Bell Pepper Cream Cheeze Dip

July 22, 2014 · by · Leave a Comment

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Bell Pepper Cream Cheeze Dip
This cream cheeze dip has a wonderful fluffiness; its texture is lighter than cream cheese, but is a bit firmer than a dip. The trick is agar agar. The capsicum - or bell pepper - gives it a fresh flavour that is delightful. Feel free to add more chilli, as when it comes to this sort of hot, I'm a wimp 😀 Serve with savoury biscuits or in a sandwich with fresh greens.
Cuisine: vegan
Recipe type: Dip
Prep time: 
Cook/wait time: 
Total time: 
You need
  • 2 cups of soaked raw cashews
  • 2 tbsp of pine nuts
  • 1 small chilli (about 2cm), deseeded and chopped up very finely
  • ½ red capsicum, chopped roughly
  • 3 cloves of garlic, minced or finely grated
  • 1⅛ tsp himalayan rock salt
  • ⅛ tsp black salt (kalak namak)
  • 1 tbsp (white) miso
  • 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • ¼ cup rice bran oil
  • 1.5 cups oat milk (or another rather plain non dairy milk)
  • 6 tsp agar agar
To do
  1. blend the soaked cashews and pine nuts in the small bowl of your food processor till nicely mixed and fine
  2. add the capsicum, blend again
  3. then mix in chilli, minced garlic, salt, black salt, miso, nutritional yeast and blend for a few minutes so that it is really well blended and as smooth as possible
  4. meanwhile, in a small sauce pan, add oat milk and oil, and sprinkle agar agar on top
  5. heat and whisk till dissolved
  6. when mixture is getting thick (which happens when it heats up), pour into the nut mixture while the machine is running
  7. as soon as you stop the machine, have plastic containers sitting ready to be filled. This recipe makes about 550ml.
  8. let cool slightly before placing in fridge
  9. let set for 2 hours

 

Filed Under: Agar Agar, All, Dips, Sauces & Condiments, Gluten free, Raw & Almost Raw, Snacks & Entrées · Tagged: , , , , , , , ,

Witlof Salad w Lychees, Melon & Pumpkin Seed Dressing

July 13, 2014 · by · Leave a Comment

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Witlof Salad w Lychees, Melon & Pumpkin Seed Dressing
Belgian endive, chicory, witloof, witlof, they're all the same. I love its special slightly bitter flavour (more so at the base of the head), and how it therefore goes so well with sweeter ingredients like fruits, as well as nuts and seeds. Pumpkin seeds are high in zinc, and contain several different forms of vitamin E.
Cuisine: vegan
Recipe type: salad
Serves: 1
Prep time: 
Total time: 
You need
  • 1 head of witlof
  • 5 lychees
  • 1 hand of pistacchio nuts (measured with shell)
  • 10 small melon balls (Honeydew melon)
  • 1 tbsp of finely chopped dill
for the dressing:
  • 1 tbsp of pumpkin butter (store bought or home made)
  • 1 tbsp of lychee syrup from canned lychees (if you use fresh lychees and therefore don't have syrup, you could replace it with a little bit of diluted apple cordial)
To do
  1. mix the ingredients for the dressing
  2. finely slice the witlof, scoop the melon balls (if you don't have a melon baller, just cut small cubes)
  3. mix witlof, melon balls and the dill, top with dressing, serve 🙂

 

Filed Under: All, Gluten free, Light meals, Low/no added fat, Raw & Almost Raw, Salads · Tagged: , , , ,

