It’s Healthy Eating Week, the British Nutrition Foundation’s annual campaign to encourage people to make positive changes in their lifestyle. No, that doesn’t mean that you don’t have to eat a healthy diet just once a year – the foundation sets itself a new health goal every day that we can all strive for.
This year they will focus on eating more whole grains, varying your vegetables, drinking plenty of water, getting more exercise, being kind to your mind, getting active, and eating healthy together. To help everyone, from the budding home cook to the novice cook, get the most out of this important movement, Oddbox has developed four summery, plant-based and vegetarian recipes.
Eating healthy and sustainable should be a joy, not a chore. Therefore, they urge people to prepare these recipes with salvaged products that are fresh from the grower, tasty and also environmentally friendly.
Impact on the environment is just as important as calorie count – 3.6 million tonnes of food are wasted in the UK every year before they leave the farm because it is considered “too big”, “too ugly” or “too much” – any recipe so contains how much energy and liters of water you could save by using salvaged vegetables.
Scroll down and cook!
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Miso-roasted broccoli and tofu Buddha bowl with sesame dressing
(Oddbox)
This delicious Buddha Bowl recipe is perfect for a quick lunch or dinner – and on the table in less than 30 minutes. Broccoli roasted in umami-wrapped miso paste, sticky tofu on nutty rice, rounded off with a creamy sesame dressing. Eaten hot or cold, this recipe is also great for making meals as it will keep in the refrigerator for a few days. You can swap the broccoli for vegetables you like; roasted butternut squash or sweet sticky eggplant – whatever you want.
Makes: 2-3 servings
Preparation time: 10 minutes | cooking time: 20 minutes
A hit: Saving this broccoli would save 520 grams of carbon emissions and 34.8 liters of water waste.
ingredients
400 g broccoli (stems and florets)
2 cloves of garlic
½ tbsp miso paste
1 teaspoon chopped ginger
2 tbsp soy sauce
Pinch of chilli flakes
1 block of firm tofu, drained
2 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp light soy so
2 tbsp maple syrup
Sesame seeds
½ teaspoon miso paste
2 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp tahini
1 tbsp maple syrup
50ml water
300g cooked brown rice (quinoa or barley also work!)
Fresh coriander
method
1. Preheat the oven to 180 ° C. Drain the tofu and cut into small pieces. Place the tofu, soy sauce, maple syrup, and sesame seeds in a separate bowl. Mix and spread on a baking sheet and bake in the oven for 20 minutes until golden brown.
2. Prepare your broccoli by cutting the florets and stems into small bite-sized pieces.
3. In a bowl, add the miso paste, soy sauce, garlic, ginger and a pinch of chilli flakes. Mix the marinade and add your broccoli. Pour onto a baking sheet and bake in the oven for 15 minutes.
4. In a bowl, whisk together the tahini, rice vinegar, maple syrup and miso. Add some water to dissolve.
5. Time to build! Add your cooked grains for your base, garnished with the delicious toasted broccoli, sticky tofu, and fresh cilantro. Drizzle generously over the creamy sesame dressing.
Eggplant ragout noodles
(Oddbox)
A quick pasta recipe with simple ingredients that’s packed with flavors! The eggplant is chopped very finely and becomes nice and creamy when cooked. The roasted pine nuts give the dish a nice nuttiness.
Makes: 2 servings
Preparation time: 5 minutes | cooking time: 20 minutes
A hit: Saving these eggplants would save 1.1 kg of carbon emissions and 15.6 liters of water waste.
ingredients
1 eggplant
1 red onion
2 cloves of garlic
1 can of chopped tomatoes (400g)
1 tbsp oregano
250g Conchiglioni pasta
2 tbsp pine nuts
Parmesan / vegan parmesan, grated
olive oil
salt and pepper
method
1. Prepare your ingredients: cut the eggplant into small cubes of 1 cm. Chop the onion and garlic. Roast the pine nuts in a hot, dry pan for 2-3 minutes until they are light golden brown.
2. Cook the eggplant ragout: Fry the red onion, garlic, oregano in a little olive oil in a saucepan over low to medium heat for about 3-4 minutes. Season with a little salt and pepper. Add the eggplant and cook until tender for 5-6 minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes and a glass of water. Bring to the boil and simmer over low heat for about 15 minutes.
3. Cook the pasta: In the meantime, cook the Conchiglioni pasta in boiling salted water until al dente, collecting some of the cooking water.
4. Serve the pasta dish: season the aubergine ragout to taste and add the cooked conchiglioni. Stir well and serve hot with grated parmesan / vegan parmesan and roasted pine nuts.
Smoky zucchini tacos
(Oddbox)
Smoky blackened zucchini in homemade corn tacos with spiced black beans & coriander and lime mayonnaise – what’s not to love? In this recipe, you’ll make your own tortillas – you can use store-bought ones or use plain flour if you can’t get a masa harina, but the texture will be different. If you don’t have a taco press, you can use a rolling pin or something heavy like a pan – don’t worry, we can improvise! Zucchini are perfect for this recipe because they hold their shape, are meaty, and hold on to flavor well; besides, they are so delicious.
