Last weekend I had the joy of spending the weekend in Dorset. I was invited, along with 12 other fab bloggers, on a Dorset Foodies Trip, courtesy of holidaycottages.co.uk in one of their fabulous properties – Ranmoor. A weekend of food, sampling local produce, and tours of the local farms were on the cards. I couldn’t wait.

I headed down to Dorset with Chris from Thinly Spread, Kate from Veggie Desserts, and Helen from Fuss Free Flavours. It was good to break the ice with a journey before arriving at the house. We arrived at lunchtime to find we were some of the first ones there. Our hosts Emma and Sarah showed us to our rooms, and we dumped our bags and got onto exploring the house.

The house was vast, surrounded by open fields, geese and even alpacas! There was a pool, trampoline, snooker table, badminton and table tennis! I could tell we were going to have some fun here, and we hadn’t even looked in the fridge yet! Once the other guests arrived and we had all had a natter, we ventured onto our first food activity – vodka and cheese tasting! We were introduced to Black Cow Vodka, which is made from milk. It’s made by separating the milk, using the curd to make cheese, and the whey gets fermented into milk beer, which then gets triple filtered and distilled into some seriously smooth vodka. We sipped it neat and nibbled on the cheese. I have to be honest, the idea of milk vodka seemed a little odd at first, but it was delicious. We also got to test and indulge in Percy’s biscuits, Cerne Abbas Brewery Ales, Dorset Nectar cider (you HAVE to try their Elderflower cider!), Conker Gin (a copper pot distilled local Dorset gin).

On Friday evening, we were treated to a delicious 3 course meal courtesy of the Dorset Fine Dining Company. My vegetarian dishes were feta and fresh mint pastillas, Moroccan chickpea stew with Israeli cous cous, and a gorgeous mocha eclair. All washed down with some Furleigh Estate wine, with their grapes grown in Dorset. It was a treat to be waited on, and a chance to have a nice foodie chat.

I woke up early on the Saturday morning, I decided to make use of the hot tub, and whiled away an hour, watching the fog slowly rise off the land and the sun break through. Breakfast was a feast of eggs (cooked by the lovely Becca from Amuse Your Bouche), pastries and a gorgeous mug of Reads Coffee – which is hand roasted in the local area.

Soon we headed out to Goldhill Organic Farm, where we were given a tour of the farm, explaining the growing process and how they harvest rain water. Goldhill’s land is all Soil Association approved and has been for many years. We were then treated to a lunch of bean stew with flatbreads, salad from the farm, and of course, some Dorset Apple cake – made by the lovely Tea and Sympathy. It was lovely to see a group of people so passionate about their produce. They have just started offering veg boxes, juice boxes, and will soon be launching soup boxes. After lunch we headed back to the house, for a rest, and more food. Bethellbridge Bakery had put on a huge spread of afternoon tea, and somehow I found room to fit in some more food! After all that food, it was time to put our feet up, and a few of us sat on the ginormous sofa and watched the rugby, stretching out our stomachs.

We had a late dinner that night, Dorset Pies were kind and sent a shed load of pies for us to share. My favourite was the spicy bean pie. We even managed to squeeze in some decadent ice cream and sorbets from Purbeck Ice Cream, my favourite was their beetroot sorbet. We sat and laughed at the pure excess of the weekend, it was such a treat to be looked after so well, in such lovely surroundings.

All too soon it was Sunday, and time to pack our bags. I cooked up a big batch of veggie bubble and squeak with all the left overs, to fuel everyone for their journeys home. There were hugs all round and plans to meet up soon, before it was time to leave. Off we set down the road back home, when I realised (thanks Andrea!) that I had left my bag at the house! A quick turn around to grab it and it was back on the road.

We got to sample all sorts of treats over the weekend, and even take home a goodie bag stuffed full of treats. I never knew Dorset had so many fab local companies. I’ll be putting them on my foodie list, and if you are ever in the area, make sure you hunt down some of these delicious goods.

You can see what we all got up to on Instagram using #HCBloggerTrip

Some other treats from Thomas J Fudge’s, Olives et Al, Honey Buns Bakery, Dorset Tea, Chocolate Arthouse, Kevin Williamson Illustrator, The Purbeck Soap Company, Gold and Black Candles.

Here are some other posts related to this fab trip;

Dorset Food and Drink from Veggie Desserts

Holidaycottages.co.uk invited me on the complimentary Dorset food and drink weekend away. A blog post was not required and all opinions are entirely my own. I truly had a fantastic time! Big thanks to all the partners for their generous contributions.

The post Dorset Foodies Trip with holidaycottages.co.uk appeared first on Rough Measures.

Something about spring gets me all excited inside. Butterflies in my belly at the first signs of daffodils. Giddy when I see the new bunnies and lambs in the fields. Snowdrops twinkling along the canal brings a warmth to my heart. All these signs that we are getting out of our long, wet winter, and soon, we will be basking in the great British sunshine. Even the wild garlic is making an appearance.

This week, we had an unusually mild, spring evening. I was cycling home and heard a pop. I’d hit a sharp stone and my tyre had punctured. I was 3 miles from the boat and cursed myself for not having a spare. So I walked back, dragging the bike along, taking in the mild evening and the pink skies. I cycle this route every day, but my head is down and I’m focussed on the pedalling. Walking a route brings you the time to take in the surroundings and truly experience the nature and the joys of Spring.

Markets are now brimming with their spring produce, which gets me jumping for joy, especially when I see those juicy Sicilian Oranges (blood oranges to you and me). Bursting with juices and flavours, these beauties are packed full of Vitamin C, fibre and potassium, woop! Another of my favourite fruits to get me excited for summer is grapefruits. Growing up, I watched my mum eat her way through a lot of these sharp, strange fruits, vowing that I would never like them. Fast forward 10 years and I can’t get enough of them.

By the time I eventually got home on this mild evening, I was in need of something to drink, involving alcohol and to celebrate the appearance of Spring. A long day at work with an even longer commute makes for one thirsty Sus! I headed over to thebar.com to gather some inspiration. thebar.com is a fab website full of tasty cocktails and drinks, whether you like something simple and classy, or something with a bit of fizz, thebar.com has it all. You just type what ingredients or spirits you’ve got into the site, and they’ll find you a drink to match, perfect! There’s some amazing Easter themed ones on there, like this decadent Baileys Egg Nog and I especially like this Marmalade Collins. I mixed this Spring Sunshine Cocktail together and sat on the roof of the boat, enjoying the last few moments of daylight.

Spring Sunshine Cocktail (v) (gf)

Makes 2

INGREDIENTS:

25-50ml gin (I like Tanqueray)
Juice of 4 blood oranges
Juice of 2 pink grapefruits
A couple of sprigs of thyme
2-4 tablespoons coconut or maple sugar (to frost the glasses)

For the Thyme Syrup

250ml water
125g coconut sugar
1 bunch thyme

METHOD

The day before; In a pan, dissolve the sugar into the water. Bring it to a bubble and add the thyme. Leave it to steep overnight.

Strain the thyme mix through a sieve, into a jar and pop into the fridge. This will keep for a while.

Zest all the fruit, and add it to a bowl with some coconut sugar. Set to one side.

Slice all the fruit in half, and squeeze out the juice into a jug. I do this through a sieve to catch the seeds.

Get your cocktail glasses, dip the rips into water, and then dip them into the sugar/zest mix to garnish the rim.

Pour the gin into the glasses, then 25ml of the thyme syrup, followed by the fresh juice. Give it a good stir. Sit back, relax. Happy Spring.

This post was sponsored by thebar.com – Many thanks to them for their sponsorship which enables Rough Measures to keep going! All opinions are my own. Please drink responsibly.

How are you spending your Easter? Do let me know, you can keep find daily updates on my Facebook and Instagram!

Here’s some other fab cocktails from my foodie friends;

Smirnoff Marmalade Collins from Hedgecombers

English Garden Cocktail from The Veg Space

Tall Coconut Cocktail from Hungry Healthy Happy

Easy Bloody Mary from The Petite Cook

The post Spring Sunshine Cocktail appeared first on Rough Measures.

Hey there friends. How is it April already?! It’s been a while. I know things have been a little very quiet around here lately, so I’m sorry for that. I needed to take a little time out, a step back from the laptop, my camera and even cooking for a while.

The truth is, I just wasn’t feeling it. The flame inside me that is my passion for food just wasn’t burning very bright. In fact, I felt pretty burnt out. I can’t really put my finger on what it was, but I knew I didn’t want to force recipes, and force false words on this little space of mine. I just needed to step back for a bit and let my mind have a bit of a break. Trying to juggle work, blogging and social time has proven trickier than I thought (props to every single person who creates a blog or just generally excels at life!)

Last week I was feeling it a bit more, back in a creative mode, with a long weekend ahead I set about planning some cooking, some for here, and some just for the love of food, no pressure to plate it up nicely, take the perfect shot. Some food just purely for eating (imagine that!!)