Broccoli, Basil & Chickpea Tortellini w Orange & Thyme Sauce

July 4, 2014 · by · Leave a Comment

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Broccoli, Basil & Chickpea Tortellini w Orange & Thyme Sauce
Yum yum yum! I don't eat wheat products often, but as I haven't been able to find gluten free wonton wrappers or similar, I make concessions 😉 These tortellini (I guess it depends on how you fold them what you call them) are delish and nutritious as well! You wouldn't even know you're eating beans! Try them, and make them with any sauce you fancy - I made a quick coconut orange & thyme sauce. You can steam them too, I have found the dough is softer after boiling, so up to you what you're after 🙂
Cuisine: vegan
Recipe type: past
Serves: 20
Prep time: 
Cook/wait time: 
Total time: 
You need
  • 125gr cooked chickpeas
  • abt. 100gr broccoli florets
  • 1 hand of fresh basil
  • ¼ cup pine nuts
  • 1 tbsp vegetable stock powder
  • a good grind of black pepper
  • 1 medium to large clove of garlic (abt 15gr)
  • about 20 sheets of dumpling pastry
  • for the sauce:
  • ½ cup coconut yoghurt
  • zest of ¼ (large) orange
  • orange juice, as much as you like to dilute the yoghurt to a consistency of your liking
  • pepper
  • about ½ tsp of dried thyme
To do
  1. mix all of the above, except for sauce ingredients and pastry sheets, in a food processor, processing till the mixture starts to stick to the sides
  2. take a dumpling sheet in your hand, moisten the edges with water using your fingers, then place a heaped teaspoon in the middle. Fold double, and fold the edges closed. Dent the dumpling in the middle of the seam (as in upwards), then fold the corners towards each other.
  3. while you're doing this, bring a large pot of water to the boil (add a little bit of salt to prevent sticking), and when you've finished making the tortellini, place all of them in the water in one go
  4. boil till they float and they're done! (in general, if you want to check if they are done, and you find the filling needs more time, just add a cup of cold water and bring to the boil again, and check again etc.)
  5. while the tortellini are cooking, mix the ingredients for the sauce, using a fork or small whisk
  6. serve and enjoy!

 

Filed Under: All, Light meals, Low/no added fat, Snacks & Entrées · Tagged: , , , , ,

Potato, Carrot & Onion Patties w Chilli & Coriander

June 25, 2014 · by · Leave a Comment

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Potato, Carrot & Onion Patties w Chilli & Coriander
This is my type of comfort food, and quite simple and quick to make. This recipe makes 3 to 4 patties, depending on the size. I used food rings to help me make them a bit tidier than I would do without, but if you want to go for squares, don't let the rings stop you! 😉
Cuisine: vegan
Recipe type: Patties!
Serves: 1-2
Prep time: 
Cook/wait time: 
Total time: 
You need
  • ½ cup grated potato (personally, I usually don't bother with peeling)
  • ½ cup grated carrot
  • ¼ cup grated onion
  • ~80ml organic white spelt flour (or any flour you prefer)
  • salt to taste
  • ⅛ tsp chilli powder (or more if you like)
  • a small hand fresh coriander, finely chopped and some extra to serve
  • ½ tsp baking powder (try to buy aluminium free)
  • 1 clove of garlic, finely grated (or use paste)
  • water (you won't need more than ¼ cup)
  • coconut oil to fry (about 1.5 tbsp)
To do
  1. mix the grated potato, onion, garlic, optional salt, baking powder, coriander and carrot together in a bowl
  2. add the flour, mix well - let sit for a few minutes so the flour can absorb some of the moisture
  3. start adding water bit by bit till you have a thick 'batter' that sticks together (if you add too much water, add more flour)
  4. heat the oil in a skillet (medium high) and scoop the batter in the hot oil, using a food ring or without, flatten out a bit so the patties are about ½ to ¾ cm thick
  5. after a minute, turn heat down a little bit, and flip patties over when bottom side is brown - the middle will have started to become a bit drier too by then (if they aren't dry enough to flip over, leave them a bit longer)
  6. bake until brown and you're done. I served them with more fresh coriander and Tofu Mayonaise 🙂
Notes
If you make more and have left overs, they are fine to reheat the next day, or take them with you for lunch 🙂 Oh, and using the food processor to grate saves you some time 🙂

 

Filed Under: All, Main Dishes, Potato & Grains · Tagged: , , , ,

Smoky Coconut Flakes w Dukkah

June 14, 2014 · by · Leave a Comment

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Smokey Coconut Flakes w Dukkah
A quick snack or an awesome sprinkle for so many dishes! No fats, no gluten, no added salt either. You can experiment with the flavours; try different Dukkah's, vary the amounts of both liquid smoke and Dukkah and add different spices 🙂 If you are longing for a smoky flavour in a sandwich, then this will do very nicely too.
Cuisine: vegan
Recipe type: snack or sprinkle
Prep time: 
Cook/wait time: 
Total time: 
You need
  • 2 cups of coconut flakes
  • 1 tbsp liquid smoke
  • 1 tbsp Tamari
  • 1 tbsp water
  • 1 tbsp organic liquid sweetener (coconut nectar, agave syrup, maple etc)
  • 2 tbsp or more of a Dukkah that you like
To do
  1. place flakes in a wide bowl, mix the fluids, pour over the coconut flakes and mix the whole lot
  2. heat the oven to 150C (in the meantime the flakes can soak)
  3. place baking paper/sheet on an oven tray, and spread the flakes on it
  4. bake for 5 minutes, check, stir through and bake for 5 more (once out of the oven, the flakes will crisp up, so no need to leave them in the oven any longer - they will probably burn)
Notes
Keep an eye on the colour, don't walk away to do something else, as these are done in a jiffy!

