Ella Mills, known as Deliciously Ella, has reached fans all over the world with the launch of her latest cookbook, “Deliciously Ella Making Plant-Based Quick & Easy.” It includes 100 new recipes, and we’re giving you three of our favourites ― all of them tasty, nutrient-packed meals worth making today.
Plant-based eating has been part of Mills’ life since 2012, when she drastically changed her diet to ease the symptoms of postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), which affects the autonomic nervous system. She started a food blog that exploded in popularity and became one of the faces of the all-encompassing wellness movement. The result was over a million Instagram followers, a popular podcast and one of the fastest-selling vegan cookbooks in UK history. Regardless of how you feel about wellness trends like infrared saunas (she mentions being a fan in the new book), Mills’ plant-based recipes are mouthwatering and truly easy to prepare.
The cookbook features plenty of recipes worth exploring, from breakfast (like a green ginger smoothie or a smashed mustard avocado savoury toast) to dips and dressings (like a harissa-spiced hummus or a miso coconut sauce). But the serious draw is in the three chapters dedicated to everyday dishes you’ll actually want to eat: 10-15 minute meals, 20-30 minute meals and big batch meals. That way you can select what to make based on how much time you have to spare.
We’ve got three recipes from the new book, featuring one full recipe from each category: Creamy Kale and Mushroom Salad (10 minutes), Sesame, Almond and Black Pepper Tofu Bowl (15 minutes) and Easy Red Lentil Dhal (big batch).
All recipes and photos are reprinted with permission of Mobius/Hachette Book Group, Inc.
Creamy Kale and Mushroom Salad
This is probably my favourite salad ever, having stolen the crown from the tahini tamari kale salad in our first book. We’re very generous with the dressing in this one, which is why it’s so good, as the dressing is really creamy. Make sure to rub the dressing into the leaves firmly, so that the kale is nice and soft. Once it’s soft, we toss in chunks of avocado, sautéed mushrooms, cumin, toasted seeds and garlicky croutons.
Ingredients
Handful of pumpkin seeds (about 1 cup)
Handful of sunflower seeds (about 3 tablespoons)
Olive oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
7 ounces mushrooms, thinly sliced
7 ounces kale
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 slices of bread (we love sourdough)
1 garlic clove
2 ripe avocados, peeled, stoned, and cut into bite-sized pieces
Salt
For the dressing
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup cashews
1/2 cup almond or oat milk
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 heaped tablespoon nutritional yeast
3 tablespoons olive oil
squeeze of lemon
Method
1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit fan. Toss the pumpkin and sunflower seeds onto a baking pan with a tablespoon of olive oil, some salt and the cumin. Roast for about 5 minutes, until crunchy.
2. Place the mushrooms in a large skillet over medium heat with a drizzle of olive oil and a generous sprinkling of salt. Let them cook while you make the salad, stirring them every now and again until they turn golden brown.
3. Place the kale in a large mixing bowl, remove any thick stems, and tear the leaves into pieces.
4. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil, the apple cider vinegar, and a sprinkling of salt and rub them into the leaves using your hands. Massage the kale for a minute or so, being really firm, so that it softens.
5. Next, make the dressing. Simply place all the ingredients in a high-speed blender (we use a NutriBullet) and blend until smooth and creamy.
6. Toast the sourdough, then rub it with a raw garlic clove and cut it into bite-sized chunks.
7. Rub the dressing into the kale, massaging it with your hands and letting the leaves soften even more. Then toss in the toasted seeds, mushroom, avocado, and sourdough.
Sesame, Almond and Black Pepper Tofu Bowl
I’ve loved cooking with tofu recently. It’s a great way to up your plant-based protein and is such an easy way to make a filling dinner too. This bowl is my go-to after yoga. It’s really high in protein from the beans and tofu, quick, filling, and a great weeknight supper. I like it served with wilted spinach, brown rice, and a little squeeze of lime.
Ingredients
14 ounces firm tofu
3 tablespoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons tamari
3 1/2 ounces broccolini, cut into bite-sized pieces
3 scallions, finely sliced
1 red chilli, finely sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon maple syrup
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 14-ounce can of black beans, drained and rinsed
1 heaped tablespoon almond butter
Salt
Method
1. Lightly press some of the liquid out of the tofu using paper towels. Once it feels dry, chop it into bite-sized cubes and place them in a bowl with 2 tablespoons of the sesame oil, 1 tablespoon of the tamari and a generous sprinkling of salt.
2. Pour the tofu and all of the sesame oil mixture into a large skillet, making sure there is space for the tofu to sit flat (you don’t want cubes sitting on top of one another). Fry it on high heat for about 7 to 8 minutes, until it’s golden and lightly charred, tossing it every few minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
3. While the tofu cooks, blanch the broccolini. Simply place it in a bowl of boiling water to cover and drain it after 3 minutes when it’s still al dente.
4. Add the scallions, chilli and garlic to the skillet you used for the tofu (there’s no need to wash it in between uses) with the final tablespoon of sesame oil and the other tablespoon of tamari, the pepper, maple syrup, and rice vinegar. Place it on medium heat.
5. After a minute or so add the broccolini, black beans and almond butter. Saute for about 3 minutes to heat the beans through. Add the tofu right at the end, with 2 to 3 tablespoons of water, which should loosen the sauce. Let stand for a minute or so to warm the water a little and let it all meld together before serving.
Easy Red Lentil Dhal
You can’t beat a good dhal. I love the depth of spice, the warming, comforting sense of each bite, and how good the leftovers taste the next day! This is a really easy recipe that always hits the spot. I like adding the coconut milk to make it extra creamy and the spinach to get my greens in, but otherwise it uses all the classic ingredients of a dhal. I serve it very simply with brown rice and yogurt.
Ingredients
1 cup split red lentils
2 tablespoons coconut oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 onion, minced
1 green chilli, seeded and finely chopped
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons medium curry powder
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 14-ounce can of coconut milk
1 teaspoon coconut sugar
2 large handfuls of baby spinach (about 3 1/2 ounces)
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Salt and pepper
Method
1. Put the lentils into a large saucepan, cover with boiling water, and place over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes (you want them to have softened and lose their bite). Drain and set aside. Be careful not to overcook or they can become mushy.
2. Place a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the coconut oil, onion, garlic, chilli and a pinch of salt. Saute the onion mixture until soft, then add the spices, stirring them through the onion mixture for 1 minute or so.
3. Turn the heat down and pour in the coconut milk and coconut sugar, then bring to a boil. Let this cook for another few minutes, stirring well to combine all the flavours.
4. Stir the drained, cooked lentils into the skillet and let them cook in the sauce for a further 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Add the spinach and stir until it has wilted, then add the lemon juice and serve.