Black Bean Chocolate & Mint Mousse w Vanilla Cream

September 9, 2013 · by · Leave a Comment

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Black Bean Chocolate & Mint Mousse w Vanilla Cream
Don't you love it when people are trying to guess the ingredients in a dish and just can't put their finger on it? 😉 Cream made from cashews, mousse made from black beans, raw cacao and raw nectar, it's a lot healthier than the sugar laden, dairy based original chocolate mousse.
Prepared by:
Cuisine: vegan
Recipe type: dessert, snack
Serves: 6
Prep time: 
Total time: 
You need
  • ½ can of black beans, quickly drained
  • 2.5 tbsp (raw) cacao powder
  • ¼ cup raw agave nectar
  • 5 leaves of mint (or more to taste)
  • ¼ tsp vanilla bean paste
  • a tiny pinch of salt
  • Stevia to sweeten more, optional
For the vanilla cream:
  • ½ cup of Cashew Cream (better if this one is a little thick)
  • 2 tbsp raw coconut or agave nectar
  • 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or natural essence
  • 1 tsp of toasted pine nuts
  • 1 tsp of cocoa nibs (or grated/chopped vegan chocolate)
To do
  1. blend all ingredients for the mousse
  2. to make the vanilla cream; mix the Cashew Cream with the nectar and vanilla
  3. scoop the chocolate mousse in small glasses (or in bigger ones, of course) and layer with vanilla cream
  4. top with cocoa nibs and the pinenuts
  5. and you're done!
Notes
This makes 6 liqueur glasses, just double amounts for more.

 

Filed Under: All, Desserts, Sweets · Tagged: , , , , ,

Spicy Chickpea Eggplant Fritters w Orange Dip

September 6, 2013 · by · Leave a Comment

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Spicy Chickpea Eggplant Fritters w Orange Dip
I'd say this is comfort food, but apart from the oil the ingredients are all healthy, so I think I can get away with it now and then 😉 I didn't use a deep fryer, just a large pan with a few centimeters of oil. Serve with a salad, or have a few pieces as an entrée.
Prepared by:
Cuisine: vegan
Recipe type: fritters
Serves: 2
Prep time: 
Cook/wait time: 
Total time: 
You need
  • 1 eggplant
  • 1 cup of chickpea flour
  • ½ tsp of black salt
  • ½ tsp chilli powder (or more, of course)
  • 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • juice of ½ lemon or lime
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • about half a cup of water
  • half a cup of Cashew Cream
  • juice and zest of half an orange
  • pepper
To do
  1. heat your oil
  2. sieve the chickpea flour into a bowl
  3. mix in all dry ingredients
  4. stir in lemon or lime juice and then the water bit by bit until you have a nice cream like substance
  5. slice your eggplant in slices of about ¾-1cm and dredge through the batter
  6. deep fry till quite brown, so they're nice and crisp
  7. for the orange dip, just mix Cashew Cream with the pepper, orange zest and half of the juice, adding in more juice as needed for the texture you prefer.

 

Filed Under: All, Gluten free, Snacks & Entrées, Veggies & Sides · Tagged: , , ,

Beetroot, Celery & Orange Soup w Dill & Garlic Cream

September 3, 2013 · by · Leave a Comment

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Beetroot, Celery & Orange Soup w Dill & Garlic Cream
Perfectly balanced, you can taste the celery, and you can taste the beetroot without the celery being overbearing. But what finishes it is the orange zest and the dill & garlic cream, they are great flavour additions 🙂
Prepared by:
Serves: 5-6
Prep time: 
Cook/wait time: 
Total time: 
You need
  • 2 medium beetroots, chopped
  • 1 large stalks of celery (I used 3 really thin ones from the garden), chopped
  • 1 medium potato, chopped
  • 2 tbsp of vegetable stock powder
  • 1.5 liters water (or omit stock powder and use vegetable stock)
  • 1 tbsp coriander seeds
  • a few cloves of garlic, chopped
  • ½ large onion, chopped or sliced
  • juice and pulp of 1 orange
  • zest of oranges, 1 tsp per serve
  • 1 tsp of Himalayan rock salt
  • a generous grind of pepper
  • a dash of oil
For the Dill & Garlic cream:
  • half a cup of Cashew Cream
  • 2 tsp of dried dill
  • juice of 1 small lemon
  • zest of ½ lemon
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • salt & pepper to taste
To do
  1. heat the oil in a large pan, add chopped garlic and onion and stir fry for a minute
  2. add chopped vegetables, stir fry for a few minutes
  3. add water and stock powder
  4. add orange juice & pulp and coriander seeds
  5. boil till vegetables are soft
  6. blend the soup, taste and add salt & pepper as you like
  7. you could either serve the cream on the side for people to help themselves, or place a nice dollop in the middle (or draw a stickman)
  8. just before you serve, top with a teaspoon of orange zest per bowl

 

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Breakfast Wrap w baked Banana, Peanut Butter, Mint & Vanilla Cream

May 29, 2013 · by · Leave a Comment
Breakfast Wrap w baked Banana, Peanut Butter, Mint & Vanilla Cream

Breakfast Wrap w baked Banana, Peanut Butter, Mint & Vanilla Cream

 

Yum!