A few weeks back we went to this incredible little deli-café place in Kendal called Baba Ganoush. A small little oasis of gorgeous salads, soups and cakes. Hungry after a morning of climbing, we hid from the torrential rain and grabbed ourselves a veggie box from the counter.

This beetroot and orange salad is a twist on something I tried there. Deep earthy tones from the beetroot are perfectly matched with some sweet, tangy oranges. Drizzled with this creamy mint dressing which I am loving so much right now, I want it on everything! Using cashew butter for the creaminess means added protein too. Win win!

Beetroot and Orange Salad with Creamy Mint Dressing

 

Print

Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

45 mins

Total time

1 hour 5 mins

 

A vibrant citrus dish with a delicious minty dressing. Vegan and Gluten Free - yay!

Rough Measures: Sus Davy

Recipe type: Main

Serves: 4 persons

Ingredients

• 3 – 5 large beetroots (peeled)
• 2 large oranges
• For the dressing
• 2 tablespoons cashew butter
• 50ml water
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• Juice ½ lemon
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• Handful fresh mint leaves
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup

Method

1. Preheat your oven to Gas 5 / 190 C
2. Chop the peeled beetroot into 1cm cubes.
3. Place on a baking tray with a drizzle of oil and roast for 35-45 mins, until soft. (they won’t go super soft, but retain a little bite which is what we want here)
4. Peel the oranges (I use a shard knife to do this as it helps remove extra pith). Chop the orange into cubes and then into a large mixing bowl.
5. Once the beetroot is done, add it into the bowl with the oranges. Give it a good mix.
6. To make the dressing – add all ingredients into a jug, use a stick blender to blend it up. Add a little more water if it’s too thick.
7. Serve on a plate and drizzle with dressing.

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The post Beetroot and Orange Salad with Creamy Mint Dressing appeared first on Rough Measures.

A quick post and this lovely turmeric hummus recipe for you lot today. We are having more and more issues with our internet, and it’s proving difficult for me to have access to upload my recipes online. Boat life is good, and it’s good to be away from the World Wide Web for a wee bit. So I’m sat here on my lunch-break getting this uploaded for you. I hope your week is filled with sunshine and good food!

Find more hummus recipes here

Like this recipe, you can find more over on Pinterest!

Turmeric Hummus

 

Print

Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

5 mins

Total time

10 mins

 

A fragrant version of an all time classic. Vegan and Gluten Free.

Rough Measures: Rough Measures

Ingredients

• 2 tins chickpeas (keep 2 tablespoons to one side)
• 1 tablespoon turmeric powder
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• juice of 2 lemons
• 7 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon ras el hanout (optional)

Method

1. Drain the chickpeas (see notes).
2. Add everything to a food processor and blend for 1-3 mins. Add more oil if needed.
3. I like to leave some whole chickpeas to the side to stir in after.

Notes

I like to keep hold of the chickpea liquid (aquafaba) and use it as an egg replacer in pancakes, waffles and baked treats! Keep it in a jar in the fridge and it will be good for 3 days.

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The post Turmeric Hummus appeared first on Rough Measures.

Hey friends! How’s things? I hope you all had a nice long May Bank holiday weekend? Whatch’all been up to? We’ve had a hectic couple of weeks, with only one day off in 14 *burys head in hands* and I feel like I’ve been buzzing about like all the spring bees, without much chance to catch a breath. But today was a bank holiday and I lapped up some fresh air in Bristol with my mum, saw some food demos as part of Bristol Food Connections and generally enjoyed being outside instead of behind a PC all day!

This weeks post is all about this AWESOME book from the ever so lovely Dannii of Hungry Healthy Happy. I ‘met’ Dannii via Facebook and she has been there for help and advice from day one. Dannii’s blog started as a quest to change her unhealthy diet due to health problems. She started cooking from scratch using fresh produce, exercising more and documenting it. Dannii lost almost 100 pounds (!!!) and has maintained a healthier lifestyle ever since. Her new book, Hungry Healthy Happy, is full of delicious healthier versions of some classic recipes. From pancakes, to apple nachos to ice lollies, this book has all events covered. Each recipe has the measurements in grams, ounces and cups – which I love because my scales aren’t always working! The book includes meat dishes, but there’s a great selection of vegan, vegetarian and gluten free dishes. Every recipe contains a break down of nutrients and there is a photo per recipe – something which seems to get missed in a lot of recipe books. A photo really does speak a thousand words!

I was sent Hungry Healthy Happy a few months back and have already made the avocado hummus, raw carrot cake bites, baked beans and gingernuts (see below!) Dannii’s recipes are easy to follow and use ingredients you can find at any basic supermarket. If you are looking for a new book to get you inspired then go out and buy it now.

I decided to make the Gingernut biscuits because a day without a biscuit is a sad day. They come together so quickly and are a great afternoon treat.

Gingernuts and Hungry Healthy Happy Book Review

 

Print

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

16 mins

Total time

26 mins

 

A Gingernut recipe with actual nuts. Packed full of heart-healthy fats and protein. Vegan and Gluten Free!

Rough Measures: Rough Measures

Cuisine: Snack

Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 70g unsalted cashews
• 70g whole almonds
• 20g desiccated coconut
• Pinch sea salt
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• 2 tablespoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 3 tablespoon pure maple syrup

Method

1. First up, preheat your oven to Gas Mark 4 / 180 C
2. In a food processor, mix the nuts and coconut until the resemble a floury consistency. Tip the mix into a large mixing bowl.
3. Into the bowl, add the salt, baking powder, ginger, lemon juice and maple syrup. Mix it well until it forms a dough.
4. With your hands, roll the dough into balls, it should make about 8. Place on a lined baking tray.
5. Press the palm of your hand down onto the balls to flatten out, you want them about 3 inches wide.
6. Put your tray into the oven and cook for 15-18 minutes, until lightly golden.
7. Leave to cool for 5 mins before transferring your gingernuts onto a cooling rack, make sure you let them cool fully before tucking in!

Nutrition Information

Calories: 135kcal Fat: 10.3g Carbohydrates: 5.7g

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Spiced Lentil Pancake Wraps from Tin and Thyme

Breakfast Burritos from Farmers Girl Kitchen

Chocolate Hazelnut Spread from From Plate to Pen

Review from It’s Not Easy Being Greedy

Healthy Noodle Pots from Ren Behan

Pesach Gingernuts from Family Friends Food

Review from Munchies and Munchkins

Baked Beans from Fab Food For All

Review from Coriander Queen

Thanks to Dannii and her publishers, Jacqui Small, for the advance copy of this book. Recipe by Dannii Martin.
Hungry Healthy Happy – RRP £20 Available from all good bookstores (support your local bookstores!)
I was not paid to review this book, and, as always, all opinions are entirely my own.

The post Gingernuts and Hungry Healthy Happy Book Review appeared first on Rough Measures.

Wow, what a weekend. I am sat here at 8pm with all the windows and doors wide open and I’m still too hot. A weekend of sunshine and warm weather hit the UK this weekend. We will probably look back in September and call these 3 days ‘Summer’.

But hot it was and we spent a lovely few days down in Dorset. We have promised each other that we’d try to escape on some camping trips more often this year, as we will both have weekends free all summer (for the first time in 8 years!) Just 2 days and nights in a different setting, can feel like so much longer. We explored the coast line, snoozed on the beach, ate far too much halloumi on our bbq and just chilled out. It was fab and I hope we have many more weekends like this one.

A few weeks back I received something I have been lusting after for a while – A Froothie Optimum G2.1 Blender. A hunk of a machine that can blitz in seconds, pulverise stones to mere dust, make hot soup, and tackle any nut butter. With a mega 2,611 watt motor (with a 10 year warranty) the Froothie Optimum is something every kitchen needs. I have been waiting to use it for weeks, and now the time had come. It took mere seconds to blitz all my mix into the smoothest of smoothies. It has 6 pre-programmed settings; Fruit, Sorbet, Grind, Nut Milk, Soup, Sauces and you can also programme it manually.  The Froothie Optimum G2.1 is currently on offer at £429 (RRP £599), it is a big investment, but one that I wholeheartedly believe is worth it, and it is something I have been using at least once a day.

It comes with a nut milk bag, a tamper tool to push your ingredients down if needed, and a 104 page recipe book. What I love is that the jug is BPA free, and to clean it, you just add some water and a drop of washing up liquid into your jug, turn it on, and voila, clean jug! The jug just sits on top, no faffy time wasted trying to get it to click into place. I love the LED touch screen display too. There is even an in built sensor which automatically turns the appliance off if it overheats. It is even more powerful than a Vitamix, just see the specs below!

We got back after a stuffy hour in the car and I know I needed something refreshing and summery! This blend has a sneaky hidden ingredient – chickpeas! Now don’t baulk and think ‘chickpeas in a smoothie, say what?!’ Adding chickpeas into your smoothie will mean it satisfies your belly for longer. It well help aid any mid morning or afternoon hunger pangs! You can’t taste them once they’re blended, trust me on this one guys!

