Posts Tagged With: cornwall

Vibrant Vegan! Healthy Cooking & Yoga Holiday, Cornwall

Posted on February 1, 2018 by leroy watson

Friday 13th – Monday 16th July 2018

Boswedden House, St Just (near Lands End), Cape Cornwall

Nourish and rejuvenate mind, body and soul this summer in a stunning location.

Come and join us in a picturesque location on the beautiful coastline of Cornwall, where we will enjoy a peaceful weekend of delicious plant-based food, empowering yoga, cooking workshops, blissful meditation, walks in nature and much more.

The program for Vibrant Vegan! is specially designed for you! In a relaxed atmosphere, you have the freedom to unwind and learn, take in the local nature, fresh sea air and dramatic scenery, go for long walks, practice yoga and enjoy a tantalising plant-based menu.

SPRING SPECIAL OFFER – 15% OFF FOR CAMPERS

Spring is here, the sun is shining, so we wanted to offer a 15% discount to campers –

£280 per person (normal price £329)

Lee Watson (author of ‘Peace and Parsnips’ vegan cookbook and presenter ‘Meat vs Veg’ TV program) will be cooking seasonal, vegan meals throughout the weekend. The menu is designed to show the potential of vegan food; healthy, delicious and varied with loads of treats along the way.

Lee is experienced in running retreats and workshops throughout the UK and Europe and believes that healthy vegan food and living is for everyone!

His workshops aim to transform your home cooking, with a healthy and modern approach to exploring the world of plant-based food. You’re sure to pick up new techniques and skills.

Purpose built yoga and meditation studio

Yoga and Meditation

We are very fortunate to have Will and Malene from Complete Unity Yoga joining us, teaching all of our yoga and meditation classes in a purpose built yoga studio.

Complete Unity Yoga run retreats globally and are experienced in teaching yoga of all levels and capabilities. Will and Malene studied yoga in India and are a wealth of knowledge, wisdom and inspiration, practicing yoga as a path to inner peace and radiating joy, bringing strength and confidence along with softness and flexibility. Classes are calming, restorative and energising.

Lifestyle coaching sessions and private yoga classes are available, subject to pre-booking.

Boswedden House

Location

Our venue, Boswedden House is a warm, family run, retreat space, situated overlooking the wild coastline of the Land’s End peninsula, close to St Ives, an ‘Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty’.

It is a tranquil area, with incredible vistas and the largest concentration of ancient sites in the UK. It is also within walking distance of the ocean, cliffs, wildflower meadows and local beaches.

Leisure facilities include a swimming pool and sauna and all rooms are comfortable and en-suite, with views overlooking the surrounding countryside. You will have access to the on site swimming pool in the mornings and evenings and Boswedden gardens are the perfect place to enjoy the summer sun with a book and cup of tea.

You may also like to book a soothing massage or reflexology, with local therapists.

Stunning coastline of Cape Cornwall

Designed for you!

This holiday is designed to get you away from your everyday life and de-stress, a chance to learn new, healthy life habits and skills as well as giving yourself the time to find peace and enjoy the company of like minded people.

Food

Lee and his team of cooks will create a summer menu to suit all tastes, whether you’re vegan or not, and he believes in colourful, nutritious and flavourful food. Dishes will be light and energising, as well as super tasty.

The day will start with a healthy smoothie and breakfast, with a buffet lunch and dinner, not forgetting afternoon cake. Lee focuses on seasonal, local produce and gives them a global twists, many recipes you will taste, will have been picked up by Lee on his regular travels around the world.

Women’s Workshop

Lee’s partner Jane is a menstruality educator at Woman’s Wheel and is offering an Introduction to Menstrual Cycle Awareness Workshop, with the possibility of one to one menstruality coaching, to work more sensitively, find greater harmony and gain a deeper understanding of your cycle.

Large Double Room – Boswedden House

This will be an unforgettable holiday, let us take good care of you. All activities are optional, we leave you free to create your own space and harmony within the weekend.

Vibrant Vegan! will be a time to feel fresh and renewed, a chance to radiate and enjoy the heart of summer!

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Itinerary (Example)

8:00 – 8:30 – Pool opens for early morning swim (or jump in the sea!)