 

Filed Under: All, Dips, Sauces & Condiments, Gluten free, Low/no added fat, Snacks & Entrées, Vegan 101 & Alternatives · Tagged: , , ,

Toasted Spicy Peanuts

May 31, 2014 · by · Leave a Comment

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Toasted Spicy Peanuts
This is a great sprinkle for many dishes; from rice to fruit salads. Make as much as is practical in your skillet, let cool down and keep in your pantry 🙂
Cuisine: vegan
Recipe type: Sprinkle, condiment
Prep time: 
Cook/wait time: 
Total time: 
You need
  • 1 cup of unsalted peanuts (raw or roasted, with skin or without)
  • 1 tsp caraway seeds
  • 1 tsp curry powder
  • 1 tsp turmeric powder
  • ⅛ tsp chilli powder (or more to taste)
  • Himalayan Rock salt, optional and to taste
To do
  1. in your food processor, process peanuts till ground but still with some bigger pieces still in it
  2. heat your skillet to medium (no oil), then add all ingredients
  3. slowly toast the peanuts and spices, stirring a lot (you don't want anything to burn)
  4. when you start to smell the spices, give it another minute and take off heat
  5. use straight away or let cool down in the skillet, on a large plate or kitchen paper, and keep in container

 

Toasted Spicy Peanuts

Toasted Spicy Peanuts

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Mango, Mint & Pumpkin Dessert w Coconut Yoghurt

May 21, 2014 · by · Leave a Comment

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Mango, Mint & Pumpkin Dessert w Coconut Yoghurt
Pumpkin is very versatile, and amongst all the possiblities is raw pumpkin. It is great to make desserts with as it's amazingly sweet and refreshing. In this dish I mixed it with mango and mint, and added a bit of extra sweetness by throwing in 2 dates. The coconut yoghurt goes lovely with the pumpkin purée as it is, but you could flavour it with lemon zest or ginger for instance, if you like (my favourites) 🙂
Cuisine: vegan
Recipe type: dessert
Serves: 2
Cook/wait time: 
Total time: 
You need
  • abt 350gr of pumpkin, peeled
  • 1 large ripe mango, peeled and pitted
  • 4 medium leaves of mint (and some extra for decoration, if you like)
  • 2 pitted Medjool dates
  • water
  • 1 cup coconut yoghurt (unsweetened - if you can't get hold of coconut yoghurt, use other dairy free yoghurt)
To do
  1. throw all ingredients, except for the water and coconut yoghurt, in your blender and blend away
  2. add water till you have the consistency you prefer; thicker or thinner
  3. serve one layer on top of the other, or go artistic with many layers, and decorate with some extra mint 🙂

 

Filed Under: All, Desserts, Gluten free, Low/no added fat, Raw & Almost Raw · Tagged: , , , , ,

Pineapple & Avocado Jelly w Orange Coconut Cream

May 9, 2014 · by · Leave a Comment

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Pineapple & Avocado Jelly w Orange Coconut Cream
Lovely light and natural sweet is this dessert. No added sugar or sweetener except in the Orange Coconut Cream. You could replace this by soaked and blended dates, if you prefer. Use fancy moulds for a more impressive presentation or just for fun. I served this with a raw cookie on the side, just because I could 🙂
Cuisine: Vegan
Recipe type: Dessert
Serves: 4-6
Prep time: 
Cook/wait time: 
Total time: 
You need
  • 1 whole medium to large pineapple
  • 1 avocado
  • 1 tsp vanilla bean paste (or essence, but the real stuff)
  • 1 cup of water
  • 3 tsp agar agar powder
for the Orange Coconut Cream:
  • 1 cup coconut yoghurt (as thick as possible)
  • zest of 1 small orange
  • a little bit of orange juice
  • 1 tbsp raw agave nectar (or coconut nectar, maple, etc) If you want to use Stevia, then add to taste
To do
  1. peel the pineapple, and chop up the flesh (including the core, which is full of bromelain)
  2. add to blender, add avocado and blend till all smooth
  3. in a small pan, place water and sprinkle agar agar on top
  4. bring to the boil while stirring or whisking
  5. just when it gets to the point of boiling, switch blender back on and pour in the agar mixture, blend well
  6. pour the contents of the blender into a silicon container or something similar. You can make individual jellies too, by using small containers or moulds
  7. place in fridge and let set for 2 hours (or just check if it's solid)
  8. mix the coconut yogurt with the zest and agave nectar, and add some of the juice of your orange, but don't dilute it too much - unless you prefer a thin sauce, of course
  9. slice the jelly, place on plates, and top with the cream
  10. a few fennel seeds do nicely with this dish too!

