Quick, Easy and Simple Avocado Pasta

If you are looking for a creamy yet light and fresh pasta sauce then look no further! 

Ingredients

Pasta - how much and whatever you like 

1 avocado 

hand full of basil leaves (I use spinach when I don't have basil) 

10 baby tomatoes

1 clove of garlic

splash of olive oil 

pinch of salt and pepper 

2 teaspoons of lemon juice (vinegar works perfectly if you don't have lemon) 

Method

1. Cook the pasta

2. Whilst the pasta is cooking, cut and remove the stone and skin from the avocado and place into a food processor along with the basil, tomatoes, garlic, oil, salt, pepper and lemon juice. 

3. Blitz the ingredients until they form a smoothish paste. The consistency of the sauce is up to you really, I like mine fairly smooth. 

4. Once the pasta is cooked, drain and return to saucepan. Add avocado sauce to pasta. 

This recipe makes enough sauce for 2 large or 3 small servings. 

I often like to take this to work with me and if I do that, I cook the pasta and then let that cool and through in a splash of olive oil to stop it from drying out and then in a separate container take my sauce. Then at lunch time I reheat my pasta and then stir through my sauce. As there is lemon/vinegar in the sauce it should stop it from going brown. 

The sauce will keep in the fridge for about a day maybe two. 

Vegan Peanut Butter Chocolate Granola

I find breakfast the hardest time to be vegan, I don't know if it is because my family all eat fry ups and bacon sandwiches. Egg on toast is a staple in our house or if it just seems like breakfast is boring. Toast and Jam can get a little old after a while as can porridge. If like me you struggle to find an exciting breakfast you can quickly eat on the go, this granola is perfect for you. Simply make a batch ahead of time and grab a load whenever you need it.

Ingredients

3/4 of cup of sugar (I used caster but any sugar will do)

1/2 cup of cocoa powder 

1/2 cup of soya milk (any non-dairy milk is fine)

1/2 cup of water 

2 or 3 tablespoons of peanut butter (smooth or crunchy will work)

8 tablespoons of oil (vegetable or olive)

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract 

5 cups of oats

3 tablespoons of flax seeds

1/4 cup of pecans

1/4 cup of dried cranberries 

1/4 cup of flaked coconut 

50g of chopped dark chocolate 

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 150c (fan)
2. Mix together in a large bowl sugar, cocoa, milk, water, peanut butter, oil, salt and vanilla. 
3. Add oats, flax seeds, pecans, cranberries and flaked coconut
4. Spread the mixture evenly onto two lined baking trays. The mixture will take approximately 45 minutes to cook and become dry. Check the mixture every 20 minutes and give it a stir and a mix up to create little granola nuggets. 
5. Allow to cool on baking trays for approximately 30 minutes. When cool, mix in chopped chocolate and store in air tight container

The granola will keep for approximately a month and makes between 10 to 15 servings. 

This is a perfect grab and go breakfast. I just pick up a tub full and mix with soya milk when I get to work. Simple and easy.