Parts (per person):
◊    1 wrap (see recipes in Wraps & Sandwiches or use wholemeal or gluten free wraps)
◊    1 small banana
◊    peanut butter, not sweetened/salted
◊    1/4 cup of Cashew Cream (see recipe)
◊    1 tbsp of raw Agave nectar
◊    1 teaspoon of Vanilla paste
◊    some fresh mint leaves

Assembly:
– spread the peanut butter on your wrap
– slice the banana lengthwise and cut in two
– bake the banana (coconut oil, preferably)
– mix Cashew Cream with agave nectar and Vanilla
– transfer banana to wrap
– place mint leaves on banana
– pour Vanilla cream over the top
– roll up and eat!

Filed Under: All, Breakfast, Fruit dishes, Light meals · Tagged: , , , , , , , ,

Raw Beetroot, Ginger & Coconut Soup

May 29, 2013 · by · Leave a Comment

 

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Raw Beetroot, Ginger & Coconut Soup
This soup is absolutely lovely; if you get the balance right, it is just plain surprising. To be served cold or at room temperature. This is what I did, for 4 entrée size portions:
Prepared by:
Cuisine: raw vegan
Recipe type: soup
Serves: 4
Prep time: 
Total time: 
You need
  • 2 beetroots medium sized
  • 1 tbsp raw agave nectar
  • 1.5 cup of filtered water
  • ½ of spring onion
  • ½ medium red onion
  • 2 tbsp dried Dill
  • ¾ cup of Coconut Cream (fats scooped off in my recipe, but feel free to leave it in)
  • about 1.5cm of fresh ginger
  • juice of about ½ to 1 lemon
  • pepper
  • 1.5 tsp Himalayan Rock Salt
To do
  1. grate the beetroot
  2. then add everything to a blender and blend till smooth. Unless you have a high powered blender, this will keep some beetroot bits.
  3. serve!
Notes
I served this at room temperature, but would serve it cold in summer, even with a few ice cubes 🙂

 

Filed Under: All, Gluten free, Raw & Almost Raw, Soup · Tagged: , , , , , , , ,

Raw Lime Cream

May 26, 2013 · by · Leave a Comment
Raw Lime Cream

Raw Lime Cream

 

This cream is great as dressing, dip and addition to soups.

Ingredients:

♦    1/2 cup of Cashew Cream
♦   Juice of half a lime
♦   Zest of half a lime
♦   pepper
♦   a small pinch of Himalayan rock salt

Stir all ingredients together, add salt to taste.

Filed Under: All, Dips, Sauces & Condiments, Vegan 101 & Alternatives · Tagged: , ,

Cucumber Canapé’s w Dill & Asafoetida Dip

May 20, 2013 · by · Leave a Comment
Cucumber Canapé's w Dill & Asatoetida Dip

Cucumber Canapé’s w Dill & Asafoetida Dip

These are lovely, tasteful canapés. Bit different, as asafoetida is not very common, or at least not used too often in the western kitchen.

♦   3/4 cup Cashew Cream
♦   2 tsp dried dill
♦   1.5 tsp asafoetida
♦   2 small cloves of garlic, minced
♦   salt to taste
♦   Spring onion, finely sliced
♦   Sweet paprika powder (do not omit!)
♦   Cucumber slices

You do (for the dip):
– mix everything but the salt (and the cucumber, of course)
– add salt to taste

Top cucumber slices with dip, spring onion and sweet paprika powder.

If you want this as a dressing, then dilute with a non dairy milk.

