This dish incorporates two of my favourite vegetables, aubergines and mushrooms. Heavily influenced from all the years I’ve spent in Asia, expect powerful, fresh and punchy flavours with that underlying sweetness that South-East Asian cuisine is known for.
SERVES 4
PREP TIME 10 MINS
COOK TIME 20 MINS
TOTAL TIME 30 MINS
INGREDIENTS
2 small – medium sized aubergines (cut into 3/4 inch cubes)
175g oyster mushrooms
1 and a half courgettes (I used up the 2 cores from my Easy Courgette Ribbon Salad and sliced them into squares)
1 tbsp rapeseed oil
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp tamari / soya sauce
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp brown sugar / maple syrup
1/2 lime (juiced)
1/4 zest of lime
1 large mild red chilli (adjust as per your taste)
1 sq inch of ginger (minced)
1 clove of garlic (minced)
2 spring onions (sliced)
1 tsp sesame seeds
Large handful of coriander (chopped)
STEP 1
Prepare your 3/4 inch cubes of aubergines and sprinkle them with salt then set aside as you prepare the rest of your vegetables.
STEP 2
Heat a pan until it’s very hot and add rapeseed oil. When the oil is hot, add the aubergines and reduce the heat to medium. Cook for 10 minutes turning regularly to ensure all sides are golden brown the centres are soft.
STEP 3
Add chilli, garlic, ginger, mushrooms, tamari, apple cider vinegar, lime zest and a splash of water then cover and heat for another 3-4 minutes.
STEP 4
Add courgette cores (if you are cooking with whole courgettes and not just the cores then add these in with the mushrooms in step 3) and sugar then cover and cook for another 4 minutes.
STEP 5
Turn off the heat and stir through lime juice, sesame seeds, spring onions and coriander and serve with rice or noodles.
This super easy, light, refreshing salad is the perfect accompaniment to a BBQ, a pasta dish or anything that can do with a quick dose of ZING!
You simply cannot go wrong with this fool-proof recipe that tastes amazing and is just so good for you! Feel free to get creative with your own variations…like swapping dill and lemon for chilli flakes and lime – whatever your preference!
Being raw, nutritious and delicious it’s a crowd pleaser and takes just 5 minutes!
SERVES 4
PREP TIME 5 MINS
COOK TIME 0 MINS
TOTAL TIME 5 MINS
INGREDIENTS
1 yellow courgette
1 green courgette
1/2 lemon (juiced)
Handful of dill (chopped)
1/2 tsp Himalayan salt / sea salt
Black pepper (to taste)
Healthy glug of extra virgin olive oil
STEP 1
Use a vegetable peeler to make wide, thin ribbons by dragging it from the top to the bottom of the courgette. Repeat on one side until you reach the softer inside where the seeds are and turn and repeat. When you are finished you should have a long, thin rectangle of courgette cores.
Zero Waste Tip: Save the cores of your courgetters to put into a stir fry or roast them with some other veggies. Check out my Sweet and Spicy Aubergine and Mushrooms dish where I used mine!)
STEP 2
Add your dill, salt, lemon juice, black pepper and oil then use your hands to thoroughly mix your salad and voila! It’s ready to serve!
Top Tip: If you are pre-prepping your salad, don’t add your lemon juice until just before serving.
One of the main things I miss the most about home when I’m living on the road is having access to an oven and it is simple dishes like this that show you why. Incredibly easy, insanely tasty and the perfect addition to any lunch or evening meal or even just as a delicious snack, these bite-sized delights couldn’t be simpler! 5 minutes prep, whack them in the oven, toss them over halfway through and hey presto! Epic, crispy, deliciousness in just 40 minutes.
SERVES 4
PREP TIME 5 MINS
COOK TIME 35 MINS
TOTAL TIME 40 MINS
INGREDIENTS
650g new potatoes (halved/quartered, keeping size consistent)
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
3/4 tsp mixed herbs / fresh rosemary (minced)
Pepper (to taste)
Healthy drizzle of rapeseed oil / olive oil
STEP 1
Heat your oven to gas mark 6 before you prep the potatoes. Wash the potatoes well but keep the skin on then cut into halves or quarters making sure you keep the size consistent.
STEP 2
Transfer to oven dish and spread out evenly. Toss in oil, garlic powder (or fresh if you prefer), see salt, herbs and pepper and put in the oven on the top shelf.
STEP 3
Check after 20 minutes – turn over potatoes and put them back in the oven. Cook for another 15 minutes or until crispy and serve with an extra sprinkle of sea salt.
Aloo Gobi is a traditional North Indian dish that is enjoyed widely around the world but most commonly in India and Pakistan. Made up of the main ingredients ‘aloo’ meaning ‘potato’ and ‘gobi’ meaning ‘cauliflower’, this dish is hearty and full of goodness. There are many variations that may include peas or other veggies but the name stays the same.
