Our summer issue is out now!
Gaby Wieland from Neantóg Kitchen shares two divine summer recipes to help us create tasty vegetable skewers & sweet strawberry cake for dessert .
Check out the delicious recipes below…
It’s that time again: time to reveal our latest edition of The Happy Pear’s scrumptious recipes! We love the enchiladas and chocolate cake combo they shared with us for our Spring 2021 issue. Read on to enjoy!
In our Autumn 2020 issue, Elle Fox of CNM (The College of Naturopathic Medicine) wrote about the drawbacks of gluten, while Svetlana Sidorova provided us with a great gluten-free recipe for Buckwheat and Almond Meal Bread. We can’t wait to try it out!
One of our offerings in the new Summer 2020 issue is a chance to win ‘Primal Living in a Modern World,’ a new anti-inflammatory recipe and lifestyle book by Pauline Cox, proprietor of Sow & Arrow health company. You can win by taking a picture of this article in our physical magazine (it appears on page 43), then sharing your picture to social media, tagging us to let us know. Search for your nearest stockist here, or subscribe to receive a copy direct to your door. Winners will be selected at the upcoming Vitality health show in September. Good luck! In the meantime, we wanted to share the article online. Read on below!
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Vegan Season for Cornucopia: New Cookbook Arrives!
Here at Positive Life, we have long been huge fans of the renowned vegetarian restaurant, Cornucopia. So when we heard they were releasing a new entirely vegan cookbook called The Green Cookbook, we just had to feature them in our Winter 2019/20 magazine! The article below appears in our ever-popular Short and Sweet section.
We are seriously impressed by the work of Georgie Young, a blogger who specialises in paleo cooking, nutrition and health. She is the founder and editor of Primal Eye, the UK’s first online independent magazine dedicated to the paleo lifestyle. Her recipes are incredible. She has even created a recipe for raw vegan Creme Egg-style slices – we certainly like the sound of those! To learn more about her work, read on.
Paleo food and paleo living in general have become hot topics in recent years. The basic philosophy behind a paleo diet is that it should mimic the diets of our ancient ancestors as closely as possible. In a paleo diet, a high emphasis is placed on cutting out highly processed grains and junk foods, in favour of fresh, natural, unprocessed ingredients. One British blogger called Georgie Young is particularly passionate about promoting the many health benefits of this lifestyle. On her website (Greens of the Stone Age) she says, “Having been Paleo for around 5 years, cooking has become a huge passion of mine. I love sharing my passion for cooking, ‘paleofying’ food, and exploring veganism within the Paleo diet, and along the way, I have helped many friends to take a more holistic approach to their hectic lifestyles.”
Georgie’s work has been featured in a wide range of cooking and lifestyle publications, including Pop Sugar, Womens’ Health, Free-From Heaven, Vegan Food Online, Crobar and Vivo Life.
Thanks to her dedication, Primal Eye – the online magazine she founded and edited – has become one of the UK’s foremost sources of information for all things paleo-related. She has a positive attitude towards everything she does, and is determined to share her knowledge in a generous, uplifting way that empowers people to take control of their own health. “I’m a lover and a fighter, I don’t like to give up, and I love a challenge,” she explains. “I tend to want to do everything and anything, which means I ultimately never become an expert at anything, but it does mean that I have a lot of fun doing so and I think that is ultimately what life is all about.”
We wanted to highlight a few of Georgie’s amazingly inventive recipes here. They look truly mouth-watering, and we can’t wait to try them out!
Raw Vegan Creme Egg Slices (Paleo, Gluten-Free)
These Raw Vegan Creme Egg Slices are a fun play on the much-loved traditional Easter snack, the Creme Egg. They consist of four layers: raw shortbread topped with vanilla creme, turmeric creme, and yummy dark raw chocolate.
The link to this recipe is available here.
Fermented Unicorn Zebra Cheesecake (Gluten-Free, Paleo, Raw Vegan)
No, your eyes do not deceive you – it really is possible to make a raw, fermented cake that both looks and tastes incredible! This beauty is a real feast for both the eyes and the tastebuds. As Georgie put it, “sometimes I amaze myself with the insanity of my own creations. The other day I was thinking how much I’d like to make a fermented, probiotic-rich raw cheesecake and then I started to realise I hadn’t done anything other than basic marbling, so thought a zebra cheesecake would be even more fun. Then, of course, I always like to put a colourful spin on my work, and so the Fermented Unicorn Zebra Cheesecake was born.”