Mango Mint Smoothie

 

Print

Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

1 min

Total time

6 mins

 

A refreshing, thirst quenching smoothie.

Rough Measures: Rough Measures

Serves: 2 glasses

Ingredients

• ½ mango (peeled)
• ½ cup chickpeas (drained and rinsed well)
• 300ml coconut water (normal water is fine if you don’t have coconut water handy)
• handful mint leaves
• Juice of 1 lime.

Method

1. Add everything to the blender and blitz until smooth

Notes

I added a big bunch of mint to the mix, ginger would also work really well!

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For more info on the Froothie Optimum G2.1 you can visit the Froothie website and have a browse.

Find more smoothie ideas here.

Read more fab reviews from some fellow bloggers:

Thinly Spread

Planet Veggie

From Plate to Pen

Disclaimer: Expect to see lots more Froothie Optimum G2.1 posts as I am now an Ambassador for Froothie.  Any links to their site in this post or future posts are affiliate links. If you purchase through these links I will earn a small commission, it won’t cost you any extra though. I was not paid to write this post and all opinions are my own. Thank you for continuing to support Rough Measures! 

The post Mango Mint Smoothie And The Froothie Optimum G2.1 appeared first on Rough Measures.

I wanted to write a post about a topic that it is incredibly close to my heart. The use of ‘bad’ palm oil. 2 years ago we travelled around South East Asia, and spent 3 weeks in Borneo. I knew about the negative impact of palm oil plantations before we went, but spending 3 weeks there really made it hit home how damaging it is to the rainforest and it’s inhabitants. We spent 8 hours on a coach, and all we passed for about 5 of those 8 hours was palm oil plantations. We spent some time in a rainforest conservation area, and sat for hours watching a female Orangutan in a fruit tree, just 2 metres away from us. We had lengthy chats with the staff at the conservation area, who’s passion for their country was breathtaking. ‘Bad’ palm oil is a not only a disaster for the environment, but for animals and people too. We came away from it with a serious passion and commitment to avoid ‘bad’ palm oil.

If you’ve ever looked into what’s in your food, how it was made and where it has come from (which I’m sure lot’s of you do), you’ve probably heard about palm oil being bad for the environment. I try my best to avoid it but product labelling is sneaky and confusing sometimes. Taking care in products you buy, such as free range eggs, organic produce etc, palm oil should be high on our lists of ‘warning’ ingredients.

That’s why I was stoked to get involved with RSPO and their new campaign that has just launched. We want to let people know that we do have a choice between ‘good’ and ‘bad’ palm oil. Artist Jessica Dance has created cute knitted foods which star in three short films, specially designed to raise awareness and encourage us all to share this important campaign to let the industry know that they need to take action, and take it now.

You’ll find palm oil in more than 50% of all the food you buy and it can be found in everyday items like margarines, biscuits, breads, cereals, noodles and even shampoo, lipsticks and detergents.

If you’re thinking ‘what can I do?’, fear not, as this is where GOOD palm oil comes in. Certified sustainable palm oil (CSPO) is now being produced to the strictest of standards. It helps to protect forests and wildlife, meaning no more destroying Orangutan homes, no more chopping down the rainforest, and it secures an income for farmers by making more palm oil from less land.

However, at the minute, good palm oil only accounts for 21% of all palm oil consumed across the planet, so that’s why I want to share the story of #GoodPalmOil and make sure that brands and retailers know that we, as consumers, care about this issue strongly and want them to take action.

If you want to get involved and help support the production of good palm oil, then you can spread the word and share this campaign around with your pals and families.

The campaign is being run by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), they are a not-for- profit association that champions sustainable palm oil. By 2020, RSPO wants ALL palm oil being used in our food to be sustainably sourced but we can only make that happen if you join me in putting pressure on the industry and letting them know we care. Let’s make this happen!

Share now on Facebook

Share on Twitter

I was asked to take part in this campaign. This is a topic extremely close to my heart.

The post A Topic Close To My Heart – RSPO GoodBadPalmOil Campaign appeared first on Rough Measures.

I have had a fantastic, yet mad, couple of weeks. The first of which saw my mum and I travelling up to London to attend the Soil Association BOOM Awards, where I (and this dear blog of mine) were shortlisted for the Best Food Blog award. I was in total shock when I found out I had made it into the top ten, with 9 other fantastic foodies. It was a fantastic event, taking place in Borough Market and a huge amount of effort had gone into making the place a foodies dream. When we arrived we found out that I was in fact down to the final 3, which was incredible! I was so honoured that my little blog had made it to the awards with so many other amazing organic brands. Huge congratulations go out to everyone nominated, and of course to all the winners!

This weekend saw me heading up to Birmingham for the FLEA Enterprises #BlogCamp2016. Blog Camp is like a conference / learning day for food / parent / interiors and travel bloggers. There were about 200 of us there, including around 15 of my food blogger friends. I have met so many wonderful people because of Rough Measures, and it was fab to catch up with some of them. The day was filled with talks on food styling, Pinterest tips, stories from some top bloggers, writing workshops and more. I have come away with a head full of information!

Last week saw some sunshine, and I got all excited and wanted to make a salad with flavours that take me back to my time spent travelling Asia. Something like this Asian kale salad, with my favourite ginger dressing. The strong tastes of ginger and umami flavours make my mouth and belly happy. The crunch of the massaged kale and carrot keep the textures strong here. I haven’t enjoyed a salad this much since this one I made last year! Enjoy pals, and stay dry (apparently the British summer lasted all of 3 days!)

Asian Kale Salad with Ginger Dressing

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

5 mins

Total time

15 mins

 

A crunchy, citrus infused salad which brings me back fond memories of my travels.

Rough Measures: Rough Measures

Recipe type: Salad

Cuisine: Asian

Ingredients

• Big bunch of kale - washed, de-stemmed and leaves loosely shredded
• ¼ red cabbage - shredded
• 1 carrot - peeled into thin strips
• 2 spring onions - finely chopped
• Zest 1 lime
• Handful peanuts
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
• FOR THE DRESSING
• A thumb sized piece of ginger - peeled and grated
• 2 garlic cloves - finely chopped
• 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
• ½ cup tamari (sub for soy sauce if you don't have tamari)
• ¼ cup rice wine vinegar
• Juice 1 lime
• 4 tablespoons cold water

Method

1. Get all your ingredients ready.
2. Start with the dressing; in a large bowl, add the grated ginger and garlic.
3. Add in the rest of the dressing ingredients, give it a really good whisk. Pour the dressing into a sealable jar, leaving around 50ml left in the bowl.
4. Add your shredded kale into the bowl. Using your fingers, massage the kale into the dressing. Do this for a couple of minutes until all the kale has been coated.
5. Throw the cabbage, carrot and spring onions into the bowl, and mix with your hands.
6. Toss through the peanuts and sesame seeds, serve into a large salad bowl.
7. Add more dressing if you wish!

Notes

The measurements for the dressing should make around 500ml - it will last for a few weeks in a sealed jar in the fridge. Shake well before use.

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Want to Pin this recipe for later? Use the image below – you can follow me on Pinterest too!

Some other Asian inspired salads that I’m loving are;

Warm Japanese Black Noodle Salad from Natural Kitchen Adventures

Asian Chopped Kale Salad from Cookie and Kate

Healthy Kale + Quinoa Salad with Ginger-Curry Vinaigrette from The Clever Carrot

Carrot and Moong Bean Salad from Botanical Kitchen

Asian Beetroot Salad from Bunny Kitchen

The post Asian Kale Salad with Ginger Dressing appeared first on Rough Measures.

There has been an awful lot in the media recently about the healthy/’clean’ eating craze. Foodies and cookbook authors have been getting a lot of bad press. The thought is that the ‘clean-eating’ phase is getting taken to the extreme by some people, resulting in eating disorders. The media deems it necessary to target the current top ‘wellness’ stars and pick faults. It saddens me that as a nation we always need to pick a target and point the blame at someone. Some of the people who are being targeted are some of my main inspiration sources. They do not tell you what will work for you, just what has worked for them. They believe in a balanced lifestyle and use natural ingredients and healthy fats. If that encourages someone to cook a homemade meal instead of a ready meal then I think that’s fantastic. I have never been on a diet in my life, and don’t intend to. As soon as I tell myself I can’t have something, it is all I want. Moderation is key. I listen to my body, some days it needs extra carbs, some days it’s happy on salads. My plant based diet, and regular exercise, makes me feel good, in my mind and in my body. I also love cake. Life is about balance. As Michael Pollan said; Eat food, not too much, mostly plants.

If you are a regular here, you’ll know my love for beets is high. Those pure purple hearts with their bright pink juice. I love it in stews, salads and this awesome hummus, yeah, beets are my bag! We eat salads a lot here in our floating abode. We pretty much have the same 5 salads on rotation every week. It’s easy for dinner and sometimes we are both too exhausted after work to cook anything different. Every now and again, I fuel us up with a hearty stew, something a bit comforting after a long day at work.