Filed Under: All, Gluten free, Light meals, Raw & Almost Raw, Snacks & Entrées · Tagged: , , , , , , ,

Cashew Cream

May 16, 2013 · by · Leave a Comment
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Cashew Cream
Cashew cream is (r)awesome! You need to keep a container of it in the fridge at all times, as it is the base for sweet and savoury hot or cold sauces, for dips and as addition to soups and other dishes to make them creamier. By itself it tastes quite bland, which makes it great to add your flavours. It is TOO easy to make!
Prepared by:
Cuisine: vegan
Recipe type: Vegan basics
Prep time: 
Total time: 
You need
  • a certain amount of raw cashews (let's say, a cup)
  • just enough water to fill till ¾ of cashew level. The less water your blender can handle, the better, as you'll have a thicker cashew cream, which you then can use for more purposes; if you need it thinner, just stir in a tad of water. (If you use more or less nuts, the principle stays the same ).
To do
  1. soak the cashews (this makes them watery and soft, plus, soaking gets rid of phytic acid, which inhibits the absorption of minerals in the gut). Some say soak for 2 hours, some say 4, I just soak overnight or a few hours during the day.
  2. put water and cashews in blender
  3. whizz till smooth!
Notes
It may be better to not make it too thin, you can always add water, but never extract!

Essential stuff in the vegan kitchen 😉
Filed Under: All, Dips, Sauces & Condiments, Raw & Almost Raw, Vegan 101 & Alternatives · Tagged: ,

Croutons w Mustard Cream & Asparagus

May 16, 2013 · by · Leave a Comment
Croutons w Mustard Cream & Asparagus

Croutons w Mustard Cream & Asparagus

 

Mmmm… great snack, nibble, lunch, anything!

You need per piece (making 4-6 pieces out of one slice of bread):
♦   sliced bread, cut in 4 or 6 pieces
♦   about a heaped teaspoon of Cashew Cream
♦   1/4 tsp of mustard (any kind you fancy most)
♦   1/2 asparagus
♦   some oil
♦   smoked paprika powder

 

Way to go:
– heat the oil in a skillet and fry the bread on both sides
– mix the Cashew Cream with the mustard, and cut the asparagus in pieces
– when the bread has become crouton, put a heaped teaspoon of the Mustard Cream on top, and then the asparagus and smoked paprika powder.

Serve straight away.

 

Filed Under: All, Light meals, Snacks & Entrées · Tagged: , , , ,

5 Veggie Soup w Coriander Pesto & Garlic Cream

May 15, 2013 · by · Leave a Comment

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5 Veggie Soup w Coriander Pesto & Garlic Cream
Another nice and easy soup 🙂 This one is cooked, but really, you could have it raw too, just boil your stock cube in some water and add to the soup mixture. It will be a tepid soup then 🙂
Prepared by:
Cuisine: vegan
Recipe type: Soup
Serves: 1
Prep time: 
Cook/wait time: 
Total time: 
You need
  • 3 medium sized tomatoes
  • 2 stalks of celery
  • 1 capsicum (colour doesn't matter, I used a red/green one in this recipe)
  • 1 small onion
  • 1 medium sized carrot
  • Cashew Cream (see recipe)
  • lots of garlic
  • 1 vegetable stock cube
  • coriander pesto or lots of fresh coriander.
To do
  1. blend all veggies except garlic with a little water in a blender
  2. transfer to pan
  3. heat and add stock cube
  4. grate or squeeze your garlic, add to soup and stir
  5. let simmer for half an hour
  6. In the meantime, add garlic, salt & pepper and if you want a little lemon juice to ⅓ cup of Cashew Cream.
  7. to serve, put soup in bowls and arrange your pesto and garlic cream.
Notes
If you don't have coriander pesto, you can use dairy free basil pesto too. If you don't have either, chop fresh coriander very finely and add to soup just before serving, with a bit of salt, pepper, and a dash of olive oil.

 

 

Another nice and easy soup! This one is cooked, but really, you could have it raw too, just boil your stock cube in some water and add to the soup mixture. It will be a tepid soup then 🙂

You need (for 2 persons):
•    3 medium sized tomatoes
•    2 stalks of celery
•    1 capsicum (colour doesn’t matter, I used a red/green one in this recipe)
•    1 small onion
•    1 medium sized carrot
•    Cashew Cream
•    lots of garlic
•    1 vegetable stock cube
•    coriander pesto or lots of fresh coriander.

You do:
– blend all veggies except garlic with a little water in a blender
– transfer to pan
– heat and add stock cube
– grate or squeeze your garlic, add to soup and stir
– let simmer for half an hour

– in the meantime, add garlic, salt & pepper and if you want a little lemon juice to 1/3 cup of Cashew Cream.

– to serve, put soup in bowls and arrange your pesto and garlic cream.

If you don’t have coriander pesto, you can use dairy free basil pesto too. If you don’t have either, chop fresh coriander very finely and add to soup just before serving, with a bit of salt, pepper, and a dash of olive oil.

Enjoy!

 

5 Veggie Soup w Coriander Pesto & Garlic Cream

5 Veggie Soup w Coriander Pesto & Garlic Cream

 

 

Filed Under: All, Gluten free, Soup · Tagged: , , , , , , , ,