If you want to try your hand at making it, click here.
Sweet and Sour Jackfruit ‘Chicken’ (Vegan, Paleo, Gluten-Free)
In this recipe, Georgie produces her own unique twist on sweet and sour chicken using jackfruit: a type of chewy, “meaty”, pleasantly textured fruit which can be bought tinned in many Asian and speciality food shops. As always, healthy and natural ingredients are prioritised in this recipe. The jackfruit is naturally coloured with beetroot powder, sweetened with coconut sugar, and is free from meat, dairy, nuts, grains, and gluten. You can find it here.
Charcoal Waffle Cones (Paleo, Gluten-Free, Vegan)
Now here’s something we’ve never come across before: charcoal ice cream cones! Activated charcoal has become one of the latest, greatest trends in the fields of natural health and wellbeing. It is commonly used in natural teeth whitening products, as a gentler alternative to the harsh bleaches and chlorines that can be found in conventional whitening creams. However, we have never seen it used in an ice cream cone before! Georgie has managed to create a surprisingly tasty ice cream cone that – as usual – places natural, healthy ingredients to the fore. They are gluten, grain, and refined sugar free, and also contain a vegan egg substitute, so pretty much anyone can enjoy them. Click here to find out how you too can “reach a whole new level of Instagram hipster” with these charcoal cones, as Georgie describes it!
Georgie’s blog is greensofthestoneage.com, while the website of Primal Eye Magazine is primaleye.uk.
This is an excerpt from the Summer issue of Positive Life. Read the rest of the intro, recipe and notes by subscribing so we can send you a copy or pick up one at one of our stockist. Subscribe | Stockists
Intro & Recipe by Tony Keogh, Head Chef at Cornucopia
Summer time is upon us. The warm evenings and glorious endless days are here again. Vitamin D and energy levels have been restored, and we are all pining to be outdoors. It’s that time of year to break out the sun cream, the chequered blanket, and a bottle of vino, and head down to your favourite spot in the park for some impromptu alfresco dining. Stepping out for a nibble is something people have relished since time immemorial. It’s one of life’s many mysteries, but for some reason, food always tastes better in a friend’s house or outdoors. Breaking bread in the sunshine is also a great way to catch up with old friends.
At Cornucopia, we have you covered for all your alfresco needs. Whether it’s a summer picnic, a potluck barbecue, or an office lunch, we have your back with a wide selection of salads, cold pressed juices, raw chilled soups or sweet summer nibbles. We have also have just introduced a second summer sandwich
to rival and complement our famous daikon smoked tofu wrap. It consists of fresh herby falafels, sundried tomatoes, sumac, and fresh shredded vegetables with creamy tahini mayonnaise and hummus, all enrobed in a soft tortilla shell. It’s portable and it’s healthy, and is available at the restaurant today.
This is an excerpt from the Summer issue of Positive Life. Read the rest of the intro, recipe and notes by subscribing so we can send you a copy or pick up one at one of our stockist. Subscribe | Stockists
From our Winter 2015/2016 issue. Be the first to read the next issue of Positive Life in print – Subscribe.
By James Burke
For the past two years, we have been organising a vegan, Christmas themed meal in the cosy upstairs dining room of Cornucopia, offering a set menu which includes an almost traditional plum pudding and custard so this issue’s recipe comes from what we serve there. The tempeh and Brazil nut roasts are individual, protein packed patties served with a rich plum sauce, resting on a creamy roasted cauliflower puree designed to soak up the flavours. I like to have some steamed garlicy greens on the side. In the recipe for the tempeh roasts, you’ll notice that it calls for either vital wheat gluten or tapioca flour. Both work very well but offer very slightly different results. I prefer the texture of the vital wheat gluten flour, but using the tapioca flour is a perfect way to create a gluten-free alternative. For the sauce, you will see the addition of beetroot powder at the very end but it’s added just for colour and as it can be difficult to source, don’t worry if you can’t get a hold of it, though local health food stores are your best bet! Happy cooking!
