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‘This is a paid advertorial with Tesco’
February is a month of two halves for me. Coming off the back of January (which arguably hold the dullest days of the year) February feels like a welcome relief – even more so as we nudge our way towards Spring. After Valentines it’s like we’ve somehow hit our stride again and I can’t tell you how much I’m enjoying these brighter, longer days. Cornwall (and Penzance in particular) is especially beautiful at this time of year, so our evening walks along the prom are back on the rota and our menu gets a slight tweaking too. Once that sun begins to make an appearance my mind turns eagerly towards lighter dishes that take very little time to prep … really, what I’m after is a simple ‘construct & go’ affair, which is where this spiralized squash spaghetti recipe with rocket pesto comes into play.
I might make my living as a cookbook author but sometimes there’s nothing nicer than letting someone else do all the hard work for you. Like most people I often turn to the internet for inspiration and Tesco’s ever expanding catalogue of plant based recipes is a super place to start. It’s so incredible to see the interest that vegan food is garnering at present and I am really heartened when a brand like Tesco not only embrace it but also endeavour to make plant based eating that little bit easier.
I’ll always be drawn to savoury dishes first but for those of you with a sweeter tooth than myself there’s everything from triple layered Birthday Cake to moreish Cinnamon & Pecan Pastries to satisfy those cravings … both of which look seriously tempting and, more importantly, seem an absolute cinch to make. Because I’m always pushed for time when it comes to dinner though (heck, who isn’t?) this nifty noodle recipe immediately grabbed my attention. I whipped it up in mere minutes and as it only uses six basic ingredients, it’s incredibly budget friendly too. It went down such a storm with my Husband, he requested I siphon off a little for his lunch the next day, which I promptly popped in a handy weck jar.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
It’s funny how sometimes the simpler the meal, the better it’s received. When there’s less stress involved, you can spend more time chatting at the table rather than slaving over the stove – and if you think I’m exaggerating, I have been known to lavish several precious hours over a midweek evening meal, ahem. Because food is my life (and my work) having something tasty on the table in record time is a real treat. I’m pretty sure my Husband appreciates it too – he might not say it but I suspect he’d much rather I was conversing with him than fretting in the kitchen, so recipes like these quickly become go-to’s when I’d rather labour over the socialising than the actual cooking.
And whilst it might not exactly be picnic weather yet (close though, so close!), I’ve already earmarked this dish for taking to the beach or park. I’m getting into the habit of prepping dishes on a Sunday evening (well, trying to) and this is going to make for a delicious addition to my weekly repertoire. I reckon it would make for a wonderful topping to any buddha bowl – grain, greans, beans, you know the drill.
If you fancy giving it a go yourself then follow this link to the recipe page or for more ideas head over to the Real Food Vegan Hub. For this dish you will need a spiralizer, or at the very least, a vegetable peeler, which can be used to make ribbons. I opted for a fine spiral but if you’d like it more ‘spaghetti’ like I’d advise using the slightly larger attachment – both equally delicious, just a slightly different texture. If you can’t get your hands on already toasted hazelnuts then you can simply pop them in a pre-heated oven at 180c for 5-7 mins before transferring them to a clean tea towel. Rub vigorously until the skins are removed an et voila, perfect toasted hazelnuts for your pesto!
