Hi! I'm jess and I'm so happy you're here :)

I hope you are all staying healthy and happy during this strange time! I know some of you may be finding it difficult to get hold of fresh produce at the moment or maybe you just don't feel like being creative in the kitchen right now? I'm hoping to change your mind... or at least inspire you to use this time and space to protect and nourish your bodies and to learn some easy and healthy plant based recipes.

I'm currently stranded in Sri Lanka as my flight home was cancelled due to Covid19. I'm staying in Hiriketiya, a beautiful surfing town in the Southern Province. It's completely deserted which feels very strange and although we're also on a very strict lockdown, I feel so grateful to have an abundance of fresh fruit and vegetables to include in my diet. One challenge I am facing is that there are no kitchen facilities in the room I'm staying in so I am being forced to get creative with some No-cook meals.

Although challenging, it has actually been a really interesting process and has made me realise that there is so much you can do without heat! Like elsewhere, It’s a difficult shopping experience at the moment as we only have a few hours of curfew break and are otherwise not allowed outside at all. Because of this, I haven't been able to use a wide variety of ingredients so you will see similar produce across the recipes. This has been a great exercise in creativity though!

If you follow me on instagram @real_eatable you will have seen my daily stories showing each of the No-Cook meals I have been preparing. Below are these recipes with the ingredients and method. I want to add that they are so quick to prepare so if you are feeling lazy, don't despair... it will take you less time that it would to choose and order takeout. :)

RAW VEGETABLE SALAD WITH A TAHINI DRESSING AND TOMATO SALSA

for the salad:

Ingredients

2 carrots

1 large beetroot

handful of capers

handful of olives

for the tahini dressing:

1 tbsp tahini

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp honey

squeeze of lemon

for the tomato salsa:

6 fresh tomatoes ( organic if possible )

3 cloves of garlic

1 red onion

1 tsp olive oil

dash of vinegar ( I prefer apple cider vinegar- also great for your gut!)

salt and pepper to taste

Method

Thinly slice the carrot and beetroot and arrange on your plate with the capers and olives, set aside.

For the dressing: add the tahini, oil and lemon and whisk together until you get a smooth consistency. Now mix in your honey and taste. If you prefer it sweeter you can always add a bit more honey at this point. Now spoon the dressing over the vegetables being careful not to drown them as you don't want to overpower their flavours.

For the tomato salsa: roughly chop the tomatoes and onion and add them to your bowl. Crush the garlic cloves and add this to the bowl with the olive oil and vinegar and season to taste. Voila! A healthy, immune boosting, quick raw meal full of antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, protein and healthy fats.

Enjoy! :)

Ingredients

1 cup dry cous cous

juice and zest of one lemon

1/2 cup water

dried chilli flakes

2 carrots

1 raw beetroot

3 tbsp capers

2 spring onions

3 cloves of garlic

2 spring onions

2 tbsp cumin seeds

salt and pepper to taste

tahini dressing ( as above)

Method

You may be surprised to learn ( I was) that cous cous doesn't actually need to be cooked, it just needs to be rehydrated. You will need to soak it for a couple of hours so its best to do this the night before or in the morning. So for the rehydration of the cous cous; place the dry cous cous in a large bowl and add the water, lemon juice and lemon zest. Chill for at least 2 hours.

Once the cous cous is ready you can start preparing the other ingredients. Roughly chop the beetroot and carrot and add this to the cous cous along with the capers. Crush the garlic cloves and add these to the bowl along with the chilli flakes, cumin seeds and salt and pepper.

Mix all the ingredients together and serve. Top with the spring onion and tahini dressing.

Enjoy! :)

Ingredients

2 cups of oats (wholegrain is healthiest)

1/2 cup of water

1 cup coconut milk

2 tsp cinnamon

chopped apple to serve

Method

This recipe will make around 4 bowls of overnight oats. They keep for at least 4 days in the fridge but feel free to adjust the amount if you prefer to make less... or more of course!

Its best to use some kind of Tupperware if you have it (the planet will thank you if it’s non plastic) but you can also just use a large bowl. Place all the ingredients in the vessel except the banana and mix thoroughly. Place in the fridge overnight and it will be ready for when you wake up :).

Top with apple or any fruit of your choice, its also nice to add some nuts or seeds for extra crunch and protein! Also if you have a sweet tooth then honey would also be a perfect topping.

Enjoy!

PASSIONFRUIT AND PAPAYA BREAKFAST SMOOTHIE

Ingredients

2 passionfruit

1/4 large papaya

1 banana

1 tsp of cinnamon

1 1/2 cups of water

small piece of ginger

Method

Cut the passionfruit in half and spoon out the flesh, place in the blender and discard the shells. Put all other ingredients into the blender and blend!

tip: If you would like to make this into more of a hearty meal you can always add coconut milk/ avocado and make a smoothie bowl instead and top with your favourite seeds such as chia and plant powder like maca or baobab.

Ingredients

8 tomatoes

2 cucumbers

4 cloves of garlic

1 red onion

3 tbsp olive oil

1 cup of water

1 tsp salt + pepper

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 spring onion

Method

Chop the tomatoes, red onion and cucumbers and put them in the blender. Crush the garlic and add this to the mix along with the salt, pepper, olive oil and water. Blend this until you reach a smooth consistency and everything is pureed. Pour into bowls and top with the spring onion and cumin seeds to serve.

This has to be my favourite meal of the week. Its so tasty, easy and quick to make and super nutritious! If I had more shopping options like I would at home then I’d probably add a celery stick to the mix and some chives so this is also an option if you can get hold of some. Its delicious as it is though!

Ingredients

Tin of chickpeas drained

4 cloves of garlic

1 beetroot

1 tbsp tahini ( recipe above)

1 tsp cumin seeds

2 tsp salt

4 tbsp olive oil

juice of 1/2 lemon

splash of water

Method

Chop or grate the beetroot and place in the blender along with all the other ingredients and blend! Yep thats it :). Top with your choice of herb, I choose fennel seeds as I couldn't get hold of any fresh herbs in the market but other flavours that i think work well are coriander and rosemary.

Serve with fresh sourdough or some raw veggies.

Raw, plant-based meals to inspire and nourish you during lockdown

Smoothie bowls