Authentic Aloo Gobi does not have a liquid gravy which means the flavour comes from the aromatic spices added including tumeric . It is found all over India because the ingredients are widely accessible and cheap, it fills your stomach and it’s also simply delicious!
This recipe gives a zero waste spin on this traditional dish making use of the whole cauliflower, including the stalk and stems for added crunch! Super easy, super tasty and always a crowd pleaser! Enjoy 🙂
SERVES 6
PREP TIME 10 MINS
COOK TIME 25 MINS
TOTAL TIME 35 MINS
INGREDIENTS
2 large potatoes (cut into 3/4 inch cubes, skin on)
1 medium cauliflower (cut into large florets and peel the outer layer of the stalk. Remove 1/2 inch off the bottom (and compost!) and cut the rest of the stem into 1/4 inch slices) 1/2 cauliflower leaves (separate leaves from stems and cut stems into 1/2 inch slices (like you would with celery) – chop leaves roughly)
3 shallots (diced)
1/2 red onion (finely diced)
3/4 green chilli (finely chopped) (optional)
1 sq inch ginger (minced)
3 garlic cloves (minced)
2 tomatoes (finely diced)
1/2 lemon (juiced)
2 tbsp rapeseed oil
1 tbsp garam masala
1 tbsp coriander powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp tumeric
1 tsp cumin seeds
Handful of chopped coriander (including stalks)
Cup of water
GARNISH
Coriander
STEP 1
Heat your pot and add oil. Once the oil is hot, add the cumin seeds and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
STEP 2
Lower the heat (medium) and add your shallots, onions and cauliflower leaf stems sautéing them for about 5-6 minutes until soft.
STEP 3
Add ginger, chilli and garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes.
STEP 4
Add salt and spices, stir and cook for another 1-2 minutes over a low heat.
STEP 5
Pour in your diced tomatoes, stir and simmer for a few minutes before adding the potatoes. Increase the heat slightly, add a splash of water and cover for 5 minutes.
STEP 6
Add the cauliflower stalks and florets, cover and cook for another 10 minutes. Add a splash of water if necessary.
STEP 7
Squeeze half a lemon and mix in with a handful of roughly chopped coriander.
STEP 8
Serve with rice, chapati or other Indian bread with a sprinkling of extra coriander as garnish.
So Extinction Rebellion(XR)and Animal Rebellion(AR)have just finished a 10 day series of public protests which have involved disruptive stunts, a lot of superglue and a pretty significant number of activists sacrificing themselves to be arrested in the name of pioneering important social change.
A lot of people have heard of Extinction Rebellion, but in case you haven’t, XR is a movement set up to campaign for climate justice. They use non-violent direct action to apply public pressure to local governments throughout the world. This is done with the hope of enforcing legislation that will ensure systematic improvements to deal with the current ecological emergency. In London for the past 10 days, their focus has been primarily on pushing through the Climate and Ecological Emergency Bill (CEE Bill) which demands for the following:
The below list is taken directly from the XR website:
A serious plan to deal with the UK’s fair share of emissions and to halt critical rises in global temperatures.
Our entire carbon footprint be taken into account – in the UK and overseas.
The active conservation and restoration of nature here and overseas, recognising the damage we cause through the goods we import.
Those in power not to depend on future technologies to save the day; technologies that are used as an excuse for us to carry on polluting.
Ordinary people to have a real say on the right way forward in a Citizens’ Assembly with bite.
Animal Rebellionare the ‘sister’ organisation that also campaign for climate justice but primarily from the perspective of ending animal exploitation. AR want to implement change through the introduction of a plant based food system.
HIV, Ebola, SARS, MERS, the Zika virus and Bird Flu are all other examples of zoonotic diseases that have made the genetic jump to infecting humans. Without the exploitation of animalsand them being forced into extremely unsanitary conditions, left to sit for hours in their own faeces, in cramped cages and often exposed to blood of various other species, both alive and dead, it is unlikely that these wild cross-species mutations would have had the opportunity to occur.
Due to the proven rising temperature of our planet and the horrifying forecast of what the future has in store once we breach a 1.5 degree increase, on the 22nd of April 2016, 175 world leaders signed the Paris Agreement at United Nations Headquarters in New York (which was the largest number of countries to sign an international agreement in one day). This agreement committed a total of 186 countries to strengthen their nation’s response in order to keep the global temperature from rising over 2 degrees centigrade this century.
If planned actions to combat climate change are not implemented, we could be facing a 4 degree temperature rise. That means that the Earth will almost have heated the same amount (4.5 degrees) since the industrial revolution as what it has in the last 17000 years!
THE EARTH’S GETTING HOTTER…SO WHAT?!