I was recently sent this gorgeous Le Creuset cast iron casserole dish from Steamer Trading. The dish is from their Vida Brazil range. I’m totally crushing on the colour – Marseille Blue – it reminds me of roaming French hypermarkets as a child and gazing at all their kitchenware. Steamer Trading Cookshop have a vast range of kitchen cookwear. Set up in 1985 by Liz and David, they opened their first store in Sussex. Now with multiple stores across the UK, they’re firmly established as one of the nation’s favourite cookshops. I’ve currently got my eye on a shallower casserole dish to match the one I made this stew in. I need more baking tins and adore this cute heart shaped one! They also offer free delivery on orders over £45 – all the more reason to stock up your kitchen supplies.

This Beetroot Bourguignon is an adaption of a lovely recipe from A Modern Way to Cook by Anna Jones.

Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram to see my daily eats!

Beetroot Bourguignon

 

Print

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

50 mins

Total time

1 hour

 

A hearty stew for any season. Vegan.

Rough Measures: Rough Measures

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• Glug of extra virgin olive oil (or 2 tablespoons coconut oil)
• 2 shallots
• 2 garlic cloves (peeled and finely chopped)
• 3 large beetroot
• 2 carrots
• 1 small sweet potato
• 2 bay leaves
• A few sprigs of fresh thyme
• 2 tablespoons tomato puree
• 1 tablespoon harissa
• 500ml vegetable stock
• ¾ cup pearl barley
• S+P
• OPTIONAL - 150ml red wine

Method

1. First, finely dice your shallots.
2. Then, peel and roughly chop your beets, carrots and sweet potato.
3. Place a casserole dish on a medium heat on the hob, add in a glug of oil and throw in the shallots. Stir well to coat them. Add in a good pinch of salt and pepper. Cook the onions for 5 minutes.
4. Next, add the garlic, stir well and cook for another 5 minutes.
5. Now, add all your vegetables, stock, tomato puree, harissa and pearl barley. If using, add in the wine.
6. Simmer gently for 40 minutes. Enjoy with some crusty bread.

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I’m adding my recipe to these awesome link ups;

#recipeoftheweek

#extraveg

Steamer Trading Cookshop sent me the Le Creuset pan you can see in my images. I was not paid to write a positive review, and of course, all opinions are entirely my own. Happy cooking!

The post Beetroot Bourguignon appeared first on Rough Measures.

June has arrived, it is officially summer here in the UK. The sky is blue today and with the blue sky comes bright light that highlights the many shades of green that make up our current view. Left is green, to my right is green, green is my happy colour. I can here the lambs calling to their mother’s, the birds tweeting to each other, and if we are lucky, the tiny squeaking of the newest members to the canal – 7 little signets. Our little floating home is like an observatory into the wonders of nature. Life is good.

I bring this post with a huge dollop of excitement! Whilst this was slowly roasting in the oven, I could smell the faint, sweet wafts of gentle rose, I couldn’t wait to dig in. I am very much pro granola, remember this awesome oat-y bowl? Or this one? As I am sure you are aware, dear readers, I am passionate about using organic produce. My recent experience of a night with other organic food lovers only cemented what an important thing it is. Wake Up To Organic has already launched, in partnership with Soil Association and The Organic Trade Board, and is gearing up for a nationwide event on June 15th 2016. Independent retailers across the UK will be hosting #‎WakeuptoOrganic‬ events serving up breakfasts, hosting blogger demos, and visits with visits from local suppliers and producers. I was keen to get on board and be part of encouraging people to eat more organic produce. Wild Oats are taking part and will be giving out breakfasts to hungry bellies in Bristol. Head over there on June 15th to taste and sample some of my rose and pistachio granola!

Eating organic doesn’t have to cost a fortune. How about swapping your daily latte for a packet of organic flour? Ditch that weekly takeaway and go and stock up on a basket of organic veg. This rose and pistachio granola recipe is low cost, and will make satisfy many a grumbling belly. Slow roasted oats, nuts and rose petals, coming to a bowl near you! Happy organic summer pals!

Rose and Pistachio Granola

 

Print

Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

40 mins

Total time

45 mins

 

A delicate, organic, summery granola recipe for Wake Up To Organic.

Rough Measures: Rough Measures

Recipe type: Granola

Ingredients

• 4 cups (360g) organic oats
• ½ cup (75g) organic almonds - roughly chopped
• ⅓ cup (50g) organic sunflower seeds
• Small handful organic dried rose petals - ripped/ chopped in half
• ½ teaspoon organic ground ginger
• ¾ cup (180ml) organic coconut oil
• ¼ cup (60ml) organic maple syrup
• t teaspoon organic rose water
• ¾ cup (110g) organic pistachios

Method

1. Pre-heat your oven to Gas 2 / 150 C and line a baking tray with greaseproof / parchment paper.
2. In a large mixing bowl, add your oats, chopped almonds, sunflower seeds, rose petals and ground ginger. Mix it well with a large spoon.
3. Heat a small saucepan over a low heat. Add the coconut oil, maple syrup and rose water. Whisk it and take it off the heat as soon as the coconut oil has melted.
4. Pour the oil mix over the oat mix. Stir it well with your spoon and make sure the liquid coats all the oats.
5. Spread the granola mix evenly onto your baking tray.
6. Bake for 30 mins, stirring it after 20 minutes.
7. After 30 mins, add in your pistachios, and bake for 10 more minutes.

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The post Rose and Pistachio Granola appeared first on Rough Measures.

Oh hey guys, didn’t think I’d forgotten about you, did ya? You did?! Ah jeez, I am sorry. It’s been all kinds of crazy over here recently. Coupled with some pesky tech-y issues with my site, blogging just hasn’t happened. I think I have only managed to turn my laptop on twice in the last month?! My camera has been sat neglected, gathering dust. But all for a good reason dear readers. WE BOUGHT A HOUSE! I wanted to keep it quiet until we had the keys in our bare hands. After a very long search with multiple sellers pulling out, we finally completed on our perfect little cottage 3 weeks ago.

It was (and still is) a crazy time, moving off the boat and into the new place in a day, then I went to Madrid for a week (more on that at a later date), so I’d barely had any time to enjoy the house and get settled in. It still feels a little strange, kinda like we’re just house sitting for someone and soon we’ll have to head back to the boat. There is still so much to unpack, sort through, more furniture to buy, but it’s slowly coming together. My heart is heavy that we’ll no longer be residing in our floating home (if anyone wants to buy our lovely boat, we’re open to offers!), but the time was right and you gotta grab life by the youknowwhat right?! It’s going to take some adjusting, our new kitchen actually has less space than the one on the boat! But the simple things are exciting me like mad (hot water!! out of a tap!! without turning an engine on!!!) I’ll be sure to show some snippets of the new place once it’s photo worthy.  Let’s eat shall we?

I’ve been using Hodmedod’s pea flour for a while now, and love how versatile it is. Cooking these fritters with ground pea flour also means they’re gluten free! The flour smells wonderful and has a very subtle taste. Hodmedod’s grow and make all their produce in the UK, their quinoa is grown in Essex! They’ve got a fantastic range of flours – I love this one. A wide variety of snacks like these salted fava beans. They’re passionate about their produce, and this shows in the quality of their products. Be sure to check out their range of awesome pulses and more.

These courgette and pea fritters are simple and speedy, for quick evening dinners, but still pack flavour. Courgette is probably one of my favourite green vegetables.  I like to make a big batch of them, to keep on the side, as an afternoon snack, or to bulk out a salad for dinner.

Courgette, Pea and Mint Fritters

 

Print

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

6 mins

Total time

16 mins

 

A simple recipe for a speedy dinner. Makes a batch and will keep in the fridge for a few days. Gluten and dairy free.

Rough Measures: Rough Measures

Serves: 12 fritters

Ingredients

• 2 large courgettes (peeled)
• 1 cup / 150g cooked petit pois
• Handful fresh mint
• 1½ cups / 140g Hodmedods green pea flour
• 1 organic free range egg
• Sea salt
• Cracked black pepper
• Coconut oil - for frying

Method

1. Add the grated courgette into a large bowl. Sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt, stir it through and leave to sit for 10 minutes.
2. While the courgette is left to sit, add all the other ingredients into another bowl.
3. Take the courgette and, using your hands, squeeze out the excess liquid (over the sink).
4. Add the courgette to the bowl with the other ingredients and mix it well.
5. Heat the coconut oil in a frying pan on a medium-high heat.
6. Take spoonfuls of your fritter mixture and dollop into the pan, use the back of the spoon to flatten the fritters down.
7. Cook for a few minutes on each side.
8. Eat immediately, or leave to cool and store in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

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Here’s a few tasty recipe’s I’m loving this week:

Choclette’s courgette and chickpea pancakes look heavenly.

Jessie’s courgette (zucchini), asparagus and corn pasta looks like a big bowl of love.