Makes: 6 tacos
Preparation time: 35 minutes | cooking time: 20 minutes
A hit: Saving this zucchini would save 300 grams of carbon emissions and 12.5 liters of water waste.
ingredients
For the tortillas:
150g Masa Harina (or 4 pieces)
150ml warm water
pinch of salt
Taco filling:
2 zucchini cut into ½ cm thick slices
1 can of black beans
1½ tsp chipotle paste
1 teaspoon cumin
2 teaspoons of smoked paprika
1 teaspoon smoked chilli flakes (ancho or chipotle)
2 tbsp olive oil
salt
For the coriander and lime mayonnaise:
35g coriander leaves and stalks (these stalks have so much flavor! Don’t worry if your herbs don’t look great, they’ll be pepped up anyway)
Juice of 1 lime
salt
¼ teaspoon smoky chilli flakes like ancho or chipotle
1 large tablespoon of mayonnaise
2 tbsp olive oil
For the pink pickled onions (optional)
1 red onion, thinly sliced
50 ml vinegar (preferably white wine or apple cider)
Pinch of chilli flakes (omit if you don’t like too much seasoning)
pinch of salt
method
1. For the tortillas, mix the flour and salt in a large bowl. Add half the water and mix until it looks like breadcrumbs. Then start adding the rest of the water little by little while mixing regularly until you can use your hands to knead. If your dough is too sticky, add some more flour.
2. Knead your tortilla batter for 5 minutes; it won’t be very long. Divide into balls the size of a golf ball and smooth in circular movements with the palm of your hand.
3. If you don’t have a tortilla press, you’ll need 2 squares of parchment paper and a heavy-bottomed pan or bowl. Place the batter between the two sheets and press down with your heavy pan. It may take a few passes, but you want it to be about 3-4 inches wide and about 3mm thick. Do not worry; it doesn’t have to be perfect circles!
4. To cook the tortillas, use a cast iron skillet or griddle and heat over medium to high heat. Cook for 1-2 minutes on each side or until brown spots appear. Wrap in a tea towel to keep warm and place in a warm oven.
5. Optional: For your quick pink pickled onions, thinly slice your red onion, place it in a small bowl, and add your vinegar, a pinch of chilli flakes, and a pinch of salt. Put aside.
6. Now make your mayonnaise. Using a hand blender, combine all of your cilantro (stem and everything!) With lime juice, a tablespoon of olive oil and mix until all of the herbs are crushed. Season with a little salt, chilli flakes and a large tablespoon of mayonnaise. Mix until combined. This is your coriander and lime mayonnaise
7. Now prepare your filling. Cut the zucchini into ½ cm round pieces and place in a bowl with the smoked paprika, cumin, smoky chilli, a pinch of salt and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Toss until it is evenly coated.
8. Boil the black beans with the chipotle paste in a separate pan and season to taste. Don’t worry if they get a little mixed up.
9. In a very hot pan or pan, fry the zucchini rounds in a little oil until they are caramelized and have turned a nice color. The spices will help with the color, but flip them over until both sides are cooked evenly. These are your blackened zucchini. You may need to make them in batches and place them on a paper towel to soak up any excess oil.
10. Now is the time to build your tacos! Starting with your smoky black beans, add your zucchini and drizzle your mayonnaise on top.
11. Optional: Finish with pickled pink onions, a little coriander and fresh lime.
Clementine bars
(Oddbox)
Use both clementine peel and juice in this bar recipe. The creamy clementine filling is layered on top of the almond crust and baked until it is firm.
Makes: 12 bar
Preparation time: 30 minutes | cooking time: 40 minutes
A hit: Saving these clementines would save 210 grams of carbon emissions and 43.8 liters of water waste.
ingredients
For the base:
70g ground almonds
100g plain flour
3.5 tbsp coconut oil, melted
2 tbsp maple syrup
For the filling:
50g coconut oil
100g honey
5 eggs
4 clementines, zest and juice
For covering:
1 tbsp desiccated coconut
1 tbsp powdered sugar
method
1. Prepare your casserole dish: Preheat the oven to 180 ° C / 160 convection / 4 gas setting. Line a square baking dish with parchment paper. Make sure to let the paper hang over the pages so that it can be easily removed.
2. Make the crust: put the flour, ground almonds, melted coconut oil and maple syrup in a mixing bowl. Mix well until you get a soft batter. Press the batter into the bottom of your baking dish. Bake for 15 minutes until golden brown. Take out of the oven (leave the oven on) and let it cool down.
3. Prepare the clementine filling: melt the coconut oil and honey together. Set aside to cool. Use an electric mixer to beat the eggs for 5 minutes, until they are whiter and fluffier. Keep stirring and gradually add the coconut oil and honey mixture. Mix until everything is mixed well. Carefully fold in the clementine juice and peel with a spatula. Set aside for 5 minutes.
4. Cook the bars: Pour the clementine filling into the baking dish on the cooled base. Bake for 15-25 minutes, until they are firm around the edges and hardly wobble in the middle. Take out of the oven and let cool completely before removing it from the mold.
5. Make the coconut topping: add the grated coconut and powdered sugar in a mortar. Mix until well mixed and sprinkle on top of the clementine bars.
You can find more delicious, healthy and eco-friendly recipes on the Oddbox blog