Now we’ve all been hearing about this ‘global warming’ malarkey for the best part of 20 years but most of us don’t really understand what it really means and how it’s going to affect us in our lifetimes – mainly because it hasn’t been clearly reported. As much as we may have enjoyed our hotter summers and more moderate winters in recent years, it’s time to ask is this really affecting us negatively now? And have we realised how detrimental this could be for our futures?
Deforestation, burning fossil fuels and animal agriculture make up the most significant contributors to the release of greenhouse gases carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and fluorinated gases. Continuing at our current rate of emissions, the ice caps will continue to melt beyond the point of return, as a result the sea will rise and we expect to see hurricanes, floods, droughts, agricultural failures and other natural disasters such as devastating global mangrove loss. These devastating events will result in areas of the world becoming uninhabitable, a drastic loss of biodiversity, human displacement, unemployment, crop failure, starvation and ultimately death for many – we are entering into the world’s sixth mass extinction! The World Heath Organisation (WHO) predicted that between 2030 and 2050 up to 250,000 additional deaths will occur each year due to climate change alone.
These effects will inevitably be felt by the poorest and most vulnerable populations first but will eventually also impact the middle and upper classes, too. When the availability of resources diminish, prices go up and accessibility goes down – that’s something nobody will be able to avoid.
Life on Earth is in crisis: scientists agree we have entered a period of abrupt climate breakdown, and we are in the midst of a mass extinction of our own making.
The swift global response to the Coronavirus outbreak serves as evidence to prove how quickly habits can be changed. In the height of European lockdown in early April 2020, the daily global fossil CO2 emissions fell by 17% compared to the same time the year before yet were only equivalent to levels all the way back from 2006. This demonstrates our growing dependence on fossil fuels for energy and draws attention to how drastically it has increased across the last 14 years.
This dramatic reduction in pollution saw nature restore itself impressively rapidly all over the world. Jellyfish, swans,schools of fish and even dolphins were reported to have returned to the crystal clear canals of Venice, a natural place that was once overrun by tourists. Deer were spotted grazing by The White House. Wild boar were roaming in Barcelona… The list goes on.
This pandemic has made many of us realise how we humans have such a direct impact on the natural world around us and that we need to be more mindful of how we’re impacting the Earth’s natural balance and all the wildlife that also depend on it.
ARE XR AND AR WRONG TO PROTEST?
I know public demonstrations can be disruptive and irritating to some people but let’s take a minute to ask ourselves why XR, AR and many other organisations take this approach. Here’s a really useful video that offers insight:
MY PERSPECTIVE ON DIRECT ACTION
I took part in the protests with Animal Rebellion because I firmly believe in all that XR and AR stand for. And despite having spent a year and a half of my life cycling alone across the world, championing my cause peacefully and doing outreach such as giving public speeches (including my TEDx Talk) and leading educational workshops everywhere and anywhere I could, no British news wanted to cover my story or listen to the informative and positive messages I had to share. In fact, when the BBC did cover my story, they didn’t even talk about my goals and instead reported the wrong information about my time during Coronavirus.
The point I’m making is that people can criticise direct action groups for temporarily inconveniencing their days but we are fighting for our futures and there simply isn’t time to spare! Without civil disobedience, a lot of money, a huge dose of luck or an elite personal connection, unfortunately you are largely ignored through the mainstream news channels. The media reports on tragedies and drama and if you don’t create a story that invokes a reaction, you fall by the wayside.
As the XR video shows above, when we look at patterns of social development throughout history, we can see how necessary direct action protests are, no matter how inconvenient they may seem.
Women’s rights direct actions which were led by the Suffragettes was also considered ‘inconvenient’ at the time despite people agreeing with their cause, but without those actions and the sacrifice of some brave individuals’ personal liberties, how much would have actually been achieved?
Well now we have to fight with direct action to combat the climate emergency as well.
So direct action may well be a nuisance but in my opinion, it is indeed necessary.
WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP?
By supporting the Climate and Ecological Emergency Bill, you’d be supporting the introduction of a citizens’ assembly which would give the power to our diverse people, from all backgrounds and ethnicities, to receive thorough education on our climate crisis and enable them to vote and make decisions to save our planet and our futures.
Write to your local MP adding further pressure to our government listing your serious concerns over the current ecological disaster as we enter into the sixth mass extinction (templates are available on the XR and AR websites)
Write to and boycott companies (like Shell, BP, Barclays and HSBC) that invest in damaging economic expansion encouraging them to take corporate social responsibility and generate clean, green money for the economy
Donate money to XR, AR or a wildlife conservation charity
Share information via your social media channels
Thank you for reading, I hope you’ve found it useful and informative and perhaps this blog has given you an alternative perspective on non-violent direct action and the approach of Extinction Rebellion, Animal Rebellion and myself on our attempts to tackle the climate and ecological emergency.
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