Amanda’s yellow split pea flour bundt cake is the bomb!

Becca’s courgette fritter waffles make me want to eat brunch for every meal!

Jac’s Turkish zucchini fritters

Poppy’s pistachio, courgette and hemp pancakes

This recipe was sponsored by the lovely people at Hodmedod’s. I am a long time fan of their products and ethos, and was not paid to write a positive review. As always, all opinions are my own. Buy local folks.

The post Courgette, Pea and Mint Fritters appeared first on Rough Measures.

I have many fond memories of long afternoons spent in our local park, picnic-ing under the summer skies. My parents had a good group of friends, all with little ones of similar ages, and we would all congregate on the grass for big picnics. We would run around, learn to ride our bikes, or spend hours testing out our new roller skates, and occasionally run back to the group to grab a snack and re-fuel. We must have clocked up a fair few hours in that lovely park. Whenever I go there now, those memories all come flooding back. I am grateful for a happy upbringing, with so much time spent outdoors.

We haven’t really had the right weather for picnics this year, and the British nation is patiently waiting some serious sunshine (rumour has it some heat is on its way this week). I decided that I wasn’t going to let the weather stop us from eating alfresco this weekend, so we opted for a garden picnic. Our new kitchen leads directly out into the back garden, so it’s handy for running back inside if it does start to rain, which coincidentally, it did! Picnic foods aren’t just great for alfresco dining, I love simple, quick bites that you can throw together for a quick, fuss free dinner in the week.

Whilst I try to make wholesome, homemade recipes most days, sometimes you just need something you can grab and go – right? That’s why I love Higgidy’s range of pies and quiches. Higgidy’s range of products offer a large range of delicious flavour combinations, and make a great picnic addition. Each product is handmade (no robots here) with love. I’m taking part in their #HiggidyPicnic and bringing this zesty quinoa and sweet potato salad along with me! Quinoa is great (incase you didn’t already know!) as it contains iron, magnesium, B vitamins, calcium, and is one of only a few plant-based foods that is a complete protein. It’s also vegan and gluten-free, yay!

Zesty Quinoa and Sweet Potato Salad and a Higgidy Picnic

 

Print

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

40 mins

Total time

50 mins

 

A zesty, citrusy salad with quinoa and sweet potato. This salad is simple and makes a batch. The dressing is my go-to dressing at the minute. Perfect flavours for summer.

Rough Measures: Rough Measures

Cuisine: Picnic

Ingredients

• 1 sweet potato (scrubbed)
• ½ aubergine
• 1 cup / 190g quinoa (I used a mix of red and white)
• S+P
• Lemon thyme (optional)
• DRESSING
• ½ cup/120ml extra virgin olive oil
• Zest and juice of 1 lime
• 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
• Handful fresh oregano
• Olive Oil - for roasting

Method

1. Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 5 / 190 C
2. Chop the sweet potato and aubergine, place on a lined baking tray, scatter with S+P, lemon thyme (if using) and coconut oil. Place in the oven and roast for 40 minutes, or until the veg is soft.
3. Rinse your quinoa in a sieve under some cold water. Place in a saucepan with 2 cups water. Put on a hob and bring to the boil. Once boiling, turn down to a simmer and let it cook for 15 mins (you want to retain a little bite in the quinoa)
4. While that's cooking, make your dressing.
5. Add all the dressing ingredients to a blender (or into a jug and use a stick blender) and blitz for 10 seconds, taste and check for seasoning.
6. Once the quinoa has cooked, drain any excess liquid, then add the quinoa to a large mixing bowl.
7. Add in the roasted veg, and a good glug of your dressing.
8. Stir it well so the quinoa can absorb the dressing.
9. Enjoy al fresco.

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See who else is joining the #higgidypicnic ;

Simple Orange Ginger Carrot Salad – Tin and Thyme

No Mayo Apple Slaw – Celery and Cupcakes

Bananatella Muffins – Munchies and Munchkins

Pack Up Picnic – Recipes and Reviews

This recipe is sponsored by Higgidy. All opinions are my own, stay individual friends.

The post Zesty Quinoa and Sweet Potato Salad – a Higgidy Picnic appeared first on Rough Measures.

Since moving into the new house, I feel I have been scrabbling at life and trying to fit everything in, whilst still trying to unpack, re-decorate and find our feet with this new life (albeit in the same town, but very different surroundings). I am more tired than I have been in a long while, and a little overwhelmed with it all. Trying to find a new routine whilst trying to do something different every day to keep my brain happy. I get a little frazzled when I’m busy. Some people thrive off it, but not me, I need to keep a few days or evenings free just to calm and re-sync myself.

Trying to make small routines every day keep me sorted. Little things like my 11 o’clock banana at my desk, 2pm mug of green tea or my regular 10pm bedtime. The newest routine which has started every day in our new home is smoothie making in the morning, together. We get up, grab breakfast and then decide on a smoothie to make and take with us into our offices. Do something different every day for sure, to keep life interesting, but daily smoothies? Keep them in your routine of repetition.

Especially this cucumber peach smoothie, it’s totally rocking my world right now.

This cucumber peach smoothie is a favourite of mine at the moment. It’s oh so easy and full of good vibes. I throw everything in my Froothie Optimum G2.1 , 30 seconds blending and there ya go. Great for busy mornings when you need something quick. Since moving and now having access to a constant electricity source, we have used the Optimum G2.1 every day. We’ve made dips, soups, smoothies and even sorbets!

This smoothie is:

• hydrating
• loaded with vitamins
• flushes out toxins
• contains calcium and zinc
• a source of fibre
• vegan and gluten free

Cucumber Peach Smoothie

 

Print

Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

1 min

Total time

6 mins

 

A hydrating smoothie for a speedy snack or breakfast. If you wanted to add oats this will thicken the smoothie and keep you fuelled for longer. Be sure to use organic fruit here. This will keep in a jar in the fridge for 2-3 days. Vegan and gluten free.

Rough Measures: Rough Measures

Recipe type: Smoothie

Serves: 600ml

Ingredients

• ½ cucumber (peeled)
• 2 donut peaches (de-stoned)
• 2 large strawberries
• ½ cup / 125ml dairy free yoghurt
• 1 cup / 250ml almond milk
• ½ cup / 125ml coconut water (or filtered water)

Method

1. Add everything into your Optimum G2.1 (or regular blender)
2. Blitz for 30 seconds - 1 minute
3. Pour into glass and enjoy.

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Disclaimer: Expect to see lots more Froothie Optimum G2.1 posts as I am now an Ambassador for Froothie.  Any links to their site in this post or future posts are affiliate links. If you purchase through these links I will earn a small commission, it won’t cost you any extra though. I was not paid to write this post and all opinions are my own. Thank you for continuing to support Rough Measures! 

The post Cucumber Peach Smoothie appeared first on Rough Measures.

My heart is full today, bursting in fact. Bursting with love and happiness and all the good things that come with it. There is something so magical about spending a day, watching two people you love, make promises to love each other forever. I managed to hold back the tears, but watching my best childhood friend walk down the aisle to marry her guy was beautiful. I got the honour of walking down in front of her, in awe of how beautiful she looked. I also got to make their wedding cake, weeks of stressing was instantly forgotten as soon as I saw their faces light up when they saw it. It’s been a magical weekend and my heart is happy.

Packed lunches made, dinner on and breakfast oats soaking, I’m now cosy-ing up and settling down for a snuggly few hours on the sofa. We try to get our food for the next working day all sorted before dinner, so we can chill for a few hours. This weekend I need it. I love making bircher muesli the night before, letting all the goodness soak into the oats overnight. Then, come morning time, we can just grab them out the fridge and eat them, no breakfast faffing. Just tasty, simple, quick breakfasts for us. I love Dorset Cereals bircher muesli. There’s no nasties, just natural ingredients. Their new flavours (raspberry and blackcurrant / almond and honey) are perfect summer flavours and right up my street! Show them some love on their fantastic Instagram! This plum bircher muesli – summer in a bowl, is a new favourite in our morning routine (along with this smoothie of course). Happy hearts and happy bellies you guys.

Plum Bircher Muesli - Summer in a Bowl

 

Print

Prep time

3 mins

Cook time

5 mins

Total time

8 mins

 

A summery breakfast bowl to get your day off to the best start. Top with nuts or seeds for added protein. Vegan.

Rough Measures: Rough Measures

Recipe type: Breakfast

Serves: 1

Ingredients

• 75g / ½ cup Dorset Cereals raspberry & blackcurrant bircher muesli
• 75ml / ⅓ cup organic freshly pressed apple juice + extra 50ml
• 50g dairy free yoghurt (I used vanilla Coyo)
• 2 plums
• 2 tablespoons coconut sugar (or raw cane sugar)

Method

1. Add the muesli to a bowl, pour the apple juice on top, stir well. Add the yoghurt to the top of the bowl.
2. Leave in the fridge overnight.
3. In the morning, chop and de-stone the plums.
4. Add them to a saucepan with the remaining apple juice, and coconut sugar.
5. Simmer for 5 minutes.
6. Stir the yoghurt through the oats.
7. Spoon the plum mixture on top of the muesli.