8:30 – 10:00 Morning Yoga and Meditation

10:00 – 11:00 Breakfast

11:00 – 13:30 Free time (massage, walks, one to one sessions, reading in the garden)

13:30 – 14:30 Lunch

14:30 – 16:00 Free time (cooking workshop, massage, walks, private yoga class, siesta)

16:00 Afternoon Tea and Cake

16:00 – 19:00 Free Time (swimming, sunbathing in the garden, lifestyle coaching)

19:00 – 20:00 Dinner

20:00 – 21:00 Evening Gathering, Storytelling and Fire

21:15 – 21:45 Candlelit Meditation

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Prices include –

3 nights accommodation in a stunning location

All nutritious, healthy, plant-based meals

Morning yoga and meditation classes

Bespoke recipe booklet

Cooking demonstration – Healthy tricks and tips, a modern approach to plant-based cooking

Tea, coffee and refreshments with meals

Evening Candlelit Meditation

Vegan nutrition and diet workshop – Q+A with Lee

Leisure facilities – Use of the pool/ sauna in the mornings and evenings

Evening storytelling and fire (weather permitting!)

A guided walk to Land’s End

Extras –

Massage or Reflexology Sessions with experienced local therapists

Lifestyle Coaching Sessions and Private Yoga Classes with Complete Unity Yoga

Introduction to Menstrual Cycle Awareness workshop and

One to One Menstruality Consultations with Jane from Woman’s Wheel

These sessions require pre-booking, details available on request.

Accommodation

Here is our range of comfortable and contemporary accommodation options, available to suit all budgets:

*Single £469

Large Double/ Twin £449

Small Double £419

Triple Room £399

Family Room (4 beds) £389

All prices are per person

Camping (see our ‘Spring Offer’ above)

*Single occupancy rooms are limited

All bookings and enquiries:

hellobeachhousekitchen@gmail.com

Spaces are limited, and are already being booked, we recommend reserving early!

Find the Vibrant Vegan! Cornwall Facebook Event page here.

Idyllic Cape Cornwall, within walking distance of our venue, with views over Land’s End

Beach House Kitchen Retreats – Testimonials

“The content exceeded my expectations! Loved the ethnic feast concept behind the demos/ menus…..It was like having 4 days of birthdays!

Special meals, special people. I will recommend the vegan retreat to anyone.” Sheila

“Lee is a superb guy, truly inspirational and high energy. The delivery and interaction with both Lee and Jane throughout was great.

Learnt soooo much, thank you!”

“I enjoyed all of the food, the relaxed style of the cooking demonstrations, the genuine passion and knowledge of both Lee and Jane. Loved all the meal times; healthy delicious food with lovely people. There was so much tasting and sharing of new things which was wonderful. I’d highly recommend the retreat to anyone looking to embrace a vegan and plant-based lifestyle.”

Boswedden House – Testimonials

“An absolutely enthralling, invigorating, inspiring place. Thank you!” Ellie, Devon

“Thank you for the amazing care in your beautiful and tranquil place. A true delight to stay here and join a retreat. Wow!” Amritam and Afke, Sussex

Categories: Cooking demos, Cooking Retreats, gluten-free, healthy, Healthy Eating, Nutrition, photography, plant-based, Relax, Vegan, veganism | Tags: cornwall, yoga, yoga retreat | 10 Comments

Braised Cauliflower and Puy Lentil Tabouleh and my Sisters Cornish Wedding

Posted on June 30, 2015 by leroy watson

Braised Cauliflower and Puy Lentil Tabouleh

We’ve just spent a long weekend in beautiful Cornwall at my sisters wedding. Weddings are always special, but this was especially special! My own little sis!!! Cornwall added a spectacular backdrop to everything we got up to. I had been to Cornwall as a three year old, from which I surprisingly have a load of memories; staying in little farmhouse B and B’s, the intense smell of fresh manure, cream teas and the iconic Cornish lanes, where vegetation rises high above and it seems like all the roads are cut out of massive bush! Its certainly a part of the world that leaves an impression.

My sis Laura and her new hubby Paul stayed in the most stunning little wood cottage almost on the beach, surrounded by dramatic cliffs and raging, white surf. We all said that it seemed like South Africa or Australia, we couldn’t believe that these kinds of coastlines existed in our little island. The surfers were loving it and there seemed to be a gang of pirates having a fire just down the beach.

The Watson family, all smart and ready for the wedding ceremony

My sis’s ceremony was on the beach and was a beautiful spiritual affair, although not ‘religious’, we revelled in the beauty of nature and the good things we all share; love, compassion, hope and freedom. We also ate some sensational vegan food, prepared by the awesome Annie (who worked her socks off). It was a Middle Eastern/ Southern Med style buffet, something Annie was vastly experienced in. It showed. Spicy carrots, green cous cous, fresh pitta, roasted pepper and almond puree, smokey aubergine salad and piles of crispy borek (with spinach and pine nuts). Jane and I thought we’d died and gone spinning into a Lebanese form of nirvana. I have rarely enjoyed food so much and the backdrop of the Cornish coastline, surrounded by our nearest and dearest, just added to the experience.