 

Filed Under: Agar Agar, All, Desserts, Fruit dishes, Gluten free, Raw & Almost Raw · Tagged: , , , , ,

Mushroom & Butter Bean Patties

April 8, 2014 · by · Leave a Comment

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Mushroom & Butter Bean Patties
Here's a lovely way to get your mushrooms and beans in. Mushrooms are very nutritious, and so are beans, so there you have it, power patties 🙂 They freeze well too. You can make them spicier by adding more chilli, of course!
These amounts make about 9 patties, which is a nice serve for 2 persons, with a salad on the side.
Cuisine: vegan
Recipe type: patties
Serves: 2 persons
Prep time: 
Total time: 
You need
  • 1 can of butter beans (Lima beans)
  • 5 medium mushrooms
  • 1 large clove of elephant garlic (about 20gr)
  • 50gr red onion
  • 4 tbsp (gluten free) bread crumbs and more for coating
  • juice and zest of half a lemon
  • ½ tsp Himalayan rock salt
  • 1 small chilli, finely chopped (if you like it hot, leave the seeds in)
  • about 8 mint leaves, finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp tahini
  • 2-4 tbsp of chickpea flour (or another flour) - depending on how moist the mixture is
  • a little bit of coconut oil for cooking (as much as you can get away with - it depends on your the type of pan you use)
I served it with this dip:
  • ¼ cup of coconut yoghurt
  • ¼ tsp curry powder or smoked paprika or any other flavour you fancy
  • a pinch of salt
  • 1 clove of garlic
To do
  1. mash the beans quite fine in a bowl with a fork, adding in the bread crumbs, lemon juice & zest, salt, chilli, chopped mint and minced garlic
  2. in your food processor, blend the mushrooms plus the chopped onions to a thick, medium fine paste
  3. add the paste to the bean mash, add tahini and mix with a spoon
  4. add flour; 2-4 table spoons, so the mixture doesn't stick to your hands - that's the only purpose of the flour so if you don't need it, you can omit it
  5. place in fridge for 20 minutes or longer, then place bread crumbs in a shallow bowl, form balls out of the bean mixture and coat them in bread crumbs, gently pressing them into patties
  6. when all done, heat some oil in a skillet and cook the patties until brown, about 8 minutes on each side
  7. for the dressing, mix the ¼ cup coconut yoghurt with 1 clove of garlic, ¼ tsp curry powder, a pinch of salt, and that's it.
Nutritional Information
Serving size: per patty Calories: 74 Fat: 2.3gr Saturated fat: 0.3gr Unsaturated fat: 0gr Trans fat: 0gr Carbohydrates: 9.7gr Sugar: 1gr Sodium: 41mcg Fiber: 2gr Protein: 3.6gr Cholesterol: 0mg

 

Mushroom & Butter Bean Patties

Mushroom & Butter Bean Patties

Filed Under: All, Gluten free, Light meals, Pasta & Legumes · Tagged: ,

Nectarine & Witlof Salad w Black Beans

March 29, 2014 · by · Leave a Comment

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Nectarine & Witlof Salad w Black Beans
A refreshing salad, to which I added the beans for nutritious value. The flower in the picture isn't there just being pretty, it's a fennel flower, and amazingly delicious! So if you have fennel flowering in the garden, sprinkle it over your salads or other dishes 🙂
This salad is also oil free, salt free & gluten free, but if you're hungry or just feel like some added healthy fats, add some avocado, either in pieces or mixed with the lemon juice. If you're afraid witlof is too bitter for you, then add raisins or banana, apple or pear - any fruit will do great!
Cuisine: vegan
Recipe type: salad
Serves: 1
Prep time: 
Total time: 
You need
  • 150gr witlof (witloof, chicory)
  • 2 tbsp black beans
  • 1 nectarine, nice and ripe (about 150gr)
  • 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp of chopped fennel leaves, or dried fennel
To do
  1. thinly slice the witlof, mix in lemon juice and fennel leaves
  2. drain the beans, cut up the nectarine and stir both through the witlof
  3. if you have fennel flowers, eat them too!

 

 

Nectarine & Witlof Salad w Black Beans

Nectarine & Witlof Salad w Black Beans

Filed Under: All, Gluten free, Light meals, Pasta & Legumes, Raw & Almost Raw, Salads, Veggies & Sides · Tagged: , , , , ,
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