Make This: 3-Course Deliciously Ella FeastBy Loriley Sessions

With a total of over 17 million blog hits, 70,000 app downloads and now a book launch, Ella Woodward is no ordinary blogger. When you lock eyes with her beautiful recipes for the first time, you can see why. Experimenting with gluten free, dairy free, sugar free and vegan dishes, she turns a diet that could be quite bland and boring into something incredible. Read our interview with her here.

Her interest in food began when she was diagnosed with a rare illness called Postural Tachycardia Syndrome (PoTS). She couldn’t walk down the street, slept for 16 hours a day and was in chronic pain most of the time. Conventional medicine failed to help her, so she decided to completely overhaul her diet and overnight the self-confessed ‘sugar-monster’ gave up meat, gluten, dairy, sugar and all processed food. Discovering a passion for plant-based recipes, she used blogging as a way to experiment with possibilities, and soon her online community of fans surged.

With her début book, Deliciously Ella, becoming an Amazon best seller before its release, you can expect only expect big things from this lady. Released today, you too can try your hand at recreating Ella’s recipes with her book jam-packed full of mouthwatering veggie delights.

To celebrate it’s release, we’ve been treated to three beautiful recipes to try. With a fresh salad starter of Lentil, Courgette and Mint Salad, a hearty main of Black and Kidney Bean Chilli, and unusual yet easy dessert of Avocado Chocolate Mousse, you’ll be able to show off in the kitchen with a three course Deliciously Ella feast.

STARTER

LENTIL, COURGETTE AND MINT SALAD

Ella says: I taught this salad in my cooking classes last summer and everyone loved it. It’s so fresh and summery with a delicious array of simple flavours. The thin strips of courgette melt against the creamy chunks of avocado, while the lentils add a hearty, satisfying element and the mint leaves and lime juice make it all taste so fresh. I love sprinkling sunflower seeds over the top for a little crunch too! This is amazing served a side of steamed or sautéed green veggies.

Serves 4

½ mug green lentils (100g)
3 medium courgettes
2 handfuls of fresh mint
2 avocados
4 tablespoons olive oil
juice of 4 limes
large handful of sunflower seeds

Place the lentils in boiling water and allow them to boil for 10 minutes, then let them simmer for about 30 minutes until they’re soft, but not mushy. If there’s any water left in the pan, drain and then allow the lentils to cool.

While the lentils cool, peel the courgettes into thin strips using a potato peeler. Pull the mint leaves off the stems and roughly chop them into pieces. Slice the avocado into bite-sized chunks.

Place the cooled lentils, courgette strips, avocado and mint in a bowl and drizzle over the olive oil and lime juice. Mix well before sprinkling the sunflower seeds on the top.

Top tip
Try adding a variety of other ingredients to this salad to keep it interesting. I love adding pomegranate seeds, toasted cashew nuts, bean sprouts and thinly sliced mushrooms when I’m after something a little different. 

MAIN COURSE

BLACK AND KIDNEY BEAN CHILLI

Ella says: This is one of the simplest and most nourishing recipes in the book. It only takes 10 minutes to put together and it’s wonderfully filling and comforting. It’s one of my go-to meals all winter. It’s a great dish to make if you’re feeding lots of people too as it’s no more complicated to make for twelve then it is for two. It requires almost no chopping, so you won’t be in the kitchen for hours!

Serves 4

2 carrots, grated
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
600g passata
50g tomato purée
2 x 400g tins black beans
1 x 400g tin red kidney beans
1 jalapeño pepper, deseeded and finely chopped
1 teaspoon chilli flakes (add more if you like it extra spicy) brown rice, to serve
salt and pepper

Place the carrot and garlic into a large saucepan.

Add the passata, tomato purée, both the beans, jalapeño pepper and the chilli flakes to the saucepan along with some salt and pepper, to taste.

Cook the chilli for about 10 minutes, stirring it well, until it’s lovely and warm and everything’s nicely mixed together.

Pour the chilli over brown rice and enjoy.

Top tip
Make extra batches of this and freeze them as it makes a delicious, filling meal when you don’t have time to prepare anything.

DESSERT

EASY AVOCADO CHOCOLATE MOUSSE

Ella says: These little chocolate mousses are one of the best speedy snacks or desserts. There’s no cooking or chopping involved either, so they go from fridge to plate in less than 5 minutes!

The secret ingredient here is avocado, which gives them the thick, decadently creamy feel.

The avocado flavour totally disappears though under the rich chocolate flavours of the cacao, the nutty almond butter, the sweet banana and the caramel-like dates, so I promise you won’t know that you’re eating vegetables in your pudding!

Serves 4

2 ripe avocados
4 really ripe bananas, peeled (400g)
12 Medjool dates, pitted
4 tablespoons almond butter
5 heaped teaspoons raw cacao powder
optional: drizzle of maple syrup
optional: sprinkle of chia seeds

Slice the avocados in half, peel their skin away and remove their stones.

Then place the flesh into a food processor.

Add all the remaining ingredients to the food processor with a splash of water and the maple syrup, if using, then blend into a smooth, delicious mixture. Divide the mixture among four ramekins or little glasses and sprinkle over the chia seeds, if using.

Keep chilled in the fridge until you’re ready to eat.

All recipes extracted from Deliciously Ella by Ella Woodward, out now by Yellow Kite, £20 © Ella Woodward 2015