Tempeh and Brazil Nut Roast
Serves 3 to 4
- 50ml rapeseed oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 cloves of garlic, chopped
- 125g roasted Brazil nuts, chopped
- 400g tempeh, diced
- 35g vital wheat gluten flour or 35g tapioca flour
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
Preheat oven to 200 Celsius. Heat the oil in a medium sized pan and fry the onion for 5-7 minutes over a medium heat until lightly browned. Add the garlic and continue cooking for 5 minutes.
As they’re cooking, prepare the tempeh by finely dicing or mincing in a food processor. Place the diced tempeh into a medium mixing bowl then add the cooked onion, garlic and rapeseed oil. Pour the flour and salt into the bowl, and stir until thoroughly mixed.
Use your hands form into oval shaped patties (6 X 100g/8 X 75g). Place onto a baking tray and into preheated over. Bake for 20-25 minutes until heated through. Remove from the oven and serve with the roast cauliflower puree and spiced plum sauce.
Roasted cauliflower puree:
- 1 medium cauliflower, about 1kg in weight
- 120ml unsweetened soy milk, slightly warmed
- ¾ teaspoon sea salt
- 95 ml cold pressed rapeseed oil
Prepare the cauliflower removing the leaves and core. Break or chop into little pieces, place in a bowl and sprinkle the salt over. Add 15mls of the oil and mix to coat, then place on a baking tray and into the oven for 25 minutes until the cauliflower has browned and is very soft.
About 10 minutes before the cauliflower is ready, place the soymilk into a small saucepan and gently warm over a low heat. Once the cauliflower is ready, remove it from the oven and carefully place it into a large jug. Pour the warmed soymilk over the cauliflower and puree with a stick blender.
Once blended, slowly pour in the remaining 80ml of the oil, blending all the time until it achieves a lightly emulsified and smooth texture.
Spiced Plum and Beetroot Sauce
Makes about 500ml of finished sauce
- 1kg plums
- 4 cloves garlic
- 40g ginger
- 400ml red wine vinegar
- 200ml water
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon chilli flakes
- 1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns
- 4 star anise
- 2 cinnamon stick
- 100ml tamari or shoyu soy sauce
- 100g agave syrup or apple concentrate
- 2 teaspoons beetroot powder
Quarter the plums, remove the stone and place into a medium saucepan. Roughly chop the garlic cloves and ginger and also add to the saucepan. Pour in the red wine vinegar, salt, chilli flakes, Sichuan peppercorns, star anise and cinnamon stick.
Cover the saucepan with a tight fitting lid, place over a medium heat and bring to a boil. Once boiled, reduce the heat and simmer for another 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once the sauce has been simmered, remove from the heat and pass the mixture through a fine sieve. Reserve the liquid and place it into a smaller clean saucepan.
Add the remaining soy sauce and agave/apple concentrate. Bring this mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes. Stir regularly, as at this stage the sauce will be thickening up and therefore most likely to stick to the bottom of the pan.
Once the sauce has been simmering for the 5 to 10 minutes it will have reached a sticky and glossy consistency. Now sift the 2 teaspoons of beetroot powder through a sieve and into the sauce and whisk to mix the powder thoroughly into the sauce. The sauce is now ready to serve.
The sauce can be cooled and stored for up to 2 weeks in a refrigerator.
By James Burke, chef at Cornucopia Dublin.
Here are a few recipes for a great outdoor summer meal, or with a little preparation, a tasty picnic. Originally from Indonesia, Tempeh is a traditional soy product and the only part that needs to be cooked. But by all means add some grilled corn on the cob and some marinated grilled vegetables to fill it out even more. At Cornucopia barbecues, we have served all of these along with some delicious Arun Bakery sourdough rolls and Blanco Niño’s new soft corn tortillas. When I make these recipes at home, I prep the sauces and tempeh the day before, which takes an hour at most. Then all I have to do the next day is fire up the barbeque, finish the tempeh, chop a few vegetables and assemble some sandwiches with heaps of time left for enjoying the food and the company you choose to share it with.
Barbecued Marinated Tempeh, 4 portions
- 2 tablespoons sea salt
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 2 tablespoons rapeseed oil
- 1.5l warm water
- 1 bunch of oregano, tied with cotton string
- For the tempeh
- 400g tempeh, sliced into 8 pieces
- 200ml Piedmont dip BBQ sauce
- Place the brine ingredients into a stock pot over a high heat and bring to a boil. Add the tempeh slices and blanch for 5 minutes.