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Don’t forget you can catch my daily creations over on my Instagram account!

This post was sponsored by Dorset Cereals. All opinions are my own.

The post Plum Bircher Muesli – Summer in a Bowl appeared first on Rough Measures.

Since starting this blog, I have been invited on some great days out and trips away. This last week saw an invitation to Yeo Valley Farm, organised by the Soil Association, to learn more about Organic September and why we should all be more aware of what is in our food. Yeo Valley is set in the beautiful Mendip countryside, not too far from Bath. I hopped on a train to Bristol and waited eagerly with some other like-minded bloggers.

Yeo Valley is set on Holt Farm, which has been in the Mead family for over 50 years. They started selling their yoghurt from their Morris Minor a few years later. Fast forward to 2016 and they now make over 1900 litres of yoghurt a week, and 3 million litres of milk a year. They also offer a range of other dairy based products.

We arrived on a hot, sunny morning and were greeted with an array of breakfast goodies (including some immense gluten free macarons….mmmm). We grabbed a coffee and sat down to the first part of the day, an introduction to Organic September from the Soil Association. I have always known and supported the benefits of choosing organic produce over non-organic, but the chat really opened my eyes to some points I wasn’t aware of before (see facts further down in this post). After the talk we met with Jon Wilson, the farm manager. Jon took us on a tour of the farm, explaining how they rotate the crop and pasture land, how they balance the mineral levels in the soil to create the lushest green fields, and encouraging us to sniff the soil he had dug up! We were introduced to Yeo’s heard of Friesian cows. They were very friendly and were an incredibly healthy and happy looking bunch. It was so good to meet someone so passionate about what he does.

We concluded the tour back at the cafe, where the head chef from Yeo Valley’s organic cafe had come to give us a cooking demo. He whipped up a batch of dhal, sautéed cauliflowers (romanesco has stolen my heart recently) and of course, a yoghurt dip. We sat down and chatted about our different loves of food and food politics. It was great to catch up with some blogger friends in gorgeous surroundings.

All too soon it was time to leave (with goodie bags galore) and say our goodbyes. My head was full with ideas and a stronger passion than ever before to promote an organic lifestyle.

Soil Association are running Organic September to raise awareness and spread the word on the benefits of choosing organic. So, why should you choose organic? I could write all night about why, but here’s some points to get you started:

• There are more than 320 different pesticides used in the UK, and traces of them can be found in 75% of non-organic foods. 31,000 tonnes of manufactured chemicals are used in farming every year, to kill insets, pests and weeds. A study recently done in Europe showed that 40% of city dwellers had traces of weedkiller in their urine. Ewww!
• Glyphosate, which is heavily used in non-organic farming, is a probable carcinogen and has now been found in 30% of the bread we consume.
•  Organic milk has 50% more omega-3 fatty acids in, higher concentrations of iron and Vitamin E in than non-organic milk.
• Antibiotics are given to healthy animals (namely poultry and pigs) to compensate for their low-welfare cramped conditions where outbreaks and disease are harder to control and more common. Antibiotics in animals means antibiotics in our dairy and meat. Routine use of antibiotics is banned in organic farming.
• Intensive animal farming frightens and disgusts me. Animals are kept in in-humane conditions and often barbaric conditions. Under organic farming standards, animals are allowed to roam free range on organic land. They are fed non-GM food and are only given antibiotics if they truly need them. They cannot be given hormones (as done in intensive farming) to force them to grow quicker.
• It’s nutritionally different. The British Journal of Nutrition has just published ground-breaking research with the findings that there is a significant nutritional difference between organic and non-organic farming. Organic food is higher in antioxidants and lower in nasties like pesticides and toxic metals.
• Organic farming helps to create healthy soil that is resistant to floods, drought and the consequential impacts of climate charge.
• The Soil Association is one of the most rigorous certifying organic bodies in the world. It’s a not-for-profit charity that campaigns for sustainable, healthy and humane farming, food and land use. Look out for their logo on packaging when choosing organic.

So, how can you get involved? Organic September is encouraging everyone to make one small change in their purchases. In the egg isle? Opt for organic free range eggs. Choosing your veg for the week? Pick the organic carrots. Little changes make a big difference, to our bodies, to the animals and the planet. Share your swaps on Instagram and tag #organicseptember

See more accounts of the day:

Choclette – Tin and Thyme 

All the thanks go out to Soil Association, Yeo Valley and Good Energy (who sponsor Organic September.) Big love to all the brands who donated their gorgeous products for the good bags. I was invited on this trip and not paid to write a positive post. Make a change, choose organic.

The post Organic September – What Do Yeo Know? appeared first on Rough Measures.

I am currently somewhere on the South West coast of France, hopefully on a beach by now, watching the sea, or attempting to finally master surfing once and for all. I am most likely flailing around in the water trying not to look uncool. Tagging along with my parents once again, for a 2 week break in the sunshine. There will be sailing on the lake, paddle boarding with my sister, market meandering, 3 hour long lunches (featuring this smokey pepper dip) with wine in hand.

For now, here’s a quick recipe that you can make at home or camping. Grilled peppers release their sweet, charred flavours in this delicious smokey pepper dip. With ground almonds for extra protein. I’m using organic produce here to raise awareness for Organic September. Organic peppers have a richer flavour than non-organic. This dip requires minimal fuss, just a bit of skin-peeling before you can throw it all in the blender and dip to your hearts content. Happy summer grazing friends.

Smokey Pepper Dip

 

Print

Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

20 mins

 

A smokey pepper dip that is similar to Muhammara. Grilled peppers release their sweet, charred juices into this dip. Vegan and gluten free. Makes a bowlful.

Rough Measures: Rough Measures

Ingredients

• 4 x large organic peppers (I used mixed colours)
• 60g organic ground almonds
• ⅓ cup / 60ml organic extra virgin olive oil
• Juice 1 organic lemon
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 clove garlic (crushed)
• S+P

Method

1. Place all peppers on a baking tray and grill for 1015 minutes, turning regularly. You want the pepper skins to blacken.
2. Once the peppers have softened and charred, remove the tray and rinse the peppers under cold running water. You need them to cool down before you start to peel them.
3. Once cool enough to handle, over the sink, peel the blackened skins off the peppers. Pull out their stems and remove the seeds.
4. Add the flesh into a food processor along with all the other ingredients.
5. Blitz for 30 seconds. Serve in a bowl and dip away.

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The post Smokey Pepper Dip appeared first on Rough Measures.

This weekend saw the start of my 28th year. 10,229 days on this planet we call home. Somehow this birthday feels more poignant than the others, maybe because I was at home, having a chilled, quiet birthday, rather than the last 10 years of birthdays; filled with rum, beer, Sambuca and more rum. As I lay in bed with my coffee, I sat and reflected on my time here so far. Many memories, some regrets and most definitely a whole load of fun.

In the spirit of fun, celebrations and reflections, here are 28 things I wish I could have told my younger self:

1. Be thankful for what you have, and don’t waste time crying over what you don’t.
2. Learn to love exercise, the first few weeks suck, but you’ll find your mojo, and wonder why you didn’t start sooner.
3. Travel, near and far, travel wherever and whenever you can.
4. Broken hearts heal, they suck, but they heal.
5. Say yes more, live a little.
6. Have a safety net of savings, enough to cover you for a month or so should anything bad happen.
7. You do not need 5 credit cards, ever.
8. Don’t buy that dress, it is overpriced and doesn’t suit you.
9. Stop comparing yourself to others, you will never have Kate Moss’s figure and thats A-OK.
10. Tell your family you love them, often.
11. Stop treating your parents like crap, they will forgive you, but don’t do it, it’s mean.
12. Cook more, you’ll see why when you get older.
13. Laugh often.
14. You’re going to live on a narrowboat for a while, and you will love it (yeah I know, crazy right?)
15. Growing up is scary, but it’s also kinda cool.
16. Stop freaking out about your future career.
17. Do what makes you happy, and if it stops making you happy, do something else.
18. Jump out of that aeroplane, it will be the best thing you may ever do.
19. Look after yourself.
20. Cherish your friendships, especially with your oldest friends, as these are the ones that will last long after you leave school.
21. Forgive others, it is hard, but it helps.
22. Never stop listening to Blink 182.
23. Go to festivals and dance like no-one is watching.
24. Smile more.
25. Fake it till you make it, be your number 1 supporter.
26. Learn to enjoy time alone.
27. Don’t change yourself for anyone, ever.
28. Eat the frikkin’ doughnut.

