%)

• Salt: 0.4g (Women: 6.7% / Men: 6.7%)

• Fibre: 1.8g (Women: 6.0% / Men: 6.0%)

See the Nutrition Info page for more details on % of Dietary Reference Values for men and women.

Orange, Date, and Dark Chocolate Florentines

These vegan Florentines really are fantastic. They become beautifully golden and crispy around the edges, with a lovely chewy texture in the middle. They're enough to satisfy your afternoon sugar cravings, but with only 78 calories per Florentine, plus providing a little protein and iron hit, you don't need to feel at all guilty. They're also really easy to make, but look quite impressive - the sort of thing you might see in the window of a patisserie. So, they'd make a great handmade gift this Christmas (they keep for 7-10 days in a jar).

I cooked these in a muffin tin, which makes for small discs that are quite nice and uniform. If you prefer a more rustic look, you can simply dollop the mixture onto a baking tray lined with baking paper - they will flatten and spread out as they cook so leave lots of space between them. They will come out thinner (depending how finely you chop the ingredients) so you may need to reduce the baking time by a couple of minutes.

It's great fun to experiment with ingredients with these - try any other dried fruit such as cranberries or apricots, and adding spices like cinnamon makes them feel extra festive. Let me know if you have any great flavour combinations that I should try!

Vegan Orange, Date, and Dark Chocolate Florentines

Ingredients (makes 12):

• 3 Tbsp flaked almonds

• 3 Tbsp pitted dates

• Zest of half an orange (unwaxed)

• 3 Tbsp vegan butter

• 3 Tbsp brown sugar

• 3 Tbsp maple syrup

• 2 Tbsp wholemeal flour

• 50g Dark chocolate

Method:

Preheat your oven to 180C (350F). Tip your almonds into a small frying pan and dry-fry for a few minutes, stirring / shaking the pan frequently, until they have browned and become aromatic, then set aside. Next, zest your orange and chop the dates into very small pieces. In a pan, melt the vegan butter, then add the sugar and maple syrup to dissolve. Then, stir in the flour, using a fork to fully incorporate. Add the zest, dates, and toasted almonds to the pan and mix thoroughly. Grease a 12-cup muffin tin with a little vegan butter, then divide the mixture into each of the cups. Use your fingers to press the mixture flat into each cup. Then bake in the oven for about 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are golden and crispy. Cool the florentines for 20 minutes (they will be soft at first but will harden as they cool). Use a teaspoon to scoop / pop them out of the tin. Melt the dark chocolate in a bowl over a pan of hot water (when melting chocolate, always bear in mind that chocolate doesn't need much heat - remember it can easily melt in your pocket! Too much heat and the chocolate will split). Then spoon the dark chocolate over the back of the Florentines, and pop in the fridge to set.

Nutrition per Florentine:

• Protein: 1.1g(Women: 2.2% / Men: 2.0%)

• Iron: 0.7mg(Women: 4.7% / Men: 6.2%)

• Calories: 78(Women: 3.9% / Men: 3.1%)

• Sugar: 6.5g(Women: 7.2% / Men: 5.4%)

• Total Fats: 4.4g(Women: 6.3% / Men: 4.6%)

• Saturated Fat: 1.4g(Women: 7.0% / Men: 4.7%)

• Salt: <0.1g(Women: <0.1% / Men: <0.1%)

• Fibre: 1.0g(Women: 3.3% / Men: 3.3%)

See the Nutrition Info page for more details on % of Dietary Reference Values for men and women.

Crispy garlic-roasted sprouts

When roasted in a little olive oil, fresh garlic, and some seasoning, sprouts take on a sweet garlicky taste and become tender, with delicious crispy bits on the outside. They're nothing like the typical bitter boiled sprouts you would secretly feed the dog under the table at Christmas! 

Cook up a big tray of these to snack on straight out of the fridge during the week, or serve as a side along with almost any main course. If you have any leftovers, they make a great addition to bubble and squeak, or chopped into a potato hash recipe. 

Brussels sprouts are a great source of vitamins K and C, whilst also providing a significant source of protein, iron and fibre. 

Vegan Crispy Garlic-Roasted Sprouts

Ingredients:

• 400g Brussels sprouts

• 2 Tbsp olive oil

• 3 cloves garlic, crushed

• 1/2 tsp Salt (iodised preferably) and pinch of pepper

Method:

Preheat your oven to 200C (400F). Meanwhile, peel any yellow or old layers off your sprouts, cut the ends off, and cut in half. Rinse well then pat dry with kitchen roll as excess moisture will prevent them crisping up. Combine with olive oil and seasoning, then spread on a baking tray in a single layer (use two trays if too many) and pop in the oven. After 10 mins, take out, and toss the sprouts with the garlic, then return to oven for another 10-15 minutes, or until golden, crispy, and tender. 

Nutrition (per 10 sprouts):

• Protein: 3.4g (Women - 6.8% / Men - 6.2%)

• Iron: 1.4mg (Women - 9.5% / Men - 12.4%)

• Calories: 99 (Women - 5.0% / Men - 4.0%)

• Sugars: 1.7g (Women - 1.9% / Men - 1.4%)

• Total Fat: 7.3g (Women - 10.4% / Men - 7.7%)

• Saturated Fat: 1.1g (Women - 5.5% / Men - 3.7%)

• Salt: 0.8g (Women - 13.3% / Men - 13.3%)

• Fibre: 2.7g (Women - 9.0% / Men 9.0%)

See the Nutrition Info page for more details on % of Dietary Reference Values for men and women.

Vegan Double Chocolate Cookies

There really feels like there should be a catch with these cookies, but there isn't one! They are:

• Great tasting (deep, rich chocolate flavour, not too sweet)

• Perfect gym fuel (either pre- or post-workout)

• Pretty healthy (in moderation, as with everything!)

Vegan Double Chocolate Cookies

Ingredients (makes 6 large cookies):

• 70g margarine

• 50g light brown sugar

• 1 Tbsp golden syrup

• 1 flax egg

• 50g wholemeal flour

• 80g oats

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 1 Tbsp cocoa powder

• 50g dark chocolate, buttons or chopped into pieces

Method:

Heat your oven to 180C and prepare your flax egg (simply mix 1 Tbsp ground flax seeds with 3 Tbsp water and leave to stand for 10 minutes). Mix the margarine and sugar until soft, then beat in the syrup and the flax egg. 

In a separate bowl, mix the remaining ingredients before adding to the butter mixture. Shape mixture into cookie shapes onto a lightly greased baking tray, and bake for 10-12 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool (they will be slightly soft at first but will firm up as they cool). 

Nutrition (per cookie):

• Protein: 4.1g (Women - 8.2% / Men - 7.5%)

• Iron: 2.2mg (Women - 14.9% / Men - 19.5%)

• Calories: 239 (Women - 12% / Men - 9.6%)

• Sugar: 12.3g(Women - 13.7% / Men - 10.3%)

• Total fat: 12.2g (Women - 17.4% / Men - 12.8%)

• Saturated fat: 3.5g (Women - 17.5% / Men - 11.7%)

• Fibre: 3.8g (Women - 12.7% / Men - 12.7%)

See the Nutrition Info page for more details on % of Dietary Reference Values for men and women.