- Remove the tempeh from the brine and place it into a storage tub. Strain about 500ml of the brine onto the tempeh to cover all the pieces then leave to cool. Discard the remaining brine. Marinate the tempeh in the brine for at least 4 hours, or overnight, stored in a refrigerator.
- Remove the tempeh slices from the brine and discard the liquid. Finish the tempeh by placing each slice on a medium hot barbecue, or into an oven preheated to 200 Celsius.
- Once the tempeh has been cooking for 10 minutes, brush the Piedmont BBQ sauce over it. Keep brushing on the sauce every few minutes until the tempeh is slightly crisped and the sauce has been absorbed. This should take another 10 to 15 minutes.
- Serve with some sourdough bread rolls or corn tortillas, smoked garlic aioli, more BBQ sauce and red slaw.
Piedmont Dip
- 250ml cider vinegar
- 180ml agave syrup
- 120ml water
- 50g tomato puree
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Place all the ingredients into a saucepan and bring to a boil over a medium high heat.
- Reduce the heat to a simmer and continue to cook over a medium low heat for about 30 minutes until the sauce has reduced to leave about 250ml.
- Store the sauce in a fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Red Slaw of Spiced Cabbage and Carrot, Serves 4 to 6
- 1/8 head white cabbage (about 200g)
- 1/8 head red cabbage (about 200g)
- 2 medium carrots (about 200g)
- 1 small bunch chives (10g), chopped thinly
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon chilli flakes
- 15ml olive or rapeseed oil
- 250ml tomato ketchup
- Slice the cabbages thinly either using a food processor or by hand and place them into a large salad bowl. Peel and grate the carrots and add them to the cabbage. Chop the chives also and add to the cabbage and carrot.
- Next add the salt and oil, and stir it to combine.
- Finally add the tomato ketchup and stir it through to coat all the vegetable and herb mixture. Set aside until needed. The red slaw will keep for up to 4 days but is best dressed just before serving.
Smoked garlic and lemon Aioli, Makes about 250ml
- 50ml soy milk
- 30ml lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 2 cloves smoked garlic
- 160ml cold smoked rapeseed oil
- For best results and less washing up, use a hand blender to make this aioli. You can also use a food processor but if neither is available a heavy jug, whisk and finely chopped garlic will work too.
- Pour the soy milk and lemon juice into a jug. Add the sea salt and garlic then use a hand blender to puree.
- Slowly pour the oil into the mixture and continue until the oil has been incorporated and the aioli is nicely emulsified and smooth. The aioli will keep for up to 10 days refrigerated.
- If you can’t find smoked garlic then fresh garlic would be a suitable replacement. The smoked rapeseed oil I use is produced by Newgrange Gold oils from Co. Meath and, if you can’t find it, the smoked oil can be replaced with regular cold pressed rapeseed or olive oil.
This is taken from our Spring 2015 issue. Subscribe here to receive our summer issue and three more.
I usually start the day with a big bowl of porridge drizzled with camelina oil, honey and some fruit or nuts. As I’ve also gotten into juicing lately, along with the rest of the country it seems, I’ll always add a tablespoon or two of camelina into whatever delicious concoction I’ve come up with. It works more like a supplement in a juice as it’s packed full of Omega 3s, 6s and 9s and gives you your RDA of essential fatty acids. And I’m a great fan of adding a splash of it to salads and soups amongst other things.
Because of its taste and its health properties, it’s a great supplement to numerous recipes and a brilliant substitute for other oils or butter in baking. The nutty flavour is something I love in baking my own breads.
Way back when I first used camelina oil, I had taken it on as a skin care product. I had quite bad dermatitis and had heard it’s great on the skin with its incredibly high amount of Vitamin E. I’d apply it directly to the affected area as well as taking a couple of teaspoons first thing in the morning and quickly saw results. Newgrange Gold recently got certified by Bord Bia’s Origin Green for its sustainability and eco-farming practices and, in my mind, this too adds to the story of camelina, a super oil produced in an eco-friendly, sustainable way.
This is taken from our Spring 2015 issue. Subscribe here to receive our summer issue and three more.
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