I figured I would celebrate the weekend by going for a long walk to a manor house and gardens, drink lots of coffee, pick up some more vegetables from my parents back garden and make this yellow tomato and bean gazpacho. I made this in my Froothie Optimum G2.1 blender – it does a great job of blitzing the tomatoes and their skins into a beautiful smooth texture. The weather here hasn’t quite turned into chilly autumnal days, but more muggy, stuff end of summer feels. Stuffy days and 28 years needed something refreshing.

Yellow Tomato and Bean Gazpacho

 

Print

Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

10 mins

Total time

15 mins

 

A refreshing summer gazpacho with all the flavours. This soup is just as good warm. Enjoy this bountiful summer ingredient.

Rough Measures: Rough Measures

Serves: 1-1.5 litres

Ingredients

• 1 tray (between 500-800g) yellow tomatoes
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 tin organic cannellini beans (rinsed and drained)
• Few sprigs of fresh basil
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
• Water (to thin out as needed)
• S+P
• Dash olive oil

Method

1. Turn on the grill.
2. Place the tomatoes and garlic on a baking tray with a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Add a small dash of olive oil.
3. Grill for 10 minutes until slightly charred.
4. Add the tomatoes and the rest of the ingredients into a high speed blender. Blitz for 1 minute until smooth.
5. Chill in the fridge for 30 mins.
6. Once cooled, enjoy and chill.

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Disclaimer: Expect to see lots more Froothie Optimum G2.1 posts as I am now an Ambassador for Froothie.  Any links to their site in this post or future posts are affiliate links. If you purchase through these links I will earn a small commission, it won’t cost you any extra though. I was not paid to write this post and all opinions are my own. Thank you for continuing to support Rough Measures! 

The post Yellow Tomato and Bean Gazpacho appeared first on Rough Measures.

We had some new arrivals in our house this week. 2 new, smiley, cute, furry little friends. We have adopted 2 cats via Cats Protection. We met them for the first time two weeks ago and totally fell in love. We picked them up on Friday and this weekend has been full of snuggles, mouse chasing and getting to know our new additions. They’re still a bit shy and Scout is quite timid and still a bit unsure of everything, but they’re slowly getting used to their new surroundings. Arto has made it quite clear he likes lap time and purrs loudly when he wants some affection. They seem to spend their time sleeping in odd places or catapulting themselves around the house and full speed. They have also taken to straight running up my leg when I get their food. I’m excited to watch them grow and learn. I’ll be sure to post some photos soon, when they sit still for more than 10 seconds. Keep an eye on my Instagram stories to see their daily antics!

Autumn seems to have hit the UK with its full, wet force. I always find baking comforting on rainy days, and often find myself trialling another brownie recipe. These maca brownies hit the spot. Maca has a malty, almost butterscotch flavour to it. It’s full of vitamins (B, C and E), calcium and zinc. It is a natural energy booster, and can also balance hormones! I’ve also used fava bean flour here, to make these brownies gluten-free. The flour also adds additional protein into the mix. Once again, I am using all organic ingredients here, as my last recipe this month supporting Organic September. So, grab a square, enjoy and know you’re getting some goodness in ya! Happy new season everyone!

Maca Brownies

 

Print

Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

25 mins

 

Energy boosting, hormone stabilising, vitamin packed maca brownies. These are fudgey brownies, I like them soft and a little bit gooey. Cook for longer if you prefer them a bit more cake like. All ingredients used are organic.

Rough Measures: Rough Measures

Ingredients

• 340g / 2 cup fava bean flour
• 80ml / ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 60g / ½ cup cacao powder
• 60ml / ¼ cup maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons maca powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons ground flax seed
• 80ml / ⅓ cup hot water

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 160 C / Gas Mark 2
2. Grease and line 9" long baking dish.
3. Throw all the dry ingredients into a bowl and give it a good mix.
4. Stir in the oil, maple syrup and vanilla.
5. Slowly stir in the hot water, adding a touch more if necessary.
6. Pour the mix into the dish and bake for 15-20 minutes, until the top is slightly crisp.
7. Leave to cool before digging in.

3.5.3208

The post Maca Brownies appeared first on Rough Measures.

Every year, when the seasons shift, I get all excited. Don’t get me wrong, I love the summer, I love the heat, I love long, light evenings in the garden. But dang, I do love autumn. The temperature fell a few degrees this last week. Sunny, chilly mornings greeted me. Crisp, fresh air, chilling my hands. Time to pull out my winter coat and big snuggly scarf. The days are shorter, which I do find a struggle, and it’s harder to get up in the mornings with this new darkness, but these orange-y hues and red leaves paint the landscapes so well, it makes it worth it. Nature giving it one last hurrah before they shed their years bounty. Autumn, it’s good to see you.

With Autumn comes a new season of foods. Orchards bursting with apples, hedgerow brambles have those juicy purple blackberries, sloes are out tempting me to make some sloe gin, but mostly; pumpkin. Pumpkins in all shapes and sizes, squash variations a plenty, oh yes you lovely orange football of goodness, I’ve missed you.

Last year, on a trip to NYC, I discovered Trader Joes, and went a little crazy buying things to bring back. Pumpkin spice mix was in my basket, and I couldn’t wait to use it. I’ve been using it sparingly. trying to make it last, and am down to my last few tablespoons, but this recipe deserved my treasured spice mix. Because it’s Autumn, and in Autumn we pumpkin spice! Pumpkin Spice Bliss Balls to be precise. I’ve been meaning to make more energy balls since this lot, but never got round to it. I whipped up a batch of these over the weekend and have had to hide the tub from myself, I just want to eat them all. Here’s to a happy season!

Pumpkin Spice Bliss Balls

 

Print

Prep time

5 mins

Total time

5 mins

 

A tasty, spiced snack to keep you going. I rolled mine in hemp seeds and oats, but coconut would also work well here. Store in an air tight container and they'll keep in the fridge for 3 days

Rough Measures: Rough Measures

Serves: 8-12 balls

Ingredients

• 90g / 1 cup rolled oats
• 300g / 1½ cup cooked and mashed pumpkin / pumpkin puree
• 1 tablespoon coconut sugar
• 1 tablespoon brown rice syrup
• 1½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice mix (OR ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon / ½ ground ginger / pinch nutmeg / ¼ all spice)
• Hemp seeds + extra oats to roll balls in

Method

1. Place the oats into a food processor and blend into a rough flour
2. Add in all other ingredients and pulse until fully combined
3. Mould into balls with your hands
4. If using, roll in oats / hemp seeds.

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Like bliss balls? Check out these awesome recipes:

Hot Cross Balls / Sweet Potato and Fresh Ginger Protein Balls – Veggie Desserts

Camp Power Bites – Happy Hearted Kitchen

Chocolate Maca Protein Bites – Faring Well

Superfood Brownie Bites – The First Mess

Matcha Tea Energy Balls – Celery and Cupcakes

The post Pumpkin Spice Bliss Balls appeared first on Rough Measures.

I know, I know, my last post was a pumpkin recipe. But remember how much I love Autumn, well I figured I would shower you with some more pumpkin love. Things have turned even chillier here in the UK, and the last few days have just been gorgeous. Nothing says Autumn like pumpkin, so when Sara from Cake Over Steak asked me if I’d like to participate in this years #virtualpumpkinparty – she had barely finished her sentence and I had agreed. Along with Sara and myself, a whole army of bloggers are joining in, with so many awesome creations. There are over 100 (!!!) talented lovelies taking party. See the full list below. Seriously, with all these gorgeous recipes, we can eat pumpkin forever! Hey, we might even turn into pumpkins, would that be such a bad thing?

I know how much the world goes crazy for a Pumpkin Spice Latte this time of year. The coffee-chain-bought ones are rammed with processed sugar, and laden with dairy, too heavy for my little tum that’s for sure. This cosy pumpkin spice latte is caffeine + dairy free, has zero sugar in if you use homemade hemp milk, but still gives you that warm fuzzy feeling inside. It contains actual pumpkin, and not just that sickly sticky syrup nonsense. I whizzed it up in no time in my Froothie Optimum G2.1 – it made it silky smooth in seconds. Use the #virtualpumpkinparty on Instagram to drool over all these fantastic recipes. Now, who’s joining us for some pumpkin loving?