Laura and Paul in their little paradise cottage, Cornwall

Jane and I drove our old Peugot estate, Hooty, down to Cornwall and camped in Hay on Wye for a night (central Wales), a real hot spot for second hand book shops and, as it turned out, vegan food. Wahee! The perfect combo. I love a good second hand bookshop, the smell alone transports me to a place of wonder and excitement. I picked up a couple of antique books, precious heirlooms. We also went to the amazing Old Electric Shop, a space for old vintage clothes, records and interior stuff as well as vegan food. When Jane and I walked in, they were playing one of our favourite tunes at the moment, ‘Better Days’, we felt right at home immediately. We missed out on their lovely looking lunch menu, we had to hit the road, but it all smelled amazing and their vegan cakes proved to be a full power breakfast as we took on the Glastonbury traffic. We hope to go back to Hay on Wye this winter to go deeper into the bookshops and explore the beautiful local scenery.

We’re still on a high after getting back late last night and thought we’d share something in keeping with our awesome weekend in the beautiful south of England. Here is a recipe taken from ‘Peace and Parsnips’ that would please anyone who has a passion for the cuisine of the Southern Med:

Tabouleh is a proper southern Med classic. Combined with great olive oil and sweet roasted cauliflower it makes a substantial salad. I love the spice mix baharat – if you can find it, substitute it for the ground spices. I like to use pomegranate molasses in the dressing – it gives a funky reddish tinge and has a sticky tang all of its own. For a special occasion, go the whole hog and sprinkle over herbs, baharat, pomegranate and chopped toasted almonds. Gluten-free option: replace the bulgar wheat with millet.

The Bits – For 4-6
100g Puy lentils
1 bay leaf
220g bulgur wheat, rinsed in cold water
about 450ml boiling water or veg stock
1 small cauliflower, cut into small florets, roughly 2cm in size, stalks finely diced (waste nothing!)
a large pinch of ground cumin
a large pinch of ground coriander
a large pinch of sweet paprika
a large pinch of ground turmeric
a small pinch of ground cinnamon
½ tsp sea salt
4 spring onions, finely chopped
½ a cucumber, deseeded and finely diced
2 ripe tomatoes, deseeded and finely diced
1 tbsp great olive oil
½ a handful of dried apricots, soaked for 2 hours, then drained and finely chopped
a handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
½ a handful of fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
seeds from 1 small pomegranate
1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

For the garnish
4 tbsp pomegranate seeds
a handful of chopped fresh parsley and mint

For the Pomegranate Dressing
4 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp pomegranate molasses or juice of 1 large lemon
zest of ½ a lemon
1 clove of garlic, peeled and well crushed
a small pinch of dried mint
a small pinch of sea salt
½ teaspoon cracked black pepper

Do It

Put the lentils into a pan and cover with water. Leave for 5 minutes, then pick out any floating lentils. Drain, cover with fresh water, and add the bay leaf. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring and checking the water level (add more if needed). The lentils should be springy, but cooked. Drain if necessary, though there should be very little liquid left.

Put the bulgur wheat into a large bowl and pour over the boiling water or stock, enough to cover it by about 2cm. Tightly cover and leave for 30 minutes. Once cooked, fluff with a fork and cool.

In a frying pan, heat the oil on a high heat, then add the cauliflower and begin to fry. Stir regularly and cook for 10–12 minutes. Once the cauliflower has softened and the edges are slightly charred, sprinkle over the ground spices and salt and cook for a further 2 minutes, stirring well. Cover and leave to cool. The cauliflower should be nicely coated with the spices.

For the Pomegranate Dressing simply whisk all the ingredients together in a bowl.

Add three-quarters of the lentils to the bulgur wheat, along with the cauliflower, herbs and the rest of the ingredients, then pour over the dressing and mix gently together with your hands until well combined. Place in a wide, shallow serving bowl and spread out evenly. Sprinkle over the remaining lentils and garnish with pomegranate seeds and herbs.

The beautiful North Cornish coastline

Quick Peace and Parsnips update – we’ve recently been in Reveal Magazine, Daily Mirror Magazine and the Waitrose Weekend. The Vegan Life Magazine has just done a review which says its ‘…..probably the best looking vegan cookbook we’ve seen.’ Which makes us smile. Also, thanks to all who have left positive feedback on Amazon, Waterstones, Chat Rooms, etc its amazing to hear what you all think and to see people cooking the recipes makes all the effort of writing the book more than worthwhile. Viva Veggies!

Catch up with us this Saturday 4th July at the Newcastle Vegan Festival, where Jane and I will both be doing talks and then in Flat White cafe in Durham on Sunday 5th July at 10am for a book signing with perfect vegan coffees.