Words Lina Bou

Lina Bou, a nutritional therapist and blogger, believes cooking shouldn’t just be about eating the right foods. It’s also about being inventive, having fun and enjoying a healthy relationship with what you eat. It’s these principles that underpin her latest collection of recipes, The Good Food Good Mood Cookbook, which features a bunch of beautiful, easy, healthy vegetarian meals that are suitable for everyone. There are plenty that are also free from gluten, dairy and sugar, and all recipes feature a health-benefit key. Why not give these three plant-based meals a go first?

Buckwheat tabbouleh, green kale & blueberries

Serves 2-3

Ingredients

Salad: 1 tbsp extra virgin coconut oil
• 100g buckwheat groats
• pinch of salt
• 300ml water
• 100g green kale, cut into small pieces
• 1 avocado
• 100g blueberries
• 4 sticks of celery, thinly sliced
• 25g white sesame seeds

Sauce: 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 1 tsp almond butter
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Heat the coconut oil in a saucepan, then add the buckwheat and salt and cook, stirring continuously, until the buckwheat turns golden.    Add the water and bring to the boil, then simmer for 10-15 minutes, until the buckwheat is cooked to your liking (I like it a little al dente).  Meanwhile, in a large bowl, prepare the sauce by simply combining the ingredients. Add the kale and, using your hands, toss it in the sauce so it’s well coated.  Cut the flesh of the avocado into cubes and add to the bowl, together with the blueberries, celery and buckwheat. Sprinkle the sesame seeds on top. Ready!

Veggie Pizza

Serves 2-4

Ingredients

Dough: 90g extra virgin olive oil
• 120g buckwheat flour
• 120g corn flour
• 360g rice flour
• 300ml hot water
•  3⁄4 tsp salt
• any herbs and spices of your choice

Tomato Sauce: 60g tomato purée
• 1 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh oregano, chopped
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

Topping: 1 red pepper, deseeded and chopped

• 1⁄2 leek, thinly sliced
• 1⁄2 aubergine, chopped •
1⁄2 courgette, chopped
• 25g pitted black olives, halved
• 70g feta cheese, cut into cubes

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400°F.  First, prepare the dough. In a bowl, combine the oil and 60g of the buckwheat flour, then the remaining flour and the hot water. Add the salt and any herbs and spices to the dough. Knead the dough, and then form it into a pizza shape and transfer to a baking sheet. Use your hands to press out the dough and form an edge around the outside. Bake for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare the tomato sauce. Put the tomato purée, herbs and seasoning into a small saucepan over a low heat and bring to the boil, stirring continuously. Spread over the baked pizza dough, then top with the vegetables, olives and feta cheese.  Bake in the middle of the oven for 35 minutes.

Gluten-free Veggie Quiche

Serves 3-4

Ingredients

Crust: 90g quinoa flour
• 90g rice flour
• 90ml extra virgin olive oil
• 1 egg yolk (vegan option: 1 tbsp baking soda mixed with 1 tbsp white vinegar)
• 2 tbsp water

Filling: 2 eggs (vegan option: 2 tbsp flaxseeds, 6 tbsp water, 1 tbsp tahini or almond butter, 1 tbsp fibre husk, well mixed)
• 200g oat milk
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 small courgette, cut into semi-circles
• 1⁄2 broccoli head, cut into small florets
• 1 red pepper, deseeded and chopped
• 1⁄2 leek, thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp fresh herbs, chopped (oregano, basil, thyme, rosemary – use any combination you like)
• 30g (1oz) pitted black olives, halves
• 70g (2 1⁄4oz) feta cheese, cut into cubes or crumbled in your hands (optional)

Directions

You will need a tart tin 22cm in diameter and 2.5cm deep. Start by preparing the crust. Mix the flours together in a bowl, and then stir in the wet ingredients until well combined. Use your hands to press the dough into the tart tin, and then place in the fridge to cool for 2-4 hours.
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Put the eggs, milk and seasoning in a jug and whisk to combine.  Remove the tart tin from the fridge and put it in the oven for 10 minutes to blind bake the crust. Take the crust out of the oven and add the vegetables, herbs, olives and feta cheese (reserve a handful to sprinkle on the top). Pour in the egg mixture, covering the other ingredients, and then sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.
Bake in the middle of the oven for 50-60 minutes until set.

The Good Food Good Mood Cookbook by Lina Bou, £13.99;

Eddison Books