Pumpkin lovers unite!:

Cake Over Steak • Quick Pumpkin and Kale Risotto + Arancini

Twigg Studios • Sausage Stuffing Baked in a Pumpkin

Donuts, Dresses and Dirt • Pumpkin Spice Latte Popsicles

Cloudy Kitchen • Pumpkin Cake with Vanilla German Buttercream

Vegetarian Ventures • Smoky Pumpkin & Black Sesame Hummus

Eat Boutique • Pumpkin Scallion Dumplings

A Little Saffron • Pumpkin Stuffed Shells

Two Red Bowls • Pumpkin & Maple Caramel Baked French Toast

Wallflower Kitchen • Mini Pumpkin & Cinnamon Sugar Donuts

Wit & Vinegar • Pumpkin Butterscotch Banana Split

Style Sweet CA • Pumpkin Creme Brulee Cake

Nommable • Pumpkin Biscuits with Mushroom Thyme Gravy

With Food + Love • Cinnamon Raisin Pumpkin Seed Bread

Hortus • Creamy Roasted Squash Soup + Pumpkin Risotto

Sevengrams • Vegan Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream

Jojotastic • 1 Pumpkin, 2 Ways: Pumpkin Trail Mix & Dog Treats

Grain Changer • Pumpkin Spice Baked Oatmeal

Girl Versus Dough • Pumpkin Cranberry Flax Crisps

Earthy Feast • Pumpkin Grits + Pumpkin Home Fries + a Fried Egg

Harvest and Honey • Truffled Pumpkin Papardelle Alfredo

Tasty Seasons • Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cake

Broma Bakery • Pumpkin Butter Pop Tarts

Tending the Table • Roasted Pumpkin and Barley Salad

The Sugar Hit • Super Soft Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

Delicious Not Gorgeous • Waffles with Spiced Pumpkin Butter and Brown Sugar Walnut Crumble

Taste Love and Nourish • Pumpkin Bread Pudding

The Green Life • Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Chunk & Hazelnut Skillet Cookie (Vegan)

Foolproof Living • Pumpkin Creme Fraiche Pasta with Sage

The Monday Box • Pumpkin Mini Bundt Cakes

Design Crush • Pumpkin Whiskey Cocktail

The Road to Honey • Pumpkin Pie & Chocolate Layer Cake

My Name is Yeh • Roasted Pumpkin with Yogurt and Hazelnut Dukkah

Give Recipe • Orange Chocolate Pumpkin Bread

Heartbeet Kitchen • Magic Vegan Pumpkin Pie Fudge

Beard and Bonnet • Marbled Pumpkin Muffins

Eat Within Your Means • Vegan Pumpkin Blender Muffins

Snixy Kitchen • Pumpkin Tapioca Pudding with Candied Pumpkin Seeds

Ruby Josephine • Moroccan Sweet Pumpkin + Beef Tagine

Lab Noon • Pasta Bake with Roasted Pumpkin and Saffron Sauce, Pistachio and Goat Cheese

An Edible Mosaic • Pumpkin Spice Chia Seed Pudding

Hey Modest Marce • Mascarpone Pumpkin Pie

Inspired By the Seasons • Pumpkin Applesauce Smoothie

CaliGirl Cooking • Pumpkin Praline Cinnamon Rolls with Spiked Cream Cheese Glaze

Sally’s Baking Addiction • Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bundt Cake

Well and Full • Spicy Chipotle Pumpkin Hummus

Appeasing a Food Geek • Cheese Fondue Stuffed Roasted Pumpkin

SweetPhi • Pumpkin Chili Biscuit Bake

Warm Vanilla Sugar • Buttermilk Pumpkin Doughnuts

Mademoiselle Poirot • Cinnamon-Pumpkin Mousse on Honey Panna Cotta topped with Hazelnut Brittle

Heart of a Baker • Pumpkin Sticky Buns with Vanilla Bean Frosting

Flourishing Foodie • Massaman Curry with Pumpkin and Chickpeas

Ginger & Toasted Sesame • Pumpkin Jeon

Lindsay Jang • Best Ever DIY Pumpkin Spiced Latte

Fix Feast Flair • Hokkaido Pumpkin + Sage Mac and Gouda

Will Frolic for Food • Pumpkin Kale Patties with Coconut Cilantro Rice

A Couple Cooks • Pumpkin Pecan Baked Steel Cut Oats

Vermilion Red • Pumpkin Pie Souffle

1. Britnell • Vegan Pumpkin Pie

Displaced Housewife • Brown Butter Pumpkin Donuts

Sweet Gula • Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

La Pêche Fraîche • Pumpkin and Condensed Milk Cakes

Kitchen Konfidence • Pumpkin Ricotta Gnocchi with Rosemary Brown Butter Sauce

Loves Food, Loves to Eat • Savory Pumpkin Bread Pudding

Kale & Caramel • Goat Cheese & Sage-Stuffed Pumpkin Challah

Okie Dokie Artichokie • Pumpkin Chorizo Chili with Sweet Potatoes + Pinto Beans

Salted Plains • Easy Pumpkin Bread

Liliahna • Chicken Legs with Pumpkin and Tortellini

TermiNatetor Kitchen • Whole Wheat, Pumpkin & Brown Sugar Brioche

Vermilion Roots • Sweet Rice Dumplings with Pumpkin

Celebrate Creativity • Pumpkin Mini Cheesecake Tarts

Serendipity Bakes • Pumpkin Chocolate Cheesecake

So Much Yum • Vegan Maple-Glazed Pumpkin Spice Doughnuts

The Brick Kitchen • Pumpkin, Pecan & White Chocolate Ice Cream Sandwiches

Lisli • Pumpkin Pie Cake

Cookie Dough and Oven Mitt • Pumpkin Pie Dip

Fig+Bleu • Pumpkin Granola

The Speckled Palate • Pumpkin Caramel Cream Cheese Swirl Blondies

Cook Til Delicious • Fall Cliche Cake (Pumpkin Spice Cake / Maple Cream Cheese Frosting / Apple Cider Caramel Sauce)

Floating Kitchen • Chicken and Pumpkin Chili

The Wood and Spoon • Pumpkin Pecan Cake with Burnt Sugar Frosting

Fork Vs Spoon • Pumpkin Streusel Muffins

Lemon & Vanilla • Pumpkin and Coconut Caramel Flan

Dunk & Crumble • Pumpkin Chocolate Icebox Cake

Chicano Eats • Pumpkin Butter Pan de Muerto

On the Plate • Pumpkin Pancakes, Salted Caramel & Pecans

Brewing Happiness • Pumpkin Ginger Breakfast Cookies

A Butterful Mind • Pumpkin Cheesecake with Vanilla Whipped Cream

The Little Loaf • Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Fork to Belly • Pumpkin Gnocchi

The Little Epicurean • Chocolate Hazelnut Pumpkin Pie

Bourbon and Honey • Spicy Roasted Pumpkin with Honey and Feta

What to Cook Today • Spicy Pumpkin Noodle Soup

Food by Mars • Pumpkin Pie (Grain-Free, Diary-Free)

The Bojon Gourmet • Pumpkin Butterscotch Pudding

Oh Honey Bakes • Pumpkin Cake with Gingersnap Toffee

Long Distance Baking • Layered Pumpkin Cheesecake

The Jam Lab • Pumpkin Madeleines Dipped in White Chocolate

The Lemon Apron • Pumpkin Gingerbread Loaf with an Olive Oil Glaze

Sun Diego Eats • Thai Pumpkin & Sticky Rice Cakes

A Cozy Kitchen • Pumpkin Chai Scones with Black Tea Glaze

A Cookie Named Desire • Pumpkin Shrubs

Eating Clean Recipes • Vegan Pumpkin Chia Pudding

Kingfield Kitchen • Vegan Fresh Pumpkin Soup

Drink and Cocktail Recipes • Pumpkin Dirty Chai

The Pig & Quill • Pumpkin Sage Cannelloni (Dairy-Free)

My Lavender Blues • Pumpkin, Banana & Olive Oil Bundt Cake

Betty Liu • Pumpkin + Pear Butter Baked Melty Cheese

Happy Hearted Kitchen • Cinnamon Roasted Pumpkin with Tahini Yogurt + Hazelnut Dukkah

InHappenstance • Pumpkin Scones with Maple Butter

Live Eat Learn • Pumpkin Gingerbread Hot Cocoa

Cosy Pumpkin Spice Latte (caffeine + dairy free) for #virtualpumpkinparty

 

Print

Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

40 mins

Total time

45 mins

 

A cosy hug in a mug for you. Caffeine, dairy and sugar free (if using homemade hemp milk).

Rough Measures: Rough Measures

Ingredients

• 225g / 1 cup pumpkin - peeled and de-seeded
• 1 teaspoon coconut oil
• 400ml homemade hemp milk / or any plant based milk,(you can use store bought but be wary as it is likely to contain some sugar)
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice mix (or a mix of ground cinnamon / ginger / nutmeg)
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon - for sprinkling on top

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 190 C / Gas Mark 5
2. On a lined baking tray, scatter the pumpkin over the tray.
3. Toss in the coconut oil and pumpkin pie spice
4. Cover with foil and roast for 35-45 mins, or until soft.
5. Once cooked, add to a blender with the hemp milk.
6. Blend for 30 seconds and pour into a large mug, scatter the top with cinnamon.

3.5.3217

Disclaimer: Expect to see lots more Froothie Optimum G2.1 posts as I am now an Ambassador for Froothie.  Any links to their site in this post or future posts are affiliate links. If you purchase through these links I will earn a small commission, it won’t cost you any extra though. I was not paid to write this post and all opinions are my own. Thank you for continuing to support Rough Measures! 

The post Cosy Pumpkin Spice Latte (caffeine + dairy free) for #virtualpumpkinparty appeared first